Update: Thank you dearly to everyone who donated to Locke. I am so hurt to say, he crossed the rainbow bridge in the early morning of June 3rd, 2025. It’s taken a few days to update you all as we’ve been spending our time grieving. To anyone who knew him, you know he was the bestest, handsomest, goofiest boy ever. He is so loved and missed. Thank you again to everyone who donated/shared his story.

My name is Locke. I just turned 5 years old, and I’m the fur baby of Michael and Danielle Rusher.

Last week, I started feeling very weak. I’ve slowly been losing the energy to eat, bark, use the bathroom, and—as of yesterday—even walk.

On June 1st, 2025, I was admitted to the vet ER with a temperature of 104.6°F to undergo blood tests and X-rays so the doctors can figure out what’s going on with me.

The vet didn’t find anything unusual on my X-rays, but my blood tests showed that I’m anemic, and my white blood cell count is the lowest she’s ever seen. Even with that, she still couldn’t quite figure out why I’m feeling this way.

She mentioned that my limping might be caused by something called a “septic joint infiltration.” Because I couldn’t walk, the vet decided to keep me overnight to perform a “joint tap” to check if there was a septic infection in my joint. After sending the sample to the lab, they confirmed that I do have septic joint infiltration.

As of now, I’m on antibiotics to fight the septic infection, which could take 3 to 4 weeks to recover from—with no guarantee that the infection won’t spread to the rest of my body.

My humans love me so much—they’ve done everything to take care of me, even spending the money they were saving for our future home. You know, the one with the big backyard I’ve always dreamed of chasing squirrels in. They need a little help getting back on their feet. Anything you can do means the world to us.

How your donation helps me stay alive:

Every dollar you give goes toward the care I need to fight this infection and stay by my family’s side. Here’s what your kindness is helping with:

• Emergency vet visits – getting help when I need it most

• Blood tests, X-rays, and lab work – these are what helped the doctors figure out what’s wrong with me.

• Antibiotics and medication – to help my body fight off the dangerous septic infection.

• Continuous overnight hospital stays – so the vet can watch over me, keep me stable, and give me the care I need hour by hour.

• Special procedures like the joint tap – to find the infection and stop it before it spreads.

• Transferring me to a specialty veterinarian - they can only do so much in one location before having to transfer me to someone who has more knowledge about my condition.

You’re not just helping pay bills. You’re helping me fight for my life. You’re helping me get back home to the people who love me. You’re giving us hope. You’re giving us time.

From the bottom of my paws - thank you. ❤️