On Sunday, December 28, my 7 year old rescue dog, Petal woke up in a massive amount of pain. After going to the only open vet in the neighborhood, she was sent home with pain meds and bed rest. Just a few hours later she was unable to move her back legs. I rushed her to her emergency hospital where they diagnosed her with IVDD and a completely constricted spinal chord and then transferred her to a specialty center for an MRI and then emergency spinal surgery in order to prevent spinal chord death or full paralyzation. There Petal stayed for two days post op recovering. The surgery was a success and she is slowly recovering, however she is still paralyzed.

Petal’s medical bills were immense and, although she is insured, it is not nearly enough to cover the emergency services.

Petal is my best friend in the entire world, she is the light of my life. There is nothing I would not do for her. When she is healthy, she loves to hike and chase squirrels and roll in fresh patches of snow. I’m hopeful that through physical therapy and determination, she will get her mobility back and live a happy and healthy life.