Support Dante's Urgent Dental Care

Hello! I'm Krista, and I'm here on behalf of my husband and me for our recently adopted pup, Dante. He is 4 years old, and 4.6 pounds of toy poodle fluff.

Dante came into our lives suddenly on June 17. We lost our 16-year-old miniature poodle last September. We decided it was time to open our hearts and home to a new rescue, and expected a search to take a while, but the day after we mentioned we were ready, we got a text message that someone had a 4-year-old toy poodle that had been surrendered back to the breeder because the owner had passed away. The breeder was searching for just the right family. We met Dante, and it was love at first sight!

We brought Dante home to meet our other two pets - Sam, a collie, and Baby Girl, a typical tuxedo cat. He was accepted automatically by them, as though he had always been around.

Dante, on the other hand, has had his share of challenges from the beginning. As expected, he is adjusting to a new environment. He also came to us with a number of health issues that need treatment. We anticipated he would have some needs, given his history, but we were not prepared for the significant level of dental work that he would require. Poor Dante, at 4, has the teeth and gums of a geriatric poodle. He has lost several teeth already, has some loose teeth (one about to fall out), and inflamed gums. The dental bill estimate is minimum $713 to a high of $2875, and we have been told to expect the higher end given his case.

In addition to the dental work, Dante has been suffering from colitis. He is now on a special prescription diet until that clears up.

As lifelong pet-parents, we know that pets require ongoing care and there is cost associated with that. My husband and I have always been committed - we gave our diabetic cat insulin 2x/day for 7 years until he passed away at 18 years old, and feline insulin isn't cheap. With that said, Dante's expenses hit us hard and fast. In the 3 weeks we have had him, we have incurred $575 in vet bills, most due to diagnosis and treatment vs wellness and vaccines.

To add to our challenge, our vet no longer offers a wellness plan so we could not add Dante to the plan our other two are on, and his issues would not be covered under pet insurance as they are pre-existing.

We have not scheduled Dante's dental work yet but we need to do so ASAP. We believe the pain he is experiencing is contributing to his stress, which is contributing to the colitis.

That is what brings me here, to ask for your help. Funds raised with this campaign will allow us to get Dante's dental work and cover his prescription food and allow us some breathing room to find an appropriate wellness plan for him going forward.

Our family thanks you for reading our story, and considering our request!