Petit Hughie’s Heart Surgery

Hi! My name is Petit Hughie, or Hughie for short. I came to my new family a few days before Christmas, excited and eager to take on my big responsibility of training to be a service dog for my new mommy, who suffers from ongoing balance issues. Adjustment was as expected, scary but exciting. My new brother is a golden retriever named, Finley who is usually suspicious of new dogs in the house, but we hit it off right away! Finley and I constantly; play, wrestle, nap together, compete for attention and treats.

I’m a little small for my age, and at my first vet appointment was told I have a high grade heart murmur.

I love my humans, and follow them everywhere they go, especially if it seems like they need privacy. I’ve learned to open doors and surprise people when they least expect it! My favorite game is checking every item in the house to see if it feels nice to chew, and finding snacks, even if they are being eaten by someone else.

The scoop: After an echocardiogram we were informed Hughie has PDA, which is a pathway in the heart that normally closes at birth—but sometimes doesn't. It will lead to congestive heart failure then death within the first year or two.

PDA can be fixed easily by surgery and will offer Hughie a mostly normal life. It’s however expensive and we can use all the help we can get to make sure he’s on the road to recovery.

Hughie is set to go to OSU: Lois Bates Acheson Teaching Hospital in Corvallis February 28th. With a tentative surgery March 1st immediately following. Estimated cost for appointment and surgery was between $5,500-6,500.

With me being off of work due to my balance issue (vestibular dysfunction), our income has decreased substantially and although we planned on regular dog costs, we could’ve never predicted something of this caliber. We love Hughie, he’s the sweetest dog who is so full of life, I want to give him a chance to live his to the fullest.

He is our family now, and after weighing our options we know we need to make every effort to help him. Anything you can offer would be hugely appreciated, and will go directly to his medical bills.

If you have questions, or would like to see supporting documents, please feel free to contact me.