Warning: Long, emotional read. But if you could take the time and potentially help my sweet family out, we would appreciate it more than you could ever know.

This year has been brutal for everyone and unfortunately for my little family, we weren’t excluded. Just as my husband and I were talking about babies and the future, both of our four-legged children suffered severe injuries. Today, I am asking for your help. Whether it’s a donation, a share, or even just spending the time getting to know Lula and Nox — it would mean the world to us. 

Short on time? Here’s the TL;DR: Simultaneously both of our dogs were severely injured resulting in exorbitant medical bills. Our yellow lab, Nox, punctured his eye while playing. He has a corneal ulcer that has required extensive medication and potentially surgical intervention. Our black lab, Lula, has severe hip dysplasia and recently tore her CCL. Her first surgery is scheduled for Jan. 22 with more pending. All donations will be used directly to pay for their surgeries, vet visits, rehab, medication, and tools for their better quality of life. 




                             
v v v v — read our full story below — v v v v


I got Lula the day before my 24th birthday. I had been wanting a puppy for a while, and I never missed the chance to let my then-boyfriend (now husband), Jon, know. Growing up, I had been obsessed with our two Australian Shepherds, Sydney and Melbourne. Until we got Syndey when I was in first grade, I never really interacted with dogs. I probably saw them in passing, but I never felt a draw until we brought her home.

All fur and tongue and cute, white paws, Sydney started my lifelong adoration of dogs. A year after my family got Sydney, we got another puppy, Melbourn (we called him Mel), to complete our family. For fifteen years, Sydney and Mel were the glue that held us together. Growing up, they were a part of our sleepovers and holidays, and I spent many hours dressing them up, painting their nails (much to my mother’s horror), and throwing them “weddings.” As my brothers and I got older and moved out, Sydney and Mel were the reason we’d visit home a few extra times a year, just for some puppy cuddles. 


They both lived very long, very happy lives on my parents’ large property. By the time our family made the hard decision to let them go together — as per our vet’s instructions — Mel was 15 years old and Sydney was 16. While it was the hardest experience of my life at that point, it made sense. Their lives, while full and vivacious and filled to the brim, was complete. Despite the gut in our stomachs and the years of heartbreak to come, they crossed over the rainbow bridge together. 

                                                                              We Got Lula

Fast forward three years later, I was the first person in my family ready to get a dog, and I made my feelings to Jon inexplicable clear. After moving across the country to a new city where we knew no one, we started dog sitting. For over a year we took care of countless dogs, from puppies to seniors, making bonds with dozens of pets and owners in Austin. Still, we were in a tiny apartment, we were just out of college, and we were still finding ourselves. It wasn’t time.

And then, unexpectedly: It was. 


We moved into a new apartment. An apartment with a dog park and flexible pet rent and office workers who would go out of their way to bring treats to pups and their owners. So, mere weeks after moving in, while we were still living amongst boxes and eating dinner on the floor, Jon drove me to the local shelter, Austin Pets Alive! And the day before my birthday, that’s where I met my Lula. 

She was the biggest one in the litter with white paws — just like Syndey had — and long, distinctive legs making her stand out from the rest of the pack. We had wandered along the rows of pups, trying to decide which was best. I had no idea how to narrow it down. They were all so cute, so tiny, so eager. Sensing I was overwhelmed, the woman at the shelter sat me down and draped a towel over my lap. Jon went to a cage while I waited, and he immediately pointed to the puppy with the long legs. 


The woman plopped this giant eight-week puppy down (Lula weighed close to 14 pounds at the time), and her warm body instinctively curled up against me. I petted her tenderly, willing my heart not to fall for the first dog I held. But then the shelter woman started telling us the facts: Her litter had been surrendered, her shots were up to date, and her birthday was December 9th. As she rattled on more facts, Jon and I looked at each other in shock. This little black puppy had the same birthday as he did, and he was getting me a puppy for my birthday. It all added up. 

And that was it. The love was instantaneous.



