Linus has never been “just a dog” to our family. He’s been part of our girls’ childhood, our steady companion through life’s ups and downs, and the quiet comfort that always seems to show up exactly when someone needs it.

Over the past few years our family has been through more than we ever expected, including losing our home in a fire and the long process of rebuilding our lives afterward. Through all of it, Linus has been there every single day — bringing comfort, routine, and a lot of love into our home.

To our daughters, Linus isn’t just a pet. He’s family.

Outside our home, Linus has also become something special to many others. Around the halls of our department he’s known as the unofficial office dog. Students stop by every day just to say hello, give him a pat, or take a quick break between classes. Somewhere along the way we even started joking that we were the “awesome department,” partly because we had the awesome office dog.

Recently we received heartbreaking news.

Linus has been diagnosed with lymphoma.

Right now we are exploring treatment options, including chemotherapy, that could help give him the best possible quality of life and hopefully more time with the people who love him. The diagnostic testing and potential treatments add up quickly, but our goal is simple — to give Linus every reasonable chance we can.

I’ll be honest: asking for help does not come naturally to me. I’ve always tried to be someone who helps others rather than asks for help myself. I also know there are many people facing incredibly difficult situations in life, and we never take that lightly.

But Linus has meant so much to our family — and to many others who know him — that we felt it was worth trying.

This fundraiser will go directly toward Linus’ veterinary diagnostics and treatment.

If for any reason treatment is not pursued, shortened, or becomes no longer in Linus’ best interest, any unused funds will be refunded to donors.

Our hope is simple: to give Linus the chance at treatment and as much happy time as possible with the family and community who love him.

If you’re able to contribute, we are deeply grateful. If donating isn’t possible, sharing this page means just as much.

Most importantly, thank you for caring about our boy.

From our daughter Louisa

“My favorite thing about Linus is how funny he is. He’s kind of like my big brother. One of my favorite memories is when I was little and I used to try to ride him.

When I come home he always comes to greet me and I can hear his claws clicking on the floor. If I’m having a bad day he comes and snuggles with me and puts his head on my lap and clicks his lip.

People shouldn’t be afraid of him because he’s big and fluffy. He’s actually a very kind dog.”

Based on recommendations from a veterinary oncologist, Linus will begin chemotherapy treatment administered by our veterinary team. Each treatment includes bloodwork, sedation, IV catheter placement, monitoring, anti-nausea medication, and the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin.

The estimated cost for each treatment is approximately $1,100, and the current plan is five treatments given every three weeks, bringing the expected treatment cost to over $5,500.

Like many families, we would spend this money in a heartbeat if we had it readily available. Unfortunately, after the house fire last year we are still in an ongoing dispute with our insurance company over our contents claim and have had to take on legal costs. Because of this, asking for help was not easy, but we want to give Linus the best chance at more happy time with the family who loves him.

We’re taking this one step at a time and focusing on giving Linus comfort, dignity, and as much love as possible.

— Luke & Family