Help Jake Overcome Lung Cancer

Jake and his sister were relinquished by their owner to a kill shelter in Macon, Georgia. While the owner reclaimed Jake's sister, he remained at the shelter. Fortunately, the Save a Lab Foundation of Rhode Island intervened and rescued him, subsequently placing him in our foster care short term.

While waiting for him to be transferred to another family in the Rhode Island area, we felt incredibly lucky when Jake chose our family as his forever home (aka Foster fail!), bringing with him a spark of energy, a commitment to companionship, and a love for Luckie, our other lab.

If you have ever met Jake, you know he goes full speed to every place he goes. He runs to tennis balls, the pool, food, birds, leaves, the postman, and everything that captures his attention. Even our rescued kitten plays with and trusts Jake, although he outweighs her by 95 pounds. He plays hard! He sleeps hard!

Labs are prone to knee injuries, specifically cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) ruptures, which can cause pain, lameness, and arthritis. Upon receiving this diagnosis, we made the decision to locate a reputable orthopedic surgeon to perform the surgery. Jen and Jake traveled to Columbia, South Carolina, for the procedure. We knew Jake deserves this chance to continue to enjoy life at his pace.

Regrettably, during pre-surgical preparations and the administration of all necessary vitals and tests, it was discovered that he had lung cancer. A comprehensive battery of tests was conducted, at significant expense, to determine if the cancer had metastasized. Following a week of emotional distress, anxiety, tears, and stress, it was determined that the cancer was localized to his lungs. It is a fast-moving cancer. We were informed that Jake has 3-6 months to live without treatment. His prognosis of a full recovery is very high.

If you entered our home today, you would be greeted by Jake, who would enthusiastically jump up and down, bark at you, and likely bring you a tennis ball. Jake remains true to his nature, and if you are familiar with my family, including my siblings, nieces, and nephew, you would understand that we go to great lengths to care for our pets.

We have explored every avenue, weighing factors like age, costs, and quality of life, empowered by the knowledge that, as passionate advocates for our animals, “we are the voices for them.” We firmly believe Jake deserves the chance to live life to its fullest potential. Guided by a family member who navigated a similar journey, we stand confident yet grounded in our decision.

We are exploring all options to fund his invasive surgery. We have canceled family vacations, worked weekends, and sold items of only financial value. We have taken loans, created payment plans, and looked for grants.

Jen and I humbly invite your support in any form or guidance on innovative ways to raise vital funds so that Jake can continue his journey of being Jake.