Just one day after welcoming their new baby into the world, Leslie and her family experienced a devastating hit when their 9-year old rescue chihuahua, Taco, was brutally attacked.

Less than 24 hours after Leslie gave birth to her second baby, Taco was out on a walk with Leslie’s mom and toddler when a neighbor’s boxer escaped the garage and went straight for Taco. The humans only experienced minor scrapes, but Taco’s injuries were life-threatening.

Taco was rushed to an emergency animal hospital as his abdomen had been torn open and organs were exposed. Veterinarians worked urgently to stabilize him before performing emergency surgery to repair the damage.

Over the next week, Taco endured two major surgeries to repair his abdomen and treat severe trauma to his mouth that caused him to lose all of his top teeth. While this was happening, Leslie was recovering from childbirth in the maternity ward, not knowing if her fur baby would survive. He spent 7 days in the animal hospital before finally stabilizing enough to come home.

Taco isn’t just a pet. He has been part of their family since Leslie adopted him from a kill shelter. He has now been with the family for 7+ years, grown up alongside their toddler and has been a constant source of joy and comfort in their home.

This ordeal has been incredibly traumatic for the entire family.

Leslie’s husband has been doing everything he can to hold things together. In the span of a few days he was visiting his recovering wife and newborn in the hospital, caring for their toddler, and traveling back and forth to the animal hospital to check on Taco.

The emotional strain has been overwhelming, and the financial burden has been just as heavy. Between emergency care, hospitalization, and two complex surgeries, Taco’s medical bills have reached nearly $25,000.

This comes at the same time the family is also facing the medical expenses of welcoming their newborn son.

They are doing everything they can to cover the costs. We’re hoping to raise funds to offset a portion of Taco’s emergency medical care to ease the family’s financial burden.

If you are able, please consider donating or sharing this page. Every contribution, no matter the size, will help this family recover from an incredibly difficult and unexpected situation.

Most importantly, Taco is still here. He is healing, and he is still deeply loved.

Thank you for helping Leslie’s family get through this.