Hi, I'm Allison and here's our story...

On July 23, 2025, between 8:00 pm-8:15 pm, two of my beloved family pets were shot by my neighbor, leaving one to die in my arms in minutes and the other to fight for his life as I rushed him to the vet, praying I wouldn't lose him as well!

I had four dogs: two small dogs, Dozer, a 12-year-old Chorkie, and America, an 11-year-old Chiweenie; and two large dogs, Paris, a 4½-year-old rescue Pitbull whom I've had since she was around a year old, and her 1½-year-old son Picasso, also a Pitbull.

My dogs are all very friendly, happy, playful dogs. They are all very much loved by not only me but also their extended family, all my friends, and relatives, most of whom have their own friendship with each dog as they all have very distinctive personalities and are each very personable.

On July 23rd, my dogs were all let out with me heading out behind them, standing in our back doorway with the door open. I stopped momentarily to respond to my roommate's question. No sooner did I answer and go to step outside, I heard the sound that has continued to ring in my ears since—5-7 gunshots back to back. As I screamed, now running towards the shots, I heard one of my dogs screaming and saw what looked like smoke smoldering from the side of my home where my HVAC unit sits. Then I saw Picasso, unable to use his front legs, flopping and dragging himself from the neighbor's driveway, trying to get to me. I ran for Picasso to try to help him, only to look down and see my sweet old lady America with a single fatal gunshot wound through her neck, laying on the ground gasping for her last breaths and bleeding out. I gently scooped her into my arms, trying to stop the bleeding and headed to help Picasso. Within seconds, I felt America's little body go limp and still as she quickly faded away before my eyes. I laid my sweet girl down in my front yard and ran, trying to scoop up my big baby Picasso and yelling for someone to get me towels and the car. Struggling to pick up his massive 85-90 pound body and get him into the car to get to the vet before I lost him as well. He was also bleeding out, but I held pressure on his wounds, as i got my mom to jump into the backseat with Picasso to take over, so I could drive us and call the after hours emergency vet number so someone would meet us at the clinic.

We beat the vet to the clinic, I immediately jumped in the back to hold my sweet boy and try everything i knew to do to help him hold on until they arrived, fiercely praying for him to be alright and for me not to lose him too.

Thankfully, they arrived just in time, grabbing Picasso out of the car and jumping into action to save Picasso. He required emergency surgery to save his life; otherwise, I would have lost him as well that night.

The vet removed two bullets out of the three gunshot wounds; the third bullet had gone straight through his front right leg. He had Drains placed, along with a lot of sutures, pain meds, and antibiotics were given, along with starting fluids to keep him hydrated and help his body replenish from all the blood loss. Now the long road to recovery and healing has began for Picasso.

But the one thing I kept telling myself over and over was Picasso is a fighter; he has been since he was born. At 14 weeks old, Picasso and five of his littermates all came down with parvo virus after receiving two sets of their puppy shots, and they all were very sick. However, Picasso, along with his siblings, all fought it off and beat the almost fatal virus that most don't live through.

Picasso is still in the ICU at Baldwin Animal Clinic in Summerdale, AL. He is eating, slowly healing, and slowly gaining his strength back to be able to bare weight on his front legs and walk with the assistance from the wonderful vet staff and myself daily. I go twice daily to help the staff there with him, as he is traumatized from being shot three times and very fearful of anyone coming too close unless his mom is there by his side to reassure him that he is safe and noone is goig to hurt him. But honestly who could blame him? I would be terrified too after something like that happening to me.

But the new problem I'm having to face is the $1300.00 vet bill I'm left to pay before I'll be allowed to bring my sweet boy back home from the vet. They require the bill to be paid before they will release Picasso, allowing him to come home with me to continue his recovering.

I have been dealing with my own health conditions since February. I am on supplemental oxygen and have congestive heart failure, which is preventing me from being able to work! I've begun the process of getting SSI and SSDI, but there is no way of knowing how soon that will be complete and we need the money for Picasso's vet bill NOW!

I need any help i can receive to cover Picasso's vet bill, ASAP. He needs to come home where he feels safe and not so scared of everyone. Where he knows he is LOVED!

Our HVAC unit also took a bullet that night as well, leaving us without any air conditioning in our home in this midsummer heat, so it's unbearably hot in our house! This evening it is 85° and that's after dark.

Please help me bring Picasso home. If you can donate $1, $5, every dollar helps us get one step closer to him coming back home to us where he is loved so much and missed as well.

You can even call the clinic and tell them you'd like to donate to Picasso's vet bill, and they will take payment over the phone if you'd like! We will be grateful and thankful for any help we can receive right now!

I just want my baby back home where he belongs!

Please keep him in your prayers for a speedy healing and recovery!

And thank you so much for hearing our story and anyone who finds it in their heart to help us!