Good morning, afternoon and evening
My name is Brian. For the past five years and eight months, I have been blessed with the sweetest dog I could have ever asked for. Her name is Sundance. She is a 65 pound Aussiedoodle, which is a mix between an Australian Shepherd and a Poodle. On July 7, 2020, I drove an hour and a half to pick her up. At the time she was seven weeks and four days old. As you could imagine I instantly bonded and fell in love with her. Not only was she an extremely adorable puppy, but she is very intelligent as well. As a highly energetic puppy, she instantly picked up on how to play fetch which turned into her burning passion. Sundance loves nothing more than to run off leash through a field to catch a ball mid jump. It is an understatement to say she is an incredible dog.
Throughout these years we have grown a strong bond between each other. She has remained a happy, healthy, and extremely energetic dog as she grows. On the weekend before Christmas 2025, I noticed she had a mass on the front part of her lower jaw. That Monday I went to the vet to get it checked out. They told me that, while it possibly could be something stuck under her gum, it was most likely cancer. The vet told me to expect the worst. That following Monday the vet performed a dental surgery, and a biopsy on the tumor. They removed her two front teeth, which the tumor was eating through, as well as taking three samples to send for testing. They also could not remove the tumor due to it being attached to her mandible. A week later the vet called to inform me of the results. They told me it is a malignant tumor. The cancer she has is called Squamous Cell Carcinoma which is the second most common oral cancer in dogs. This was devastating and heart shattering news. Thankfully, the diagnosis has not hindered her energy. She is still as playful and loving right now as she was when she was a puppy. She still has so much life to live at only being five years and eight months old.
After waiting through this long January month, on 1/29/26, we finally got into a consultation with an oncologist at Nashville Vet Specialist. At this point, the tumor has grown to encompass two more of her front teeth, as well as poking out from her bottom lip while her mouth is closed. The oncologist went through three different procedures to treat the tumor. Considering her age and energy level, the best course of action would be a procedure called a bilateral rostral mandibulectomy. This means she would go into surgery to have the front portion of her lower jaw removed. This would entail removing her mandible up to her canine teeth, while preserving most of her premolar and molar teeth. This surgery has a very low complication rate with a high rate of dogs going back to normal activity after recovery from the surgery. The only side effect would be excessive drooling which gets better as time goes on.
As you can imagine, I do not want to lose my best friend. She still has so many more toys to chew, miles to run, and balls to catch. If you have ever had the privilege of meeting Sundance, you will know how sweet and loving of a dog she can be. I have created this Go Fund Me to assist in the funds for her surgery. The state of the economy has put a major strain on my finances. Along with rising prices/rent, I had major surgery on my right ankle at the end of October 2025. I am only halfway through recovery and I am still paying the medical bills that have come with it. All of the vet bills combined for this tumor have the potential to cost up to 8 thousand dollars. This includes the biopsy, consultations, and the actual procedure. I am in no position to have the finances to pay for this, but I do not want Sundance to lose her life over something that could be treated.
Throughout this process I will be updating this page with invoices from the vets, as well as adjusting the asking total to reflect how much I am spending. Right now the total is set to $7,986, which includes the high end estimate for the procedure. This will change depending on how much the procedure actually costs. I understand we are all struggling in these economic hardships, and no amount is too small for you to offer. Every cent donated for Sundance's procedure is immensely appreciated. I am thankful for the consideration and the time you took to read my story.
All the thanks and the love,
Brian