Support Chippers Cancer Vet Bills and End-of-Life Care

Update 12/17/2024

Chippers passed peacefully today, she’s back with my dad. Thank you everyone. I was able to give her the things she deserved during the last of her time.

Thank you for gifting that to me.

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A few hours ago, on December 11th, I got confirmation from my vet that my dog and best friend, Chippers, has an aggressive and inoperable cancer on her face.

An aggressive round cell malignant sarcoma.

The day before thanksgiving, my dog Chippers - Chipmunk - had a mass appear under her eye appear overnight and quickly begin growing, upon which led to us immediately taking her to the vet that night. It appeared to be either a very aggressive cancer or an infection, that would take a lot of work to figure out. Over the next two weeks, it has been a time filled with vet appointments, surgeries, medicines and worry. Waiting on biopsy results, undergoing tumor debulking and doing everything possible to care for her. Vet bills have quickly racked up, and are not yet done as I now face the upcoming cost of Euthanasia.

I wanted to do everything to try and make sure she was going to be okay, wasn’t uncomfortable or in pain. Trying to spend every moment caring and loving her, and ensure she can focus on healing. I knew I was fighting against the odds, but I wanted to do everything that I could to make sure she’s not in pain, and that if this was solvable I would do everything I could to get her better, even if it was the smallest chance. I have hoped against hope it would not be an aggressive cancer, that it would be something that was able to be cured, but, it has not turned out that way.

It’s now a discussion of her quality of life and how long she has until that is affected - which is projected to be fairly soon due to the aggressive nature of the cancer, and the location. 

 Chippers is my best friend and most invaluable gift. She was my Dad’s dog first, and when he passed away in an accident in 2020, a month before my high school graduation, I took Chippers in. He loved her more than anything and I've come to do the same, and learned every reason for why. She has been the biggest gift he could’ve ever given me after his passing. 

After his passing when all seemed lost, she was by my side, not only grieving alongside me but also giving me a reason to get out of bed and keep going, encouraging me to take care of her and myself. It’s been nearly five years with her, and they have been filled with so much happiness, laughter, and pure love.

Two years later after my father’s passing, she would once again become my reason and motivation to keep going and get better after I had a suicide attempt. Being the reason for my dedication to getting better, my diagnoses, getting medication, and the reason for me living the joyful life that I’m now able to call my everyday.

She has spent every night by my side, every moment in my lap, every second peppering me with kisses and pure love. 

The nearly five years have been filled with precious days with her. She’s taught me to love myself, taught me to smile even in the darkest of times, enjoy every precious moment of mornings filled with continuous kisses, the sound of her paws on the floor running to me as I got home, nights where she’d claim 3/4 of the bed and nearly kick me off, giving her pieces of cheese after caving to her masterful puppy eyed look, endless laughter, and love. Never having a moment where she wasn’t posing like a model, or truly acting like she is a princess (to which I’ve absolutely attributed to this belief). I'm still not convinced she wasn’t royalty in a past life, and I would treat her as no less.

Accepting no other spot other than directly in my lap at all points in times, she has firmly claimed her place next to me and in my heart with no hesitation, and I would want no one else to occupy such a large part of it. She lives up to the Jacobs family name in her love of cheese, (off the block, she’ll accept no less) where our motto from my dad was “cheese takes the pain away.” While I may be unsure still if she loves me or cheese more (I would blame her addiction to cheese on my dad, but I’m just as bad with it), I will never be unsure that the gift of having her is the biggest one I’ve ever received.

In my worst of times, she was my reason to get out of bed, to take care of myself, in my best of times, she’s been my reason keep going, be happy, my reason to smile and live a life full of love and happiness. Things she has taught me again all over from ground zero.

And throughout it all, she has been my best friend, my biggest source of love joy and support in my life, and my greatest reason to smile everyday. 

To reach this kind of scenario has been my worst nightmare come true, and I don't even begin to know how to put the heartbreak into words.

Chippers is my world.

However, as she has helped me find happiness in dark times, it's my turn now to do the same.

As I prepare for her end of life, in this final period with her, I’ll be doing every single thing in my power to fill every moment she has left with the pure love and joy she’s given me, and making sure she’s as comfortable and happy as possible. Ensuring and remaining vigilant that she won’t suffer.

This is why I am turning here, to ask for any help or aid with the unexpected costs of the vet exams, surgeries, medicines that have accrued, and then the end of life costs for euthanasia that are to come, so that I can give my focus and time to her in this time and could very much use the help as well.