Harley is only 9 and a half years old, and despite everything happening right now, I still see so much life left in her.

Back in December, we moved two hours north and temporarily stayed with family while waiting to close on our house. Around that time, Harley started itching constantly, her eyes became very red, and she developed a cough that slowly continued to get worse.

We took her to the vet, where they believed it could be allergies. She was given steroids, and while the itching and eyes improved, the cough never fully went away. Bloodwork and heartworm testing both came back normal, so we hoped it was something minor that would eventually pass.

But it didn’t.

At the end of March, we finally closed on our house, and within weeks Harley’s cough became noticeably worse and the redness in her eyes returned. We decided to get a second opinion from another vet, who performed chest X-rays.

That appointment changed our lives.

The X-rays showed several masses in Harley’s chest. At first, the possibilities included enlarged lymph nodes, fungal disease, or cancer. We were referred to an oncologist for a biopsy so we could finally get answers.

Unfortunately, the biopsy confirmed histiocytic sarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer.

Two of the masses are large and located dangerously close to her heart and other vital structures, which means surgery is not an option. The masses are causing her cough, but her oncologist believes treatment could help shrink them and give her more quality time — time where she can still be happy, comfortable, playful, and herself.

Right now, Harley’s oncologist estimates she could have anywhere from 3 months to potentially 1.5 years with treatment. While there are no guarantees, they are optimistic that treatment could give her meaningful time with a good quality of life.

The next step is to start Harley on an infusion treatment along with chemotherapy medication. This will include follow up chest X-rays, bloodwork, and ongoing monitoring to track how she is responding to treatment and make sure she stays as comfortable as possible.

The infusion treatment could cost up to approximately $500 and is typically only given once, though additional infusions may be needed in the future depending on how Harley responds and what future testing shows.

Ongoing care, including chemotherapy medication, bloodwork, chest X-rays, and monitoring, is estimated between $600–$1,100 per month.

Harley’s oncologist explained that if treatment is successful and gives her closer to the higher end of the estimated timeline of up to 1.5 years, total medical expenses could eventually approach $20,000. This does not include emergency visits, additional testing, supplements, medications, or special meals to help keep her healthy, comfortable, and maintain the best quality of life possible.

I never imagined I would be in this position, but I’m asking for help because I truly believe Harley still has life left in her.

She still gets excited for walks and car rides. She still stops to sniff everything. She still perks up when the door opens, gives kisses, asks for pets, and has moments where she plays with her toys like nothing is wrong.

I’m not ready to end her life early if there’s still a chance to give her more happy, comfortable time.

If you’re able to donate, share this fundraiser, or even just keep Harley in your thoughts, it would mean more to us than I can express.

I’ll continue posting regular updates about Harley’s treatment, expenses, and progress so everyone can follow along transparently every step of the way.

Thank you for reading Harley’s story and for helping us fight for more time with her.