This is Gus. He is our first foster dog – and our best foster failure.

Gus is a 2-year-old tripod Frenchie rescue battling Osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer that normally affects older and large breed dogs. Like many other rescues, he did not have an easy start…

His original owners kept him as an outside dog on his own in a dog house. He spent most of his days and nights alone and was given very little attention. He had no idea what toys were and had severe separation anxiety (understandably!). His owners paid so little attention that, when Gus was surrendered, they failed to mention that Gus had an acute limp.

That’s when Gus entered our lives.

Having previously volunteered for rescues and raising multiple pets of our own, we decided to foster Gus. The photos of him looking so forlorn in his yard broke our hearts. Due to time and financial constraints, we were not looking to adopt but definitely wanted to help, and Gus seemed like the perfect dog we could help get adopted out quickly. In no time, Gus came out of his shell, he finally started to enjoy life! He learned how to play, run, chase and just be a dog, even with his limp leg. We fell in love with him instantly.

Unfortunately, his story took a wildly opposite turn.

After many vet visits, x-rays, cytology and a bone biopsy, it was determined that Gus’ limp was a result of Osteosarcoma and, to best control pain, his leg would need to be amputated. So, within three weeks of Gus’ new freedom, he became a tripod.

But his challenges didn’t end there.

Post-amputation, both Gus’ surgeon and oncologist recommended chemotherapy. The prognosis for Osteosarcoma is grave. Chemo could extend his life another 6-12 months. Without chemo, 4-5 months at best. We later received the devastating news that a small 1.3 cm nodule had developed in his lung, meaning that cancer had begun to metastasize.

When we found out chemo was not an option through the rescue, it killed us. We wanted to do right by Gus and give him a chance for a longer life -- no matter how long it would be -- so we made the choice to adopt him and start chemo treatment as soon as possible.

At this point, we knew we needed to reach out to our community for help.

We never intended to have another dog, especially one with special needs. We didn’t have thousands of dollars saved for Gus’ medical treatments or any resources in place for his care. And it was too late to get pet insurance because Gus’ cancer would be considered ‘pre-existing’. BUT, we took a leap to help Gus fight because he deserves HOPE. Throughout everything, Gus has shown us phenomenal spirit – he is a true fighter! He deserves a chance to live, to thrive, to be part of a home and family, to experience joy and love to the fullest. We will do whatever it takes for him to have that and we hope to inspire others to do the same for animals in need.

100% of Gus’ funds will be used to pay for his chemo treatments ($1,000+ each), medication, vet appointments, multiple trips out of state for a trial vaccine, and many follow up x-rays, ultrasounds and blood panels. Any excess funds will be donated to charity.

From the bottom of our hearts. we humbly ask if you can donate (no amount is too small) and share this link with friends and family.

We thank you for your generous support, and may God bless each and every one of you!!