Help Ladybug Heal: Support Her Heart Journey ❤️

After much encouragement and consideration, I've decided to start this fundraiser for my sweet little Ladybug.

Ladybug has been my constant companion for almost a decade. She's the best dog- smart as a whip, quirky, affectionate, and beautiful to boot. Though skittish, she loves all dogs and has come to love all people. She's one of the best things in my life and quite literally the only reason I get out of bed some days.

Last month, she had a serious brush with death that caused me to rush her to the nearby animal hospital. She spent 2 days in their WONDERFUL care. It turns out that she has a left atrial rupture- basically a hole in her heart. There have been no immediate plans for surgery; the hope is that with medication, rest, and changes to her diet the tear can heal on its own.

Thus far, the cost of the emergency visit and first round of medications is about $3,000. I was able to set up a payment plan for the hospital through Scratchpay, but I'm not certain how I'm going to fit the nearly $300 monthly payment into my already thinly stretched budget.

She will need continued care that includes refills of the meds, a new vet (I have been behind on her regular visits due to lack of funds, and I need to find a new vet now that we've moved across town), a change to a senior diet, and recommended supplements. I have set the goal at $5,000 with the hope of covering the medical bill before too much interest is accrued and to help bear some of the future costs.

In the event that my goal is somehow exceeded, 50% of any remaining donations will be split between:

•Animal Emergency and Surgical Center (for saving Ladybug's life)

•Mutt Misfits (for their work with ill, injured, and endangered adoptable animals)

•OKC Animal Welfare (for saving Ladybug in the first place so that I could adopt her, and for all the work this city agency does to help animals)

This little dog means everything to me. Thank you so much for helping her get better.