Yesterday Jessie and I had to take Smiley to the emergency vet for for bloat, lethargy and severe abdominal pain. We had X-rays done to ensure there was no obstruction and bloodwork to check her values (most concerning are liver and spleen). We had a terrible feeling when the phone rang. The receptionist said that the vet wanted to speak with us in person, which is never a good sign. She was hospitalized for the night to monitor her vitals and to perform a CT scan on her stomach and chest, to hopefully gain more insight into what is going on.

Being Thanksgiving weekend in Canada,

Animal Health Partners, a Specialist and Emergency Vet in Toronto, was overwhelmed with emergencies. Additionally, due to the Statutory Holiday, all costs were subject to an additional fee. The cost for her hospitalization, testing and CT scan is estimated at $4846.93-$5594.86, barring any further discoveries. From here, we face a decision, based on what is discovered, which the vet has estimated to be an additional $8,000-$10,000. Best case scenario we get the CT and the cancer is operable, the total cost will be well over $10,000.

Smiley is our best friend. She's such a sweet girl and deserves a chance to live out the rest of her life cancer free, and comfortable. Smiley loves hiking with her best friend Kearney, playing fetch, biting sprinklers, hugs, butt scratches, almost ANY food but is partial to peanut butter and cheese. She is incredibly patient and wonderful with dogs, cats and kids. People stop me everyday and comment on how pretty she is and ask her age, usually guessing around 5 or 6. Our girl is 12 but you would never know it by her appearance or demeanour. She keeps up with the youngest pups at the park!

Smiley has been with me since she was 6 months old, and with Jessie since she was 7. She has a unique story. I had moved to Northern Alberta to teach on a Reserve, and the first day I arrived, she was there to greet me and my 6 month old pup, Kearney, with a smile. I was told, that she wouldn’t come close to humans, and that she had a pretty rough start at life, having been shot. I sat down on the ground, and she immediately came and sat between my legs. An immediate connection. Then one day, as I was driving into town, I looked out my rear view mirror, and there she was, running full tilt behind my vehicle down the highway. It was in that moment that I scooped her up, placed her in my car and headed straight to the vet. Since meeting Jessie, my partner, Smiley had a new lease on her life. She fell head over heels for Jessie, and they have been inseparable since. It’s almost like, Smiley found me, to eventually find Jessie. And the rest is history.

We have been together ever since. The absolute best 12 years of my, and my pup Kearney’s life. We have had one hell of an adventure, living in Alberta, Ontario and Northwest Territories together. She helped me rekindle my passion for hiking which I had forgotten I'd loved so much. She has kept us all on a routine that's kept us both healthy until now. She has pulled us through so much grief, and so much happiness.

Please help us give her shot at living out her last days, months, or years in good health and comfort.

Your help means the world to us. To me, to Jessie, to Smiley, to her best sister Kearney, and our two cats Mister and Pekoe. We would all be lost without our Smiley girl.

Thank you, in advance.