Please help Willow

UPDATE: We're so sad to let everyone know that Willow passed away this evening. She lived four wonderful years with Carol and will be missed by everyone who knew her. We will use the remaining donations to pay the final bill for the amazing care she received from MedVet. We’re so grateful for all the vets and technicians who looked after her. If you know Carol, please support her through this. If you don't, please keep her in your thoughts. Thank you all so much for caring enough to help.

"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us."

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Yesterday, my aunt, Carol Chapman, stepped outside her apartment in Hillsboro Ohio with her beloved dog and best friend, Willow, when the unthinkable happened.

She barely made it two steps from her porch when a large pit bull—illegally kept in the complex despite size restrictions—lunged from nowhere and attacked. The dog clamped down on Willow, locking its jaws around her abdomen, shaking and refusing to let go.

With no concern for her own safety, Carol, who is 73 years old, jumped on the attacking dog’s back, and pried its jaws open with her bare hands to free Willow. Willow managed to break free and was scooped up by a neighbor who ran her to safety inside their home.

But Willow was already gravely injured.

Her abdomen had been ripped open so severely that her intestines were exposed. She was rushed to the MedVet emergency clinic in Cincinnati, where she underwent a complex surgery that lasted hours. The surgeons were forced to remove a section of her intestine, repair a damaged kidney, and begin aggressive treatment for sepsis. After arriving at MedVet, Carol also had to go to a human ER for wounds on her hands as well as heart palpitations caused by a spike in her blood pressure. Immediately after leaving the ER she returned to MedVet and has been there ever since. Willow's survival is uncertain—but she’s fighting and has shown signs of recovery. A special thanks to the staff at MedVet who do wonderful work.

Willow is more than just a pet. She’s Carol’s companion, her family, her world. And now, this sweet dog’s life is hanging in the balance—because someone chose to ignore the rules.

My Aunt Carol is the bravest person I know. Can you please help her.

Just a heads-up — GoFundMe will ask for a tip at checkout, but you can lower it or remove it entirely if you’d rather focus your full donation on Willow’s recovery.