Support A Hero Dog's Urgent Medical Needs

Hiya, everyone.

Those who know me well know that I have trouble asking for help, whether it's big or small. I even felt wrong setting up a baby registry! That being said, this is a difficult thing to put out there, but I am coming to my friends, family, and community at large to ask for help for my hero dog, my eyes on four paws, my heart dog, my wings for the past eight years, my Kinley.

As some of you may know, Kinny recently had a subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma removed from his left side. Thankfully, this procedure was covered by a fellow 2022 American Humane Hero Dog winner, Ethan and his dad, Jeff. We couldn't have been able to afford it without them, and we are super grateful! Without the removal of this highly aggressive and invasive tumor, Kinley's life would have been significantly cut short.

Things started to improve for Kinny once the hemangiosarcoma was removed--he even came to work with me a few times, and did wonderfully, just as he used to. Over the past few weeks, however, Kinny has been throwing up with increasing frequency, and while his vet asked us to monitor things and let them know if his symptoms had gotten any worse, we still had a high balance with the clinic due to the follow-up testing Kinley needed to ensure that the cancer was completely removed. There were still some concerns because he is anemic and his liver enzymes are slightly elevated.

I ended up having to take Kin to the emergency vet on Saturday, November 2, due to the fact that he was vomiting several times a day now, and also had diarrhea. That visit ran us $1600 in total: $525 for an exam and bloodwork, $800 for an abdominal ultrasound to check for any physical blockages, and $170 for a 24-hour anti-nausea medication to help him feel better until we could start feeding him a bland diet and speak with his primary vet. Luckily, an amazing angel of a human paid for the shot, but the other $1325 came directly out of our pocket, and the imaging center would not even take Kinny back for the ultrasound until we had the balance paid.

This is where we run into a challenge. Most of you know that my husband, Jim, and I have a 1-year-old son. In addition to Kinley, we also have Jim's guide, Irwin. The program the boys come from pays for $500 of vet expenses annually, and while they also have one-time funds to help in specific situations, Kinley either doesn't qualify for them or he has used them in the past (the strain of his CCL being the main one). The emergency vet was not able to pinpoint exactly what's causing Kinny's symptoms, though they did find that there is thickening and inflammation in his intestines. I was informed that we will have to run a battery of more tests to narrow down the cause, which, of course, means more of a financial expense. I was also offered more anti-nausea medication to tide Kinley over until he was seen by his primary vet today, but I simply could not afford them. Luckily, he is doing well so far on the bland diet, but the emergency vet told me that the bland diet was only a temporary fix and that his symptoms would not simply get better on their own. Jim and I have exhausted every option we have, and we can't keep racking up more credit card debt. We don't qualify for any assistance because we aren't in poverty, but our combined income isn't enough to support us, my mom and siblings, the boys, and Kinny's required testing and treatments.

If you've read this far, thank you from the bottom of my soul. I know that times are tough for everyone, so if you are unable to donate, please just share this fundraiser around to others and send us good vibes/love. If you don't feel comfortable donating through GoFundMe, other options are:

PayPal: [email redacted]

Cash App: $ChloeAndKinley

Zelle: [email redacted]

You can also speak with Kinley's vet directly:

Sunbury Veterinary Clinic (Austin, TX)

Phone: [phone redacted]