My name is Emily and I'd like to introduce you to two of my best friends, Finn (the redhead) and Elroy (the dog)!

For over a decade, I ran a foster-based rescue, pulling dogs and cats from shelters and communities all over the world. That's how Elroy found me back in 2018 -- a rescue contact in West Virginia reached out to me about a dog who showed up on someone's porch and needed a place to go. He came to me with no prior medical care, no name, and no place to call home. To me, he looked like an old man, so I named him Elroy. Elroy was adopted out shortly afterward, but he ended up back with me in 2024, without a home once again. Then another family chose to adopt him, and I thought that would be his final home, but I was wrong again. Elroy came back to me like a stubby-legged little boomerang. And then I decided he would stay forever.

I love Elroy for exactly the dog he is, friendly and happy, grumpy and selfish, loud and mouthy, silly and snuggly. But my partner Finn? Finn was made to be Elroy's dad, his biggest fan, and his most dedicated companion. So this past Saturday when Elroy got sick, Finn and I immediately brought him to the hospital where we both work as vet techs. After some bloodwork, an ultrasound, and an exam, his care team felt comfortable sending us home with some medication and fluids, with instructions to come back if he got worse or didn't improve. On Sunday, he seemed okay -- he took his meds, ate his meals, and seemed a bit perkier. But on Monday morning, he was feeling poorly again, so Finn again brought him in to work. The results were the same, so we got more medications to try and help him.

On Tuesday morning, it became apparent that our little guy was so sick that I was worried he wouldn't make it through the day. I brought him in to the hospital again and waited to hear from his care team. The news we got was devastating -- Elroy had a blockage that had perforated his intestines. His bloodwork showed signs that he was dehydrated, had low red blood cells, and elevated white cells. He needed emergency surgery to save his life.

We got an estimate of $4,000-6,000, but due to post-op infection, we have now surpassed $8,000 in care costs, and Elroy is still hospitalized -- we are hopeful for him to come home on Monday, but that isn't guaranteed.

He's in wonderful hands and our team at the hospital has been nothing short of incredible -- they truly did save his life. We are SO grateful that we get to have Elroy for the rest of his life and he gets to keep fulfilling his role as his dad's bestie. But we could really use some help paying down the bill as my maternity leave has left us without one of our paychecks over the last few months. If you can spare a few dollars for Elroy and his dad, it would mean the world to us.