Duchess is a 6-year-old German Shepherd and the sweetest girl you could ever meet. She belongs to my daughter, Aleese, and her boyfriend, Ryan, who are a young couple with a baby and another on the way. Duchess has been a loyal companion to them, bringing joy and comfort to their growing family. In July, Tender Care Animal Hospital in Peoria told them that Duchess had cancer and gave her just 2-4 months to live. Since then, Aleese and Ryan have done everything they can, paying for expensive medicines and treatments to give Duchess the best chance possible. Seven months later, they now question if the cancer diagnosis was correct, but there is no way to recover the large amount of money already spent.

Recently, Duchess developed a hematoma on her left ear. When Aleese took her to Tender Care, the experience was traumatic for both of them. Without any double-checking or comfort, the staff took Duchess out of the room and performed a painful procedure, returning her to Aleese with blood spraying everywhere and the hematoma still not drained. This led to a late-night, Christmas Eve visit to the animal emergency room, which was another costly and stressful ordeal. Just days later, Duchess woke up with a swollen face, her snout and left eye swollen shut, and had to be rushed to another vet for urgent care. Through all of this, Aleese and Ryan have continued to do everything they can for Duchess, but the bills keep piling up.

Now, they are having to do even more procedures, such as imaging and testing, to find out if the cancer diagnosis is even real. These additional costs are adding up quickly, but they are determined to get answers and give Duchess the best care possible. I would love to see Tender Care held accountable for their actions, but in the meantime, I want to help Aleese, Ryan, and Duchess get through this difficult time. The funds raised will go directly toward paying off their current vet bills, covering the costs of these new procedures, and any future medical expenses for Duchess. Any support you can offer would mean the world to our family and help give Duchess the care she deserves. Thank you for considering a donation and for supporting this young family and their beloved dog.