Dear Family and Friends,

We're raising funds to help my nephew Luke cover the emergency vet care that recently saved his new shelter puppy, Loki.

Loki was seriously injured in a terrible accident, and the cost of surgery, medication, and follow-up care has totaled over $4,000. As you can imagine, for a college student like Luke, that kind of bill is overwhelming.

For those of you who haven’t met Luke, he’s a car obsessed, outdoors loving, family devoted, big hearted guy—all wrapped up in a huge bear hug. He just finished his freshman year at a small college in Kansas, far from family and friends. He met Loki at a local animal shelter and instantly knew he wasn’t leaving without him. They’ve been inseparable ever since.

Just before Memorial Day weekend, Luke and Loki made the 1,500-mile drive home for his brother’s lakeside graduation party.

Loki spent the beautiful, sunny day at the lake meeting everyone and running freely for the first time with the other big dogs when suddenly, tragedy struck.

While playing a game of chase, Loki, still learning to navigate his long legs, came to an abrupt stop. A loud, explosive yelp pierced the air. Luke rushed to him and saw Loki sitting on his hind legs, panting, with a steady stream of blood pouring from his face. A dark crimson stain was rapidly spreading across his chest.

Loki had run full-speed into an old, retired metal gas pipe in the middle of the yard. The flow meter gauge on top sliced open his front lip, and the gas bib handle punctured a devastating four-inch gash deep into his chest cavity. Miraculously, one of the guests had a medical kit on hand and quickly applied pressure to his wounds, binding the chest gash to slow the terrifying blood flow.

We frantically called every local vet and finally found an emergency clinic 30 minutes away. Luke quickly scooped up Loki, and with his brother and a friend, they sped off. On that perilous drive, Loki’s heart rate slowed in Luke’s arms. He didn’t think he would make it.

Upon arrival, the veterinary staff immediately rushed Loki into the back for assessment. It didn’t look good, but they promised he was young and strong.

During surgery, the team carefully opened his chest wound further to look for additional damage. Incredibly, the bib pipe missed all major bones and internal organs. While this was the best possible outcome, Loki was left with a gaping seven-inch laceration across his chest, requiring a temporary drainage tube and stitches for his lip. He spent the night under medical care, but just 24 hours later, Luke received the best news of his life: Loki was cleared to return home!

While we're beyond greatful that Loki survived, the cost of his emergency care has left Luke in a difficult financial position.

Every single dollar donated will go directly toward Loki’s medical expenses, ensuring he receives the follow-up care he needs to make a full recovery.

Your generosity and support mean the world to me, to Luke, and most importantly, to our sweet survivor, Loki.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!