Her name is Tay, and from the moment she entered our lives, she became a cherished member of our family. I first met Tay as a college student, driving hours to meet a woman who had purebred chocolate Labradors for adoption. When I arrived, there were dogs lounging on couches, one hiding under a table, and another playfully pawing at the curtains by the window. But then, Tay, a sweet white-and-black dog, walked up to me with a raggedy toy in her mouth, dropped it at my feet, and rolled over onto her back. In that moment, I knew she was the one.

I immediately called my mom and little sister, who were at a PetSmart adoption event, and said, “I found our dog.” They were so excited and eagerly awaited her arrival.

The drive home was emotional—Tay was frightened, burying her head in my chest as if she knew she was leaving everything behind. But she quickly became more than just a dog—she became our protector, our best friend, and a constant source of love.

Tay has been there through every milestone. She supported me when I became a mom, offering comfort as I faced new challenges. She was there for my younger sister, who was 11 at the time, helping her navigate childhood and adolescence. Now that my sister is 21 and in college, Tay’s bond with her is as strong as ever. She’s been my sister’s emotional support through the ups and downs of growing up, and as she moves into adulthood, Tay continues to provide that same steady presence.

But now, Tay is struggling. Over the past few months, what we thought were recurring UTIs have gotten worse. Tay has started peeing blood with clots, and she’s become lethargic and unable to do things she once enjoyed. After taking her to urgent care, we learned that she has two large kidney stones, and they need to be removed as soon as possible.

This is incredibly difficult for our family. Tay has been there for us in so many ways, and now we want to do everything we can to help her. The cost of her surgery is more than we can afford right now, and with the urgency of the situation, we don’t have enough time to save the money needed.

My little sister, who loves Tay deeply, has been selling her things to try to help, but it’s still not enough. We are turning to our community for help because we want to give Tay the care she deserves. We wouldn’t be asking if we weren’t in a tough spot, but we can’t do this alone.

If you can, please help us give Tay the surgery she needs. Any donation, no matter how small, will help us reach our goal. We just want to see her back to her happy, playful self, supporting my sister through her college years and continuing to be the loyal friend she’s always been to our family.

Thank you so much for your support. Your kindness means the world to us, and we are truly grateful.

With love and appreciation,

Trish and Family