Hi, my name is Jessica and I am fundraising for our 11 1/2-year-old dog Monty. He is a like a fine wine, everyone is surprised that he is an elderly dog because he keeps up with younger dogs half his age. He is the most loving, caring companion anyone could ever ask for. Anyone who meets him falls in love with him right away. Whether it's a lick or paw shake, he always shows affection. He helped me become the mom I am today. He's the one who sits next to me at night after a long day of playing boss, mom and wife. He is literally my shadow and follows me everywhere as my protector. Our love for him is indescribable and his story is one in a million. Both he and our other dog Bella are my husband's dogs from the small town of Rockhampton, Australia in Queensland. I immediately fell in love with them and was so happy when they moved to the States with us. To my husband's dismay, they immediately became inside dogs (staying outside is typical in Australia) once they arrived. I was so attached to them that I worked at home for as long as possible so they could have the most relaxing lifestyle. Monty is a mixed Australian Cattle Dog and Fox Terrier. As Bella's younger brother and our son Jackson's older brother, he is the mix of everything loving and wonderful. Last year he had a mass on his leg, which was a cut and cure. At his next 6-month follow-up, they saw haziness on his chest but said it was nothing to be worried about. Another 6 months went by and our little stud was all good but I made his annual check-up appointment because of his age. My vet saw him and raved about how great he looked, she calls him "her prince"...but then she felt another bump on his leg. It was a new mass with a smaller one near it. They tried to aspirate it and it wouldn't stop bleeding, which concerned her. Results showed new cancer. I scheduled surgery and when they did the staging before the procedure with another x-ray exam, the haziness from 6 months ago had turned into a mass on his lung almost the size of a tennis ball. This meant that the surgery couldn't be done since it was a more serious situation. I took him to an oncologist, got a 2nd vet opinion, and then to a surgeon who would cut the mass out. We also found out from blood work that he has a calcium issue, which is a parathyroid tumor. Luckily, he is a good candidate for surgery as it doesn't look like anything has spread based on all of the tests, and he looks so healthy even with all the issues going on inside his body. After his expensive lobotomy of the lung, he will most likely have to have chemotherapy, then we will have to address the care of the leg, parathyroid, and dental maintenance work. We've already spent almost 20,000 and that's not including the additional treatments he will need. We can't put a price on the love we have for Monty or the impact he has been on our family and everyone who meets him, but we need your help to give him the quality of life that he deserves. Anything you are able to donate to help us continue to give Monty the best life possible would be most appreciated. Thank you so much!