Hey friends, my name is Joel, and my husband and I are the pet parents of two adorable and photogenic dogs named Lando and Leia. Leia, our smaller and feistier critter, began showing some very concerning symptoms a few days ago: she had some very serious gastic distress and an inability to eat or drink.

We took her to the emergency vet, where they found she had a lot of fluid in her stomach, likely as the result of an intestinal obstruction. She had emergency surgery to relieve the issue, and the vets told us if she hadn't had that surgery, she wouldn't have made it to this weekend.

My husband and I would and will do anything for our critters, but the timing of this emergency is putting an immense strain on us financially. We're putting this message out into the world in the hope that our friends, family, and community are able to help us in a moment of need. We've worked through all of the options available to us before making the decision to ask for help. And we understand this is a tough moment for a lot of folks out there, so we don't make this ask lightly, but anything anyone can offer would be appreciated.

Leia's been a part of our family for more than seven years, and she's got a lot more life in her to share with us. We hope our community can help us provide her with the best possible care and get her back home with us where she can recover like the ̶p̶r̶i̶n̶c̶e̶s̶s̶ general she is.