A cancer diagnosis is terrifying, whether in a human or a beloved pet. In the last 6 months, two of my dogs have been diagnosed with cancer. In August of 2024, Petey had his ear flap removed (pinnectomy) for soft tissue sarcoma. All was well, and the surgeon assured me that they got "clean margins," which means all remaining tissue was cancer-free.

In January 2025, Roscoe urinated red blood. Within days, it was confirmed that he has Transitional Cell Carcinoma in his bladder.

Roscoe has been going for biweekly chemo treatments which need to be continued "until it stops working," according to the oncologist. The treatments are $609 each time we go, plus $120 for a month's supply of Piroxicam, the medication he's taking that can reduce the size of the mass in his bladder. In addition to the medications, he will also need periodic ultrasounds and bloodwork to determine the efficacy of the treatments.

I adopted Petey in 2014 and Roscoe in 2015 from the animal rescue group I founded, Jersey Girls Animal Rescue. Every day I ask for donations for homeless animals from the people in my world. While that well is only so deep, I also feel as though I'm between a rock and a hard place. I advocate for homeless animals every day, but now is the time when I need to advocate for my own dogs. While I hate asking for help from anyone for myself, I just don't have an extra $1,300 a month to get Roscoe the care he needs, and now add a second surgery ($4,500) plus radiation (cost TBD) for Petey. It's terrifying to think that either of them could die because I can't afford the care they need.