Hi, I'm Cha. I am a mentally and chronically ill 22-year-old living in a low-income household with my partner and our dog and cats. This is our dog, Ms. Kensington, or Kensi for short. My family rescued her from an at-home puppy mill where she was malnourished and mistreated when she was just a few months old and I was a child. She is about 10 years old now. When I was unjustly evicted from my family home, I took Kensi with me and assumed responsibility for all of her care. She has gone through many ups and downs: dog attacks, acute organ failure, and anxiety, among other things, but she has always bounced back.

Recently, Kensi was showing signs of dental pain, so my partner and I decided to take her to the vet, hoping it would be as easy as pain meds and a cleaning. On top of some of her bloodwork coming back negative, the vet found one of her back chewing molars was fractured and signs of gingivitis and/or infection, which opened a whole can of worms. Kensi needs an extraction done on her tooth, possibly multiple teeth, screening and tests for Cushing's disease, and multiple medications.

My family and friends have helped as much as they can throughout the process, and I have sold personal items on the side as well as working full-time. However, with the rise in the cost of living on top of the medical bills, we are finding it to be beyond our capability. The donated funds will go to supporting Kensi's ongoing medical bills so my partner and I can use our job incomes to pay rent, buy food, and continue giving my rescue pup the life she deserves.