Kiga is a two year old smooth coated collie, and he is my best friend. I adopted Kiga this past April to be my mobility and psychiatric service dog in training, and he has been my lifeline these past few months. He has accompanied me to all my art markets where you all might've gotten to meet him and his sweet brother Iko. He has gotten me to enjoy life again, and majorly positively impacted my mental health and quality of life.

Unfortunately, after bringing Kiga to the emergency vet for a bad case of Lyme, he was diagnosed with a heart murmur. Upon following up with his primary vet, it was classified as a grade 5 murmur. Heart murmurs are graded on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the most severe level.

Upon hearing this, my partner Charlie and I rushed Kiga to a veterinary cardiologist who confirmed that Kiga has an unusual but one of the most common heart defects in dogs called Patent Ductus Arteriosus or PDA.

PDA is a congenital heart defect where the ductus arteriosus, a temporary blood vessel present in the fetus, remains open after birth. Without surgical intervention to close this blood vessel, dogs over the age of 1 tend to start to show signs of congenital heart failure which results in premature death.

Kiga is an unusual case, as he is 2 years old and hasn’t shown signs of heart failure, or CHF for short. CHF is deadly, and without surgery he will likely begin to develop it within the next 6 months. I am lucky that we found this issue before he was presenting symptoms of heart failure, and after checking with the cardiologist he is still a candidate for surgery. This surgery will not only save his life, but after he recovers he should live a completely normal and long life. He can return to working, hiking, coming to markets, and playing as he pleases.

Kiga is scheduled for surgery on November 12th at a fantastic veterinary hospital in Boston where he will receive the best level of care. I have until then to come up with the money to pay for his surgery. The total cost will be a little over $9,000. That will cover the consultation and cost of the procedure as well as an additional echocardiogram before the surgery, and any care he may need post surgery within the hospital or continued care at home.

I am not one to ask for help from my community unless I truly need it, but this is an extreme strain on me and my partner's financial situation. We currently live in a van with our two dogs, and rely on art markets as our main form of income to support ourselves and our pups. I do not want our financial situation to be the reason my beloved friend’s life is cut short.

Kiga has given me a part of my independence back that I lost a long time ago, and I more than owe it to him to be sure that he can receive the care that he needs to continue walking by my side in this world. If you are able to donate, or share this post I greatly appreciate it more than you know. Kiga is so loved by so many, and he feels it deeply in his heart. Please consider helping my boy live a long and fulfilling life.