Look at Shiner Mcwhiner. He is a 3-year-old, full-breed Pitbull who is one of my absolute best friends in the entire world. Usually, he is the happiest, most patient, toy-obsessed good boy you will ever meet. But for the last three days, Shiner hasn’t been able to eat, drink, play, or even lift his head from the floor. He is suffering, and it is completely breaking my heart.

Shiner accidentally swallowed a golf ball, and it is stuck. It’s creating a life-threatening blockage that he cannot pass on his own. We are in a terrifying race against the clock—if we can't get him an x-ray and emergency surgery immediately, we are going to lose him.

We want nothing more than to save our boy, but we have hit a cruel, heartbreaking financial wall:

* **The Exam Fee Barrier:** My ex currently has no income, and I am unemployed. I have called hospitals everywhere, but no vet will even touch him or walk him through the door without $200 cash upfront just for the exam.

* **The Grant Catch-22:** Emergency grants require an official diagnosis and treatment plan before they give you a dime, but we can't get that diagnosis without the $200 exam fee we don't have.

* **The Loan Roadblock:** I managed to get approved for a $500 medical loan through Cherry, but it requires a $125 deposit right now. Because I am unemployed, I also can't in good conscience take on debt I have no way to pay back.

We are completely stuck watching someone we love fade away because we don't have cash in hand. Going through this nightmare has made me realize how broken the system is, and I truly want to look into creating a non-profit organization that bridges this exact gap for people experiencing financial hardship, or at least advocates for them to find better options so they never have to face this despair. Because we can't get the exam yet, we don't know the exact surgery cost, which is why our goal is high.

**Our Transparency Promise:**

We promise that if we receive any funds over the actual amount needed to pay off Shiner’s vet bill, every single extra penny will be immediately donated to another animal fundraiser in need, because no one should have to choose whether or not their best friend dies based on financial hardship.

Please, if you can find it in your heart to donate even a few dollars, you will be directly saving a life. If you can’t donate, please hit **Share**. Shiner is fighting so hard to stay with us. Thank you for listening, and thank you for supporting our good boy.