It’s been five years — almost exactly — since I got Lula for my birthday. In that time, she’s splashed in the ocean and played in the sand and learned the allure of peanut butter. She road-tripped with us when we went to visit our family and she dug way, way too many holes in my parents’ yard. She’s tracked mud everywhere, slobbered on us constantly, and melted our hearts hourly with her bright, amber eyes. She loves to smell flowers, nap under Christmas trees, and sit on your lap despite pushing 70 pounds. To say she’s the love of our lives is a gross understatement. And for a while, our little world was complete. 

                                                                         We Got Nox

Then, close to two years later, we got Nox. After seeing how well Lula interacted with other dogs (she’d play every moment of her life, if possible), we knew she needed a forever friend. As residents of Austin in 2017, it was impossible to ignore the toll Hurricane Harvey took on the state. Shelters in Houston were evacuating stray dogs to shelters in Austin which were quickly getting overrun. After weeks of receiving emails, texts, and calls importing us to foster or adopt, we met Nox.


Going into the meeting, we both agreed we weren’t going to take him home. He had Cherry Eye, was shockingly malnourished, had been shot multiple times with birdshot pellets visible, and was recovering from knife wounds. We weren’t in the market for so much care, especially when we were both working full time, doting on Lula, and trying to find our way as young adults. Still, we told the foster owner we’d check him out. Besides, it was on our way to a dinner reservation.

As soon as we approached his cage, Nox started jumping up and down, eager to play. His body was tiny and his ribs protruded, but his personality was huge. We didn’t stand a chance. We canceled our reservation, bought him a name tag, and went home to introduce him to Lula. 


Just like we had, Nox fell for Lula instantly. From the moment we introduced them, they were best friends. Not only would they play together, eat together, and sleep together, but Nox would (and still does) groom Lula extensively — cleaning out her ears, licking her face, and nibbling away dirt and bugs on her paws. A week after we got Nox, we got engaged. And a year later, we were married.

Our hearts were full and our family felt complete.

Two years later, we decided it was time to move back to our home state and officially begin to settle down. At 29 years old (and a biological clock ticking), we knew it was only a matter of time before babies were in our future. This, patient friends, is where we meet you today. 

                                                                          Nox Got Hurt

Just as Jon and I were in the talks of extending our family (this time by way of a baby as opposed to a puppy), both of our two-legged children fell apart. Nox, while playing, ran into a bush and punctured his eye, resulting in a deep, corneal ulcer. We didn’t realize what had happened until I woke up one morning to find that my wild, energetic pup wouldn’t eat or move. He shook with every breath and our vet had us rush him to her office.

For close to two months we’ve been visiting her almost weekly for constant monitoring. Five times a day we wash out his eyes and give him antibiotic eye drops plus a special serum made from his blood. He’s been in a cone since the start of December and unfortunately, his healing appears to have plateaued. As of Jan. 16, his vet is considering referring him for surgery — a costly procedure as is. He returns to see her in two weeks and in the meantime, we have received more medication to administer multiple times a day in an attempt to stimulate recovery and avoid procedural intervention. 


While all of Nox’s bills — which currently amount to about $1,500  — would be hard to cover on their own, Lula’s injuries are where things really got out of control. 

                                                                        Lula Got Hurt

Now, one of Lula’s most distinguishable features is her long, skinny legs; a trait we’ve always loved about her, and that has given her nicknames like “the horse” and “Lula Long Legs.” Our friends loved watching her prance and were always amazed at how tall she was when she’d jump. But unfortunately, her build has also caused her extensive injury and pain. It was just before we left Austin that we noticed she had a slight limp. She was almost four years old and very active, so we figured she must have twisted something. Upon taking her to the vet, we learned she had hip dysplasia — a dog owner’s worst nightmare. 

At the time we were already packing up our apartment and planning our cross-country move. Visiting a specialist and beyond that — considering surgery — just wasn’t an option. So, we started her on a vet recommended regime of fish oil, arthritis supplements, and pain medication and headed to our home state.


And for a while, Lula seemed great. She could run and play and rarely seemed in pain. She loved going to the beach and diving headfirst into the waves — her mouth open to catch the ocean. Still, we always worried about her hips and planned to have a new vet take a look once we got settled. The first vet didn’t notice anything and gave her a clean bill of health. Optimistic, we naively figured the medication had fixed the problem when in fact, it just hid it. 

