Today, September 17th, Pepe turns 10. Happy birthday, Pepe!

Sorrowfully, he has not had the best month as my sister, Alyanna, found a growing lump on his right leg. This is not foreign to him since he just had a lump removed last year. Alyanna had Pepe seen by the vet to aspirate this new one and unfortunately, his diagnosis confirmed soft tissue sarcoma. The options available to him are: amputation of the affected leg or marginal excision of the tumor, though, disease can be left behind requiring post-operative radiation therapy or chemotherapy to reduce the potential of recurrence.

Those of you who know Pepe can agreeably say he is a gentle giant. For those of you who don't know Pepe, he is a sweet and lovable dog. More importantly, he's a vital member of our family. He has been tremendous support for Alyanna through the years, and taking him home from the shelter is one of her best days.

In hopes to maintain Pepe’s quality of life, he will undergo excision of his tumor and ongoing chemotherapy afterward. It’s going to be a long, expensive process for my sister -- estimated to cost $6000 for the surgery itself plus chemotherapy costs that will be determined based on his condition.

Any help to relieve some of my sister's financial burden is greatly appreciated. Your donations will go towards Pepe's surgery and chemotherapy costs. On behalf of Alyanna and Pepe, I am so grateful to have a community for them in the months to come.