Those of you who follow us on social media probably know about our rescue pup Fresca from Sayulita! As many who’ve traveled to Mexico know, there are many strays there. We usually give dogs we meet a little treat and they move on. But not this one. This guy was waiting for us on the porch each morning and was so excited to see us. Each day passed and he became part of our crew. We named him Fresca (I know, I know, we wouldn't have named him after a Mexican soda if I knew we were going to keep him!). I knew he wasn't well so I found a vet and every day we were in Mexico, Fresca and I would ride the golf cart down to the vet so he could get daily antibiotics. The vet there thought he had a tick disease and we started medicine. I knew I couldn't leave him behind in Mexico. There was no one there who could take him and I was determined to get him home. After rebooking new flights (our current carrier didn’t take pet cargo!) and LOTS of details and planning which I won’t bore you with, we bought a crate and paid for him to have all his shots so he could come to the United States.

 

It was the first time I had put a pet in cargo so I prayed the whole time that he would be okay. And he was! He survived and one of my best friends picked us up in San Diego and we made the journey home.

 

Our dog Bruce is aggressive, so Fresca settled into my mom's house where there is never a dull moment. He loves being around people and he has found his person, my 91-year-old uncle, Frank. They are best buds--Fresca sleeps on his bed and even sits in his lap (though he weighs 40 pounds)! All during Covid, my uncle asked us to find him a dog, but it never seemed to work out. Seeing them together, I knew why Fresca was put in my path. But I knew he was still sick—he just wasn’t getting better and he was coughing up a lot of blood. We took him to numerous vet appointments and it was determined that he needed a scope of his nose and a CT scan to see what the problem was. After the biopsy, we got the worst news back, Fresca has a cancerous tumor in his nose. We are all devastated. He made it this far and he deserves his new life--we love him so much.

We found a radiation treatment that might save his life, and this is where we need your help. Rod and I have spent thousands already trying to save this dog and now we are pleading for your help because we can't give up. Fresca is such a good dog, gentle and kind. Please help him live. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.