Hi everyone :)

This is my baby girl, Moana, and she is so much more than just a dog.

I don’t have human children, so my dogs truly are my babies. Moana has been by my side since she was six months old and has helped me through some of the hardest and most traumatic moments of my adult life. She has loved me through every version of myself, every heartbreak, every struggle, every season. She has been my comfort, my shadow, my protector, and one of the biggest sources of unconditional love I have ever known.

A few months ago, Moana started struggling to use her back left leg. At first, I thought it was just a minor injury from rough backyard playtime. But after multiple vet visits, x-rays, specialist opinions, and a cocci titer test to rule out valley fever, I was given the news I was terrified of hearing.

Her valley fever test came back negative, and the most likely diagnosis is osteosarcoma, an aggressive type of bone cancer.

The news was a shock to my system, and I ended that phone call with very little hope left in me for Moana’s survival. I was told there may not be much we could realistically do for her, and I genuinely thought I was preparing to lose my best friend. I spent days crying, spiraling, researching, and making phone call after phone call just trying to understand how this all happened so fast.

But the more digging I did and the more people I spoke to, the more things started to shift from hopelessness to… maybe there’s actually a chance.

I learned that because the cancer appears to be in the bone itself and not heavily spread throughout surrounding tissue, amputation of her back leg may actually give her a shot at more time… and not just another six months, but potentially five to seven years. That’s another lifetime for her.

I was told that more often than not, dogs adapt far better than humans do after losing a limb, especially when they’re otherwise healthy and full of life like Moana is.

And honestly, she’s already trying to live on three legs right now anyway. The difference is that currently she’s carrying around a painful leg that she can barely use, and it’s completely throwing off the rest of her body. I can physically feel how tight and knotted her muscles have become from constantly compensating for it, and it breaks my heart.

When I started watching videos and hearing stories about dogs running around happy again after recovery, something in me shifted emotionally. For the first time since this started, I stopped picturing the end of her life and started picturing the possibility of her getting to truly live again, even if that life looks a little different than before.

I was originally quoted anywhere from $6,000-$12,000 for this procedure, and I truly believed there was absolutely no way I could save her life. I felt sick thinking that something as stupid as paper and numbers could determine whether my best friend lives or dies.

But after countless phone calls and hours of searching, I finally found a reputable clinic called AZ Vet Direct that genuinely seems to care about helping animals and making treatment more accessible for pet parents who otherwise couldn’t afford these kinds of procedures.

They quoted me roughly $1,500 total for her comprehensive bloodwork, surgery, anesthesia, medications, fluids, and follow-up care from start to finish, which is an absolute fraction of what I was originally expecting.

I am still expecting additional costs beyond that estimate as she heals and recovers, including ongoing medications, follow-up visits, recovery supplies, and any unexpected complications that may come along the way.

For the first time since all of this began, saving her life actually feels possible.

And that’s why I’m sharing Moana’s story and asking the world for help.

Ultimately, my goal is simple: save her life.

The sooner we can move forward with surgery, the sooner we can stop the cancer from continuing to spread, and the better chance she has at getting more time to explore the beautiful world we live in. Outside of this diagnosis, she is still so full of love, personality, and life. Even my vets have said she is otherwise healthy and strong.

This last year has slowed her down so much, and more than anything, I just want to see my girl come back.

If you’ve ever loved an animal like family, then you know how impossible it feels to put a price tag on more time with them.

Anything helps. Truly. Whether it’s contributing, sharing, praying, or simply sending love our way, it all means more to me than I could ever explain.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for helping me fight for my baby girl