This is Apollo. He is a 5 1/2 english cream golden retriever. He’s also my soul dog. I got Apollo when he was just 8 weeks old, and I got to meet him when he was 5 weeks old. I immediately fell in love with him as he fell asleep right in my arms. He’s been my best friend and my emotional support dog ever since.

On Tuesday morning, we (my Dad, brother, and I) realized something was very wrong. Apollo had thrown up his breakfast and wasn’t moving around much. He’s a very happy and energetic dog, and everyone who has ever met him loves him. He’s been to my marching band practices in high school, sitting in the car and then coming out when it’s over, and letting everyone pet him. He’s truly the light of my life.

We took him to the vet later in the day, and we had to wait until the next day to get an ultrasound.

Wednesday morning is when we were told he needed to have surgery. He had 2 foreign bodies, one in his stomach and the other in his small intestine. This was estimated to be up to $7,000.

This afternoon (4/9/26), I got a phone call from the vet letting me know they needed to go back into surgery. The part of the small intestine that they had to cut open to get the foreign body out was inflamed. They needed to remove that part of the small intestine. I am absolutely heartbroken that my baby has to go through this. I cannot stand the idea of my dog being alone in a scary hospital, having to have surgery twice, without me being by his side.

As of right now, I am waiting to hear how the surgery is going/went. All I care about right now is making sure my dog will be okay. He has helped me get through the hardest parts of my life, especially considering I struggle with mental health. He saved my life, so I need to save his too.

Now, with the second surgery, I was told it could be anywhere from $8,000-$9,000. I absolutely hate asking for money, but as a family we are struggling to come up with the money. If you are able to donate even a penny, or if you can’t donate, and would be willing to share this, it would help tremendously.

Thank you for taking the time to read about Apollo. He is my everything and I don’t know what I would do without him.

Tierney Ellicott