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Omen's spine surgery

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Hello, my name is Debra Kates and my dog's name is Omen. I adopted Omen from a family that no longer wanted him 5 months ago. My previous Doberman, Loki, had died at the Emergency Vet the week before from bloat. Loki was not a surgical candidate because he had VWD, Left Ventricular AFIB, and DCM. I had to put him down and it broke my heart.
Omen is 5 years old and is my ESA as verified by a letter from my Primary Care Physician.
On Saturday March 23, 2024 I noticed Omen was reluctant to lower his head to the floor to eat or drink. I elevated his bowls to make it easier for him, thinking maybe he had pulled a muscle. On Sunday morning when we woke, he had no use of his back legs. I took him to the Emergency Vet closest to me and they did bloodwork and put him on pain meds. They decided he had a spinal injury and I had to transfer him the same day to another Emergency Vet that has an MRI machine and a neurology specialty department. On Monday they did the MRI and found he had slipped a disc in his lower neck and while he was still under anesthesia from the MRI, they performed emergency surgery to remove the pressure on his spinal cord. He is now recovering at home. I used my Care Credit to pay both Emergency Vets. Unbeknownst to me, my $5,000 deposit at the second Emergency Vet was not enough to pay the full amount. I went to check him out and they added an additional $3400 to my bill. Unfortunately for them, they had not secured my permission for the extra costs and were unable to charge them to me. His bills totaled $7044 between the two ER's and I don't know how I am going to make the monthly payments. My credit is maxed out, and I have to pay $17.99 % interest for two years, then 29.99% thereafter. My decision to save him was an emotional one as I was already head over heals in love with Omen and I had just recently lost my other Dober Boy. I know there will be people who will think I should have put him down because of the money factor, but I just couldn't I was emotionally and mentally not capable of putting him down. I live alone and he's all that I have.
I am semi-retired, 69 years old, and have no savings or pension. I used that all up back in 2008 when the recession killed my self-owned service business. Companies could not justify paying my service when they were laying off employees and cutting costs. The few accounts I had that survived were not enough to sustain myself and I lost my house anyway. Fast forward to Covid, and all of the inflation we have, I took on a couple house cleaning jobs to supplement my income, however, it is not going to be enough to make an over $300 monthly payment to pay off this bill with interest within 24 months when the interest will rise again. I don't make that kind of money.
I know plenty of people who are also struggling to pay bills, but if you could help even a little it will all help. I have contributed to many fund raising events even though I can't help with much. It has always made me feel good to contribute something. I would really appreciate any help you could give. If you cannot, I understand but please share this with someone you know and say a prayer for us. Thank you!
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Donations 

  • David Wallace
    • $100
    • 8 mos
  • Monique Everson
    • $25
    • 10 mos
  • Nicole spoerl
    • $15
    • 10 mos
  • Anonymous
    • $500
    • 10 mos
  • Mary A Crawford
    • $20
    • 10 mos
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Organizer

Debra Kates
Organizer
Cleveland, OH

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