Tucker's $9000 back surgery

Hi, my name is Sarah, and anyone who knows me knows that I love animals. I have dedicated my life to helping animals in ways I'm able to -- by rescuing those who are injured or in danger of being injured, by advocating for a vegan world while living a vegan lifestyle, by volunteering and working within the animal rights community over the past 8 years, and by donating money to various animal causes and fundraisers.

But now a time has come when I need some help. On September 20, 2023, my 8-year-old dog Tucker suffered a severe back injury that left him unable to walk or stand. The L2-L3 disc in his spine herniated and ruptured which resulted in the need for emergency, same-day surgery that cost $9,000. I had to end work early to drive Tucker 2+ hours to Gulf Coast Veterinary Hospital in Houston, TX after his regular vet referred us there. I had to drive my mom's vehicle because mine was in the shop. The cause of Tucker's injury is unknown, and the whole situation came completely unexpected. This large expense also comes soon after Ernie's cancer diagnosis in May and his euthanasia in July, both of which also incurred large veterinary bills. And to top it all off, I got my car back from the mechanic the day after Tucker's surgery, 9/21, after paying the $557.46 bill (the CV axels had to be replaced). My car also gave me trouble in April of this year and needed work costing over $2,400.

April: car troubles, May: Ernie diagnosed with cancer, July: Ernie was euthanized, September: Tucker's back injury/surgery and more car troubles. It has been one thing after another these past few months, and I'm struggling both financially and emotionally. I'm lucky enough to have good credit, and I was approved for a credit card from Care Credit that covered $7300 of Tucker's hospital bill, but it will cause a financial hardship on me for the foreseeable future as I only have one year to pay off the card before interest begins accruing, which means I need to pay about $609 each month for the next year.

I want to emphasize that this is not an emergency. Tucker has already had the surgery and is on the road to recovery (and doing very well). I'm not facing eviction or bankruptcy or anything like that, so if you find an emergency where an animal's life is in danger, please donate there first. But if you don't know of any emergencies, and you have the financial means to make a donation, even if just $5, I would be forever grateful. Tucker will also be grateful to know that people are helping me help him. Tucker LIVES to go for walks, so this surgery was 100% necessary for him to have a good quality of life. But now that he's had this type of injury, the risk of recurrence is between 15-25%, so he'll have to settle for leisurely, laid-back walks from now on. I'll have to carry him in a backpack if we do any steep, downhill hiking. But he's just happy to be walking independently again. And I'm just happy to see him happy and walking again. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has donated!