Hi, my name is Sharif, and I made this GoFundMe for my dog and my best friend in this world, Raven.

Raven is an elderly dog, and as you may know with large dogs as they get older the health issues can continue to pile on, and eventually they often deteriorate the quality of life for the dog.

Raven is 15 and a half and will be 16 years old in November. I have had Raven since he was 8 weeks old, since I was 11 years old. He has been the greatest source of unconditional love and light in my life and my family’s life, and has truly grown with me from a boy to a man. As a kid I always bugged my mom to get us a husky, and it was genuinely a dream come true to hear that we’d be getting one for Christmas in 2010. Now, at 26, it truly breaks my heart to see how burdened he has become with pain and disability.

To start, Raven has a large tumor on the outside of his rear end. He has sensitive skin which causes sores and bruises on his joints and paws, and have now gone to affect his tail, so it no longer wags or raises up at all. He has a spinal issue that has grown worse which is now causing him to lose feeling in his rear legs, and this makes it extremely difficult for him to get up and move around. I can tell that he is reaching the end of the trail because his energy recently has been extremely low and concerning.

I know you may be wondering why we have not been able to keep up with his declining health as he has aged, and truthfully we have tried our absolute best as a family. Veterinary bills are overwhelming and very costly - surgery to fix his spinal injury would cost us $10,000, and because of Raven’s age there’s a risk that he wouldn’t make it through a procedure of that magnitude. Same goes for his tumor. We’ve continued to provide him with medicine to relieve his pain for arthritis and his skin condition, but even these bills add up and the toll has become insurmountable.

I am creating this GoFundMe today with a heavy heart, and with hopes that you can find the sympathy to contribute to our goal of providing care and comfort for Raven as he reaches the end of his life. I am saddened that his condition has gotten to the point where we are reaching out for help, but it feels as though this is our last chance to make his life better. The funds raised here would be used exclusively to bring Raven to the vet for checkups, purchase medicine to help with his pain and other equipment such as a dog wheelchair, and to cover any additional expenses associated with making Raven’s last few years as painless and healthy as we can.

For any amount at all, my family and I would be truly grateful to you and to the community at large, and for this gesture we would forever be appreciative.

Thank you for reading about our story and our struggles. With hope and love, from my family to yours, we thank you.