Please help with Pepper's Vet Bill

My name is Kimberly and I have had my miniature schnauzer, Pepper since he was 12 weeks old. He's smart, feisty, playful, and very sweet. He also loves playing fetch. Until today, he has not had any health issues aside from needing a few teeth pulled. Until today...

It started like any other day. We were outside walking, on our way back home when he saw another dog across the street. He darted to the edge of the curb, turned to look at me, and then ran across Columbia Pike, an eight-lane highway with a divider. Amazingly, he made it across four lanes to the median without being hit. I watched him look to his right, in the direction of oncoming traffic before attempting to run across the other side of the highway. He didn't make it.

All I could do was scream as a black Acura SUV plowed over him. It seemed like it took forever to get the traffic to stop so I could run over and scoop him out of the road. We sat at a bus stop while I tried to gather myself so I could get him to a hospital. I knew my vet was closed on Sundays. A kind stranger stopped, got out of his truck, and asked me what happened. After I explained, he started looking up places I could take Pepper. Pepper lay on my lap whimpering and bleeding from both ends. Scared to move him, I could not tell where the blood was coming from. I just knew I needed to get him to a hospital. While I fumbled with my phone, another stranger pulled over and offered to take me. He said he was the son-in-law of the driver who hit me. She did not speak English so she called him to come help me. He dropped me off and waited until Pepper was admitted.

If you think regular hospitals are serious about getting their money, pet hospitals are no different. Before I could explain what happened to my dog, a vet tech shoved a clipboard in my face asking me to decide how much money I wanted to spend on his care. There were no payment plans - a deposit had to be paid BEFORE services could be rendered. Not even paid meds could be given until they got their money.

The tricky part about this is that until they take X-rays, blood work, etc. they do not know what the prognosis is and therefore cannot tell you how much everything is going to cost. This is why I need your help.

I paid the deposit. The X-rays show Pepper has no broken bones - I could not believe it. He does have a luxating pelvis bone (not patella) which she says was sustained from the incident. Also, an open wound on his rear right leg and he is still bleeding from his mouth which the doctor says will stop eventually. The doctor also told me she does not suspect any internal bleeding or head trauma, but recommends keeping him overnight for observation and monitoring. They will monitor his blood pressure, and treat him in the event of a heart attack, or stroke - at an additional cost of course. I need your help.

The doctor says there is no reason to think this is the end for Pepper and all signs point to a decent quality of life, although he will need additional pain meds and antibiotics short-term. Right now, he is receiving subcutaneous hydration, pain meds, and bandage changing, and he has a catheter since he cannot walk to go pee and poop until his wound heals. He is also connected to an IV with antibiotics. They will not close up the wound on his leg until they are sure there is no sign of infection. Closing the wound later will also add to the cost. Once his injuries have stabilized, I can administer the pain meds for him at home, but they will not release him to me until I can pay the final vet bill in full. The longer it takes me to pay, the more it will cost to bring him home.

Since we do not know what the final cost will be, I am requesting enough to cover the most it could be based on the doctor's estimate as of today.

Will you please help me offset the costs of bringing Pepper home? Thanks in advance for whatever you are able to give.