Ladybird the Basset Hound

There is no easy way to say this, I don’t think there are a lot of easy ways to say anything when your dog, the reason we met, and the lovable land seal who helped us get married two weeks ago, is in critical condition at the Royal Vets in Edinburgh. Our sweet basshole has a nose bigger than her brain (unless she thinks there’s a treat involved, then she’s quite smart) and has had to undergo emergency surgery on her small intestines. A piece of seaweed was stuck, the surgical site ruptured after her first surgery, and she was rushed to the Royal Vets as she started to develop signs of sepsis. The amazing team managed to find where the wound was leaking, and six hours later our Babybird was still alive. The next 72 hours are critical to her recovery and we’re just trying to hold it together and remember what a strong badass basset hound she is. This is her fifth surgery in less than a year.

Ladybird is not your average basset hound. She is the reason Fraser and I met. She fell asleep on my chest on our first date, and I will always remember her little puppy snores. She has been there for Fraser on Christmas Eve when I was denied re-entry into the UK through questionable immigrations practices. She has been with him throughout the two years we were forcibly separated due to Covid travel restrictions, his cancer diagnosis, and his eventual chemotherapy.

As we are separated again by our jobs and visa restrictions, Ladybird is doing her best to be there for us and become the transatlantic doggo she was meant to be. We are asking for any and all donations to help us pay for her life-saving surgeries. We have already maxed out our pet insurance on her first surgery and we still owe money to Vet Specialists Scotland for saving her life last year. Any money that exceeds our goal, we intend to donate back to the hospitals that have saved our Ladybird’s life. We never want any other dog owner to struggle between saying goodbye to their loved pet because of overwhelming surgical costs. Thank you so much for reading about our beautiful and resilient basset hound and for your donations.

Lots of love from Julia, Fraser and Ladybird.