Hi, my name is Kei. I'm 19 years old and in May 2025 I left my abusive parents' home and started living with my partner and their family. Towards the end of September 2025, I was in contact with my mother for the first time after leaving home, and she told me she left town to leave my father and couldn't take our dogs with her. Since my father also couldn't keep them, he claimed he was bringing them to a pound. I couldn't live with that being a reality or not knowing where my babies would end up, so I made arrangements for my dogs to be with me. My mother eventually came back into town and took our smaller dog Daisy but left my partner's family and I with our big dog and never said anything about coming back for her. That dog's name is Kokoa; she's my first dog and my best friend. I was her safe person when we lived with my parents. Whenever my father would yell or my parents would fight, she’d run to me, whenever I was sad, she would always comfort me. I love that dog with all my being.

Earlier this month, my parents randomly showed up with very little warning to my partner's family's house demanding her back furiously and violently. This was very unreasonable considering that they were unfit owners to Kokoa and were willing to abandon her only 4 months ago. Now, my parents are taking me and my partner's family to court and are demanding $5,000 from us in order for us keep Kokoa. They only paid $100 for her, never got her spayed, and barely took her to the vet. So, to ask for that much money is not sensible or fair at all. When my parents wrote the report, they didn't include anything about my mother leaving town and stated that the dogs were stolen from them. However, I have video and text evidence disproving both of those claims.

I am unemployed, so raising $5,000 in less than two weeks on my own would be very hard. I'm not asking for it all but I will need some help. Kokoa simply cannot go back with my parents to live in a dirty house in the projects with no proper yard or care. She is currently in a loving home with a gated backyard, another dog her size that she has bonded with, and people that love her. In contrast to that, she would be separated from us to go back with a couple that fights daily whom she's scared of.

I truly appreciate any donations at all, I understand it is a large amount, but I believe that Kokoa deserves a home that she loves. Thank you.