Meet Leo, my stubborn, loyal, and loving best friend. A couple of weeks ago, he started limping, and after exams, X-rays, and specialist consultations, we received a diagnosis I never expected: osteosarcoma, an aggressive and extremely painful bone cancer. Despite everything, Leo is still himself. He eats, wags his tail, and wants to be near me. He is still fighting and I am choosing to fight with him.

Leo has been with me through major chapters of my life, including a year-long deployment where we were apart. When I finally came home, he greeted me like not a single day had passed. He loves sleeping under blankets and on his stack of couch pillows. He charms every woman at the vet clinic and for reasons only he understands, he pulls tissues out of the box every time I take my other dog, Lexie, out, even if he just went out himself. Lexie is his mom and they have been inseparable since the day he was born.

Based on veterinary recommendations, Leo’s best chance is amputation of the affected leg to remove the tumor and eliminate the pain. Chemotherapy will follow to help slow or delay the spread of the cancer. The hope is that this treatment gives him more time to enjoy the things he loves, surrounded by comfort and the people who adore him.

Asking for financial help publicly is something I never imagined doing. I went back and forth about creating this because I do not like asking for help and I never want anyone to feel obligated. But Leo deserves a chance, and if there is a way to give him more time where he is comfortable, happy, and pain-free, then I have to try. This fundraiser is simply here for anyone who wants to help.

Any support, whether it is a donation, sharing this link, or kind words, means more than I can express. Thank you for caring about Leo and for helping us fight for more good days together. I will post updates after his surgery, throughout recovery, and during treatment.