We've got wonderful friends, and many of you have asked for us to start a GoFundMe to help us with the mounting costs of Koji's (so far) extensive diagnostic tests and (hopefully not) cancer treatment.

 

We adopted Koji AKA Kozi, Koz, Sweet Baby Boy, Fat Tail, Original Lover Boy, Big Baby Boy, Idiot, Dumb-Dumb, Koj-Machine from Oakland Animal Services right at the OG lockdown in March 2020. He was a 3 year old, 91lb ball of nerves at the time and has grown (thankfully not literally, we're a good 80lb now) into the sweetest, most loyal, grounding companion we could've hoped for. We've been all over California + Oregon with him and learned the trials and joys of living + learning with a reactive dog.

 

About 3 months ago, Koji was presenting with a mild but chronic limp that we suspected was early arthritis, given that he's a massive German Shepherd. Though the leg X-Rays came up clear, an incidental finding by a Radiologist was a mass deep in Koji's chest (further chest X-Rays confirmed).

 

Close to $10,000 later, we have *just* brought Koji home from having four samples cut from the mass for diagnostics - hopefully the last step needed for an answer. The surgeon we're seeing (a Brit {!!!} at OakVet, who we love) suspects either Lymphoma or Thymoma, each a complex cancer that would require either chemotherapy or surgical removal. There's still a chance it's benign, and we should find out one way or another on Monday or Tuesday (3/29 or 3/30).

 

While we do have pet insurance, we're still incurring about 60% of the total cost and we haven't even found out what we're looking at treatment-wise, which is a scary thought. We'll do whatever is best for Koji, and would of course be so grateful for anyone who is compelled to help, no matter how small it may seem. That being said, we both work hard in the "service" industry (in one extent or another) so we 100% understand the hustle and struggle of living in the Bay Area and do not want anyone to feel obligated.

 

Thank you from Di, Zack + Koji xxx