Tempest's Surgeries and Recovery
Kat has always been an extremely compassionate animal person. Not a day goes by where she is not thinking of her friend's dogs, baking healthy treats for them, and organizing pre-COVID play dates. She even sponsors a donkey at a sanctuary in BC, and would never fail to pay Stormy a visit when she was able. Everyone who knows her would be able to tell you she is the most caring and considerate animal lover they'll ever meet.
In 2017, Kat was looking for a rescue pup in need of some care, and happened upon Tempest. She took her home in April of that year. Tempest was rescued from a reservation, and aside from that, not a lot is known about her past. In these few short years, Kat and her partner, Scott, have done an incredible job in making up for the years Tempest had spent alone and surviving. 
Rescuing a dog also comes with a lot of unexpected costs. Within a year of bringing her home, Tempest required almost immediate surgery on her back legs that would otherwise cause her a lifetime of pain and severe medical complications in her future. Kat had her instantly in surgery, taken care of, and monitored her recovery full-time while also juggling her day-to-day. Only a short time after that, Tempest was attacked by a porcupine, which involved weekly vet visits to remove the quills that were slowly becoming visible. This naturally added up to an exorbitant amount of costs, and a pup that required a fair bit of surgery in order to get back on her feet, literally.
In 2020, Tempest's legs were again compromised due to her physiology, and required yet another surgery that would then need to incorporate physio once the surgeries were complete. She had her right leg surgery due to severe arthritis, and is still currently awaiting her left one. This has led to thousands of dollars (approximately $20,000) in out-of-pocket expenses already, and a lot of tears and understandable grief.
To add to this situation, in early January, Tempest suddenly tore a ligament off her knee, something the vet had again attributed to her physiology. Another emergency surgery is now required. This surgery is upwards of $5,000, and coupled with the cost of her upcoming left elbow surgery, is looking at approximately $10,000.
Kat and Scott were engaged in 2019, and their wedding was postponed to this year. Between COVID, wedding planning, and other expenses, this is not something I want Kat to be worried about, when the surgeries themselves have already taken such a financial and emotional toll. Having a pet she loves so much go through surgery after surgery is already bad enough. Please help me make Kat's year a bit better. :) 
