Nikita came to live with me three years ago at the beginning of the pandemic, and we have become inseparable. She was a pup then, and in many ways, she still is. She’s happiest playing fetch and learning new things. She is so smart and loves to be given tasks–I am teaching her how to hunt morel mushrooms, and she’s been able to find them indoors and at the park!

Nikita was recently diagnosed with lymphoma, and because of that, her life will be shorter than is at all right or fair. Cancer is slowing Nikita down some, but she is still the sweetest and most loving dog you’ll ever meet. I am so thankful that she is still enjoying life! I’m trying to learn from her to take joy in the present moment and to love without bounds. Seeing her overcome her fears with loving assistance has also helped me learn to be gentle with myself. Especially now, knowing that her life will be so short, I am trying to love her as hard as I can every day we have together.

Faced with potentially losing my best friend in a matter of months, I decided to pursue chemotherapy to make sure she can have fun and happiness for as long as possible, and selfishly, so I can to have her love in my life for as long as I can. Her quality of life is excellent, even aside from being pampered in all possible ways. (Chemo for dogs is given at lower dosage per body weight than chemo for humans, so it doesn’t cause such drastic side effects. We hope that she will continue to experience only minimal nausea and be able to avoid fevers in the future, etc.)

This was not an easy decision as her chemo treatments alone cost over a third of my annual take-home pay, but I decided the extra time with her is worth it. Unfortunately, just after Nikita began her treatments, I learned that my teaching contract will not be renewed for another year as I had thought. This means that I’m probably going to be unemployed or underemployed beginning this summer. If not for this news, I would likely not be making this appeal.

I am hoping that Nikita will be able to continue with chemo despite my losing my job. To make that possible, I’m trying to raise enough to cover half of the cost of her treatments. I am very aware that we are very lucky to be able to be concerned about the well-being of an animal, and I also know that our well-being, humans and animals, is tied up together, and we all need love and support. I also know that Nikita and I are not the only ones in need right now. But if you can spare some love for us, it will make my heart stronger and more able to rise to the challenges that are facing us all.