Athena is a 9-year-old German Shepherd that I adopted two years ago, and since then, she has been my best friend and companion ever since!

She started acting a little off a few days ago, so I took her to the vet for a regular checkup, thinking she had an upset stomach or her joints were hurting. Instead, I wound up at the veterinary emergency clinic because she had fluid in her abdomen and was ultimately diagnosed with spleen cancer (Hemangiosarcoma or HSA)...

Her spleen ruptured a few days ago, likely when she jumped off the bed onto the floor with a little bit of a squeal. After that, her abdomen slowly started filling with blood, and her daily behavior began to change as she got more and more uncomfortable.

With all this said, the cancer has not spread to other organs, and it was caught early enough for surgical consideration! A splenectomy is recommended to remove the spleen entirely before the cancer spreads elsewhere. For now she's on medication to slow the bleeding and hopefully keep the cancer from spreading. She is considered stable, but the surgery needs to be done in the next couple of weeks.

Sadly, in Los Angeles, this surgery costs $18,000 to $20,000, but the emergency clinic in Culver City actually called around to other surgical centers in the County and found that I can go to Long Beach to get it done for less than half that amount. For $8,000, I can hopefully save Athena's life by using those funds to pay for the surgery, medications and transport costs! But to do this, I need your help! Anything you all can donate to reach this goal would mean the world to me and to Athena. Help me give Athena her golden years back! ❤️