Those of you who know Dan and me might know that we’ve had a really rough year (like so many others!) and neither of us is really comfortable asking for money or sharing our personal lives. But this is huge and scary and we’re pretty desperate, so we’re putting this out there in the hopes that we can get some help.
If you know me, you know that I’ve wanted a corgi for most of my life. My mom’s partner, Jan, got me a book of different dog breeds when I was around 8 and I read the whole thing- and then I got to the end, where I found “Welsh Corgi- Pembroke” and my heart just stopped. I fell in love, and after telling me we wouldn’t be getting one, Jan told me I could get a corgi when I became an adult.
When Dan and I got married I started emailing breeders here in Australia, and for 6 years I joined waiting lists and kept emailing as many breeders as I could, hopingsomeone would have a litter we could get a puppy from. Finally, at the end of January I heard back from a wonderful breeder- he had one girl and two boys, but we’d have to meet him in person three weeks later to pick her up. So Dan and I got everything sorted, drove 13 hours into Northern NSW, and Wendy Alice joined our family on February 13th.
She’s been the highlight of our lives. We had to say goodbye to our cat, Bluey, at the end of March- he was 14 years old, but he got sick quite suddenly and it absolutely broke our hearts. Wendy Alice has been our little piece of joy this year, and we can’t imagine life without her. She’s so smart and has such a big personality, and every time we’re out walking she makes people smile. She loves everyone she meets, and pretty much everyone loves her.
We found out yesterday that Wendy Alice has a congenital heart defect called PDA (patent ductus arteriosus) which basically means that she has an extra valve/ shunt in her heart that blood is going through. If it’s not repaired surgically very soon, she will die- either before her first birthday or shortly after.
PDA isn’t super common here- our vet told us that the cardiac specialist in Victoria only saw fewer than 15 cases last year, but if it’s fixed before the heart becomes too damaged, the dog can live a normal life. Wendy Alice’s murmur wasn’t picked up as early as some, but it’s essential that she has surgery as soon as possible to prevent any further damage to her heart or the rest of her body.
Surgery will cost somewhere between $5000 and $6000. We’re doing everything we can to get the money together, but because I’ve been out of work for a year (thanks, COVID) our savings is completely gone.
I know this is a lot to ask of people, especially right now, but if you’re able to spare anything, it would mean the world to us. Wendy Alice is the one good thing to come our way over the last 18 months, and we would do anything to protect her.
Thank you so much for reading this, and thank you a million times more if you’re able to donate money or even just send us good thoughts or prayers.
- Jennifer, Daniel, and Wendy Alice