I never thought I’d be making something like this nor would I ever want to ask for help.

I lost my best friend, Ripley, and I’m completely shattered. I did everything I could to save him, but now I’m left with nothing — no money, no savings, and no him. I have no other choice but to ask for help to cover his medical bills and try to get back on my feet after losing the one who meant everything to me.

FULL STORY

In Loving Memory of Ripley — Help Cover His Emergency & Final Vet Bills

Hi, my name is Katy, and I never thought I’d ever have to write this. My dog Ripley wasn’t just a pet — he was my best friend, my shadow, and the reason I got through some of the hardest moments of my life.

He was eight years old, perfectly healthy, full of energy — running around and being his goofy self — until, out of nowhere, everything changed. There was no warning, no accident, no reason I can point to. Suddenly he was screaming in pain, and when me and my boyfriend, Will, heard him cry out, I collapsed to the ground. The sound still haunts me.

We rushed him to the emergency vet. His bloodwork was perfect, but they said he needed a neurologist immediately. After an overnight wait, the neurologist squeezed us in and did an MRI. It showed severe spinal damage — his L5 and L6 discs were completely herniated, with massive bleeding from L4. They rushed him straight into a seven-hour surgery, but the bleeding was too severe.

The next morning, tests confirmed his blood was normal — the damage was just that bad. By then, Ripley had lost all feeling in his tail and legs. His chances of recovery were less than 20%. There was no quality of life left for him, and I had to make the most painful, selfless decision of my life — to let him go peacefully.

To anyone who knew Ripley, you know how special he was. He was gentle, loyal, goofy, and full of heart. Losing him shattered me. I still wake up looking for him every morning, and I feel like my whole world stopped. I’m trying to fight through the grief because I know he’d want me to keep going.

When this happened, I didn’t think twice — I maxed out every card I had and pulled from everything I could to try to save him. Now I’m left with thousands in emergency and surgical bills I simply can’t afford. I’m sharing all of the invoices and receipts for full transparency.

If you know me, you know I’d never ask for help like this, but I’m in a really bad place. I just want to cover what I owe and give myself space to grieve properly.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, donate, or even share Ripley’s story. Every little bit helps me breathe and heal.

– Katy