Anyone who has ever owned a dog knows that they are so much more than just a pet. They are our family, our therapist, our running partner, our best friend, and so much more. That's what Rizzo is to my sister, Emily. And right now, Rizzo is fighting for her life and needs our help.

Emily adopted Rizzo in October of 2022 from Sherwood Animal Control in Sherwood, AR. She had just gotten out of a toxic relationship, and we all know that dogs are the best medicine! As her sister, I can attest that Rizzo was the best choice Emily has ever made. Having Rizzo gave her a reason to get out of bed, be active, make new friends at the dog park, etc.

Rizzo is only two years old and has been completely healthy up until last week. Emily noticed that her nose was a bit runny but didn't think much of it. She seemed like she was doing better and even went to daycare on Friday! That's when Emily got an urgent call from the daycare to come pick Rizzo up right away. She wasn't acting like herself, and it was apparent that something was very wrong.

Rizzo began exhibiting a number of odd neurological symptoms that came on out of nowhere. She was stumbling, uncoordinated, and could barely keep her eyes open. She seemed very confused and was barely eating or drinking. Emily rushed her to the ER where the vets were just as baffled by her condition. They ran a number of tests on her and everything came back normal. The only thing that they noticed that was off was an enlarged lymph node, so the vet took a sample of the fluid to send off to pathology. The finding was some sort of fungal spores that were so bizarre that the sample was actually sent to Texas A&M for further evaluation. When the results came back, it was a prognosis that no pet parent wants to hear.

Rizzo has Cryptococcosis, a rare fungal infection caused by the Cryptococcus organism. It is a fungus that is sometimes found in soil and bird feces and, if ingested, can cause respiratory issues, neurological issues, and can often be fatal. Once the infection spreads to the brain, the prognosis is grim. The vet is saying her chances are 50/50, at best. Rizzo is currently taking oral Fluconazole, but our best chance of saving her is to get her on an intense, intravenous antifungal medication given under close veterinary supervision.

Emily initially declined this treatment for financial reasons. She has already spent over $2,000 at the emergency vet, and this would be another $3,000 on top of that that she simply can't afford. I know 50/50 isn't great odds, but if it were my dog I would want to know that I did everything in my power to try to save her.

So here I am asking friends, family, and random internet strangers for help. A few friends and I have already chipped in a cumulative $1,000, so I'm setting our goal at $4,000. In reality, if Rizzo pulls through, there will be months of follow-up care, so I'd love it if we could exceed that goal. But $4,000 would at least cover the costs that Emily has already endured as well as the cost of this new intensive treatment.

This is probably insane to ask, but I'd love to raise this money in the next day or two if at all possible. Time is of the essence, and we need to get Rizzo started on these meds as soon as possible. If you are able to give anything at all, we would be so so grateful. It could be $1, $10, or $100 - every little bit helps! If you can't give, please consider sharing Rizzo's story.

Emily is an amazing dog mom. This infection is so rare and came on so suddenly that there's no way she could have known anything was even wrong. And Rizzo is SUCH a sweet dog. She has so much life left ahead of her, and she deserves the best fighting chance possible. Thank you for your time and consideration!

Rizzo's favorite Aunt,

Becca