Dear friends, family, and kind-hearted supporters,

No one wants to have to ask others for money, and I feel no differently. The hard truth is, though, that I can no longer do this on my own, and my sweet boy Lincoln deserves and needs all the help we can get. For the past 8 years, this dog’s steady presence has carried me through unspeakable times. He has been my lifeline—my reason for living when I couldn’t see any others, my safety and comfort when the chaos of life felt too scary and overwhelming, my greatest coping skill when trying to say goodbye to maladaptive patterns, and has provided assistance when incapacitated by c-PTSD and other mental health issues. He has shown me what unconditional love is, brought more joy to my brightest days, and provided me solace on the darkest of nights. I self-trained him as my service dog, but we unfortunately only had a couple good years of him fully trained, and he is now what I consider “mostly retired” because of his health issues and my desire to allow him to finish living out his best life (though you can tell that serving me fills him up almost as much as it does me).

About 2.5 years ago, Lincoln started having seizures, in which he was diagnosed with epilepsy. If you’ve ever witnessed a dog or anyone in the middle of a seizure, you know how helpless it makes you feel. I’ve sat by his side through these episodes, praying they would stop, holding him as safely as I can, and wishing I could take away his pain. The slightest shaking of his head, and my anxiety skyrockets in preparation for a seizure (and dogs like to shake off a lot). We’ve tried multiple medications under the care of our veterinarian, but despite all efforts, the seizures continue despite his 3 daily meds. 1-2 times a month, he has 6+ seizures in one day. He’s beginning to keep seizing through oral and intramuscular rescue medications, and the only thing that stops his cluster seizures is IV medication, resulting in a $500+ ER visit. The reality is, we still don’t know what’s causing them if seizure medications have been unsuccessful.

The next step is to see a veterinary neurologist who can run the specialized tests Lincoln needs in order to finally get answers. A proper diagnosis could mean a new treatment plan that could change everything for him. However, neurological care is unbelievably costly, and right now, I simply cannot shoulder the financial burden on my own. As much as I wish I could provide everything for Lincoln by myself, this is bigger than what I could have ever managed. Unfortunately, the more seizures he has, the more he is bound to have and the more dangerous they are going to become. Two weeks ago, I was given the option to try a treatment to reduce brain swelling that had pretty much the same chances of saving or killing him, or as the vet said, consider the ultimately hardest choice, in which she “wouldn’t judge me for.” I knew that wasn’t the right choice yet—I chose the treatment and he pulled through. The thing is, when Lincoln is not having seizures, he is the happiest, most playful dog I know. He can play hours of fetch; loves hitting the trails off-leash with me and my partner (who quickly grew to love him hard also, because of his infectious spirit); is a water dog through and through; and loves his stuffies and to use them as pillows for a snooze or for a round of indoor fetch.

Our love for each other is boundless, and while I know it will always remain, my hope is that we have more time to give it to each other here on this earth. We would truly be most grateful for any support you’re willing and able to give, whether that is through a donation or simply by sharing this post. It would mean the absolute world. Thank you for your time in reading this, and thank you, from the very bottom of our hearts, for any support you are able to provide.