Luna's life saving cancer surgery bills!

Hi everyone,

My name is Gena and I wanted to take a moment to tell you about how my best friend, my love, my soul dog, Luna, and I found each other, and why your help is so crucial to her.

To tell her story, we have to go back to my senior year of college. I was going through a really difficult time with my mental health—depression, anxiety, and all the weight that comes with it—but I’ve always loved animals, and I often found comfort spending time with my sisters and their dogs at local dog parks. There was something healing about being surrounded by that kind of joy and unconditional love. That’s when I decided to adopt a dog of my own, a companion who could bring some of that light into my daily life.

I originally hoped to adopt an older dog, but circumstances didn’t align. I was feeling defeated when out of the blue, my mom called and asked, “Do you want this puppy?” She sent me a picture and from that moment on, I couldn’t say no. After talking to her foster family, we brought Luna home. She was just three months old—tiny, bright-eyed, and full of sweetness. She still is.

Over the years, Luna has grown into the most beautiful, loving, and spirited pup. She adores people, plays endlessly with her doggy friends—Milo, Oakley, and Sampson—and lives for food. Like, ANY food. She wants nothing more than to play with her strawberry rope toy and have a good round of tug-of-war, then snuggle on the couch with her humans.

Luna’s health history and current situation

In 2019, Luna developed her first tumor. Thankfully, it was benign and successfully removed with surgery. Later, she was diagnosed with a lifelong urinary condition, which requires daily medication—something I gladly provide to keep her comfortable and thriving.

Now, heartbreakingly, Luna has been diagnosed with a mast cell tumor on her back right knee. Surgery is necessary, and depending on how far the cancer has spread, she may also need chemotherapy or radiation. The vet has also not ruled out the possibility of amputation as a necessary fallback.

The good news is, we caught it early—there’s real hope. Her first surgery is already scheduled, and I’m carefully weighing every post-surgery treatment option to give her the highest possible quality of life. She’s my squishy girl. I can’t imagine giving up without doing everything in my power for her.

Costs

So far, I've spent nearly $3,000 just on tests and diagnostics, all on credit. Surgery and subsequent treatments are quoted at between $20,000 to $22,000. Financially, it’s devastating. Emotionally, it’s even harder. Just a week ago, she seemed completely healthy—and now we’re facing this.

My commitment

When I adopted Luna, I made a promise to give her the best life I possibly could. She’s been by my side through moments of both joy and deep pain—more consistently than many people. She has comforted me in silence when I was at my lowest, danced with me around the living room to K-pop, and filled every day with more love than I knew I needed. To me, the least I can do in return is make sure she eats the best food, gets her vet care, celebrates her birthdays with antlers to chew, and feels safe, healthy, and loved every day.

How we win

As hard as it is to ask, I’ve created this fundraiser to help cover the cost of Luna’s care. My family and friends are helping with what they can, but there’s only so much they can do as a small group of a few people. I’ve never done anything like this before and I feel very uncomfortable accepting financial help—but for Luna, I’ll do anything. If you’re able to donate or even just share her story, it would mean the world to both of us. Together, with the help of kind animal lovers from all over, I know we can lift this burden through many small acts of giving.

If you’ve met Luna, you know what a special, loving, goofy soul she is. She deserves more years of belly rubs, adventures, and tug-of-war battles. I’ll keep updating everyone as her treatment progresses, and from the bottom of my heart—thank you for taking the time to read this, for caring, and for being here.

With love and gratitude,

Gena & Luna