My name is Cassie and I am the human to two very sweet, very cute, very small doggos named Gigi and Cherie. Gigi and Cherie are half-sisters and have been members of my family for 8 years. They first brightened our lives in 2017, when Cherie was 5 months and Gigi, the runt of her litter, was a year and 4 months, and they have been indispensable in getting us through our darkest days with their adorable furry faces and sweet, friendly, loyal demeanors. They mean the world to me and life is so much better since being blessed with them.

A week ago, we noticed that Gigi wasn’t herself. She had thrown up Sunday morning, felt warm to the touch, wasn’t eating or drinking, and wasn’t able to walk straight. We rushed to the ER, where blood work and ultrasound showed that her red blood cell count had dropped to dangerous levels and her spleen was enlarