Round 2: Please donate to help Layla battle her lymphoma.

My heart is heavy to share that Layla’s Lymphoma has come back. Layla and I were grateful that her initial treatment gave her nine months of remission, and gifted us with the ability to spend more time together on doggie adventures in the park, puppicinos at Starbucks, and good cuddles on the couch for a movie night. I am devastated, but I will not give up on a beloved dog that still wants to live and has not given up on life yet herself.

After speaking with her oncologist, Dr. Dominguez, recommended treatment the best plan is to go back to her previous rounds of chemotherapy. She responded well to it before, having never had an issue nor had side effects from the therapy. After just three rounds of chemotherapy, we are happy to say that she is back in full remission. As Dr. Dominguez stated, “This is awesome!” The medicine works for her. She has no other issues other than the fact she has been diagnosed with Lymphoma. So, how could I not do what is best for her well being to improve her quality of life? The right thing to do here is to make sure she gets this life saving therapy as treatment.

I want to take a moment to describe what this means for Layla. How much time will this give back to her now? Well, Dr. Dominguez says that the recent research shows that dogs which go through a second round of therapy can be much more successful with longer remission time to today than what was predicted in the past. Layla has Type-B Lymphoma, which still sucks, but if you had to have a cancer, this one is the most studied with the most treatment options available for dogs. So by fighting this out again, Layla gets more time to go back to being a good natured dog that loves to carry the leash in her mouth for untiring hour long walks in the park. She gets to have the energy to hop in the car and get excited for rides. She is an active, amazing, smart thirteen year old spirited girl, and an example that age is not a disease, the cancer is. At least, that is what two of her oncologists have independently pointed out.

I am incredibly grateful for the support we received during Layla’s initial battle with cancer. Thanks to the generosity of donor support, she was able to receive 2 months of treatment therapy from a total of 5 months. I had used credit cards and savings to cover the difference. But the financial debt was 100 percent worth it. Layla is still alive today and a happy dog. When we were told that she had cancer last year, I thought it was a death sentence. I cried at random intervals – mostly at stop lights in the car, or the bathroom for some random reason – and thought that this as the end of our 12 years of life together. But this treatment gave us bonus time together and every moment with her has been an added gift, because it may not have been there at all. So I am still on payment recovery from the initial treatment expenses, and now I find that I have to do it all over again to come up with the additional funds.

I first tried to reach out to many online charities and even the Humane Society, which all turned down any offerings of assistance. The main reason was that she is an older dog. Well, just because she is older doesn’t mean we should give up on her. If she was tired and looked like she was ready to go, I would be the first to make sure she was not suffering. But this dog wants to live and still has life and light in her eyes.

As a single guy and a school teacher, I just don’t make enough to cover the expenses. Going into debt was something I already did for her. We choose our pets, our pets don’t get to choose us, but they do love us unconditionally if we let them. It is not her fault that her dog-dad isn’t rich and can’t afford to give her what she needs outright. I will do anything to help her. That is why we humbly ask for your continued support as we face this new challenge. Every contribution, no matter how small, will help Layla have the best possible chance at a long and happy life. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your compassion and kindness.