We thought everything was okay. Well maybe not “okay” — Nox was in pain and had a hole in his eye, and Lula’s limp was coming back — but we figured we could manage. We’d see a vet soon. We’d get her checked out. Everything would be okay. 


But as we were busy caring for Nox, an injury we didn’t know Lula had was slowly getting worse. On Jan. 13, Lula stopped using her back right leg completely. After crying out in extreme pain, she stopped moving around other than what was necessary. We immediately took her to the vet who recommended a specialist. For four hours we sat in the parking lot due to COVID as an amazing team of doctors and nurses checked her over. The verdict was devastating.

                                                                      Our Current Situation

In addition to her advanced bilateral hip dysplasia (with severe osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease), she also had a torn CCL (similar to an ACL in humans), which was why she could no longer walk. They also found a chipped back molar that needed to be removed for fear of spreading bacteria. 

The visits alone were over a thousand dollars. The estimation for her tooth extraction is another thousand dollars. The surgery for her CCL — a TPLO — is estimated to cost around $5,000. This doesn’t include the rehab and doctor visits post-op, the lifetime of medication she'll be on, and the possibility of anything going wrong during recovery. 

As of now, Lula’s bill is expected to come in at around $9,000, if we’re lucky. And considering our luck so far, we’re not holding our breath.


But it’s our Lula. And she can’t walk. And she’s been there for me as I worked through clinical anxiety and depression. As I shattered my ankle and was in a wheelchair for months. As Jon and I built a life together and then as we moved across the country. She’s been there as we got engaged and married and danced horribly to oldies music in the kitchen. Lula has always been there for us, and we can’t let her down now when she needs us the most.

And all of this isn’t even considering Nox. The little dog with the Cherry Eyes who shouldn’t have survived, shouldn’t have made it to Austin, and definitely shouldn’t be as kind and spunky and sweet as he is. As of today, his bills added onto hers get us to our grand total of $10,500. While none of this is including additional checkups, monthly medication, or additional care needed, it will cover the vet bills we're drowning in as well as her upcoming surgeries, tools for recovery, and a few rehab appointments post-op. 


Despite planning to expand our family, we’re willing to put everything on hold to get them help. We’ve scheduled both of Lula’s surgeries and are having the best of the assess Nox to determine the wisest course of action. 

                                                                         How You Can Help

We know it’s expensive. We know it’s a huge ask to donate money at any time, but especially during a global pandemic when the entire world is suffering. And we know our dogs aren’t out of the ordinary pups. They’re not service dogs or wildly talented. They don’t have jobs or special abilities or Instagram handles with millions of followers. They’re just… dogs. 

But Lula and Nox? They’ve been there for us through the highs and the lows. Through the good times and the bad. They curl up around us when we cry and they join our celebrations when we rejoice. They are our absolute best friends and to us? They are extraordinary.  


Even though this is just the start of our journey — Lula still has severe hip dysplasia that must be addressed and Nox’s eyes may continue to cause him pain — you could make all the difference in our family. We don’t know what the future holds: Nox might lose his sight and Lula might eventually need wheels to get around. But we have hope. And we have you.

While it feels horrible to ask during these difficult times, when we adopted Lula and Nox we vowed we’d do everything we could to give them the best lives possible, which means putting pride aside and asking for assistance when they need it most. All donations will be used directly to pay for their surgeries, vet visits, rehab, medication, and tools for their better quality of life. 

Any little bit would help. And whether it’s a donation, a share, or just good thoughts sent our way, please know how incredibly grateful we are. From the bottom of our hearts, my entire family thanks you and wishes you nothing but health and happiness in 2021 and beyond. 


Lula’s favorite things: Flowers, laying in the sun, peanut butter, lazy swims, digging deep holes, uninterrupted attention, ripping up paper, and long walks.

Nox’s favorite things: Lula, playing ball, kisses on the nose, squeaker toys, car rides, family cuddle time, barking at birds, and soft blankets.

Rachel & Jon’s favorite things: Lula & Nox.