Jacks was diagnosed with Stage IIIa Lymphoma on April 9, 2026. In late March, I noticed significant swelling of all his lymph nodes. Before that, his only symptoms were a little lethargy and pickiness, which I first thought were signs of aging since he had just turned 10. He was still eating, going to the bathroom normally, and excited for walks and company. After I noticed the inflammation and his lymph nodes didn’t reduce within a couple of days, I took him to the vet. The cytology came back consistent with Lymphoma. The good news is we caught it early—he is asymptomatic, no cancer is circulating in his blood, and no organs are affected. I immediately found the best oncologist, and we started chemo two days after the diagnosis. It’s been extremely stressful and heartbreaking to see Jacks go through this, but he is already responding to treatment. We are now waiting to find out if it is B or T cell lymphoma. Once we know, we’ll have more information about his chemo protocol, but he will be getting whatever the gold standard is for his prognosis.

The costs so far have been extensive, and while there is nothing I wouldn’t do for Jacks, any relief would help. The funds will help pay for Jacks’ treatments, medication, vet visits, healthy meals, and comfortable, safe travel from Long Island to Connecticut each week. We take the ferry to minimize driving and stress because Jacks doesn’t like highways.

If you took the time to read this, thank you. Jacks means everything to me. He is my soul dog. Every bit of support matters and helps: it doesn’t matter if it’s financial, kind words of encouragement, advice, or just simply sharing Jacks’ story. Please just hold your dogs tight, let them take their time sniffing, go on walks even when it’s raining, and remember, their whole life is with you. <3