HELP US GET CHICO TO JAPAN FOR HEART SURGERY

Hi, thanks so much for taking the time to read Chico’s story!

(All funds raised goes towards the cost of surgery, travel to Japan, and help with our 3-4 week lodging stay)

You can also Zelle or Venmo me and I will send you an email donation receipt.

My name is Hillary and Chico is our 8 year old long haired Merle chihuahua. He is our world and a cherished part of our family. In 2023, after the heartbreaking loss of my first 17 year old Pomeranian, Bentley, I started noticing Chico coughing. At first, I thought it might be collapsing trachea, which is common in smaller dogs, but I was so wrong and I did not realize how serious it was becoming. Then his symptoms worsened, and in February 2023 he was rushed to the emergency vet after having a seizure. That was when we learned Chico had a Grade 2 heart murmur. My heart sunk— heart disease in dogs, especially smaller dogs is common, but what puts Chico at a disadvantage is his age. He was only 6 years old when he was first diagnosed with heart disease.

Since then, his heart disease has continued to progress. His heart is now enlarged and pressing on his trachea making it hard for him to breathe at times, and he has moderate to severe mitral valve regurgitation with advanced Stage B2 heart disease. He has started to have syncope episodes where he passes out when coughing. Without surgery, his condition will continue to worsen until he goes into congestive heart failure. After losing Bentley just over two years ago, I’m not ready to say goodbye again. Not this soon.

The surgery Chico needs is highly specialized and expensive, costing $18,000 - $20,000. Jasmine Clinic in Japan is the trail blazer for this surgery, and is the only veterinary clinic in the world that specializes in mitral valve repair for teacup dogs like Chico.

To move forward, I need to make a down payment to secure his surgery date. Beyond the surgery itself, we also need help covering flights and lodging in Japan for 3 to 4 weeks, since Chico will not be able to travel right away after open-heart surgery. There are also many international travel steps that must be completed before entering Japan, including a required 180-day quarantine waiting period to enter Japan. Because of this timeline and having to wait for donor blood, Chico’s surgery is tentatively scheduled for week of October 12th 2026 — We need to raise funds before September!

My husband Brad and I are going through one of the toughest seasons of our lives after both experiencing job loss. We are facing financial hardship for the first time in our lives; I have been unemployed for nearly a year and a half while searching for work with no luck in this current economy, and Brad was laid off 9 months ago. We have always worked hard, given back, and been kind people and never imagined we would be in a position where we needed to ask for help like this.

I was embarrassed to start this GoFundMe, but I would not be creating this fundraiser if it were not absolutely our last resort. Chico means the world to us and I could never live with myself if I didn’t do everything possible to help him. If you have ever loved a pet, then you understand they are family. I love my dogs with all my heart and would do anything for them.

Any support, no matter the amount, will help us give Chico a chance at the life-saving care he needs. I will also be sharing our journey and updates with my followers on Instagram through My IG (StyleMeHill) and Chico’s IG (BENTLEYANDCHICO).

THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for reading, sharing, and supporting us and our furbaby, Chico!!