Dear friends and dog-lovers,

Less than a month ago, Dana's best friend and right-hand dog, Jake, was taken before his time. What began as a terrifying health crisis has left them with a $17,000 vet bill and a deep loss you can understand if you’ve ever loved a dog. I'm setting up this fundraiser to help ease that burden, honour Jake's legacy, and show support for Dana and her family in their time of need.

You may know Jake from his tap-dancing toes, his love of sticks, or his happy tail wagging around the farm. Or maybe you didn’t get to meet him, but let me tell you - Jake was the happiest, friendliest, goofiest boy ever. Dana found him as a rescue in Mexico 10 years ago and knew immediately that he was meant to be hers. She brought him home with her and he fit right in. He led her down the path of dog training and in turn HE was the best dog trainer “uncle Jake” she could have asked for. Without Jake, there wouldn’t be Lead Right Dog Training. Jake loved helping train dogs. He loved showing them how it was done and supporting all of the dogs who came through for training; from little puppies, to other rescue dogs, and even his feline brother Roo. In his free time, he loved to chase sticks by the water, rip open Christmas presents, and he loved to snuggle up and snore in your ear.

On Thanksgiving Jake began to experience vertigo. Within days his illness had progressed and he had two seizures and needed assistance to get around. Dana did everything she could to figure out what was wrong, using the entire $7,000 animal emergency fund she had set aside. After CT scans, x-rays, bloodwork, infusions, and emergency level support trying to find any answers as to what was wrong, they ended up spending over double the amount saved to help her sweet boy. Jake had an infection somewhere and they desperately tried to find the source. There were some days where he seemed like he was getting better. We were all so hopeful and wanted to support him. No one wants to make the call to end the life of a dog who clearly hadn’t given up yet. Sadly, after 2 weeks of fighting, Jake succumbed to his illness without them ever finding the source.

Now her family is left with not only a massive hole where Jake’s tappy toes used to be, but also a $17,000 vet bill. We’re hoping to fundraise $10,000 to cover the amount that exceeded their savings. Anything you can spare to help ease their minds in this time is so deeply appreciated. If you’ve ever loved a dog, you know how deep this bond goes. All donations will go directly to paying off Jake’s medical bills, and anything extra will be donated to a local rescue society.

Dana has done so much for the canine community through classes and training; let’s rally around her and help remove the some of the financial burden so she can grieve without worry…and if you can’t donate at this time, please share this fundraiser.

Thank you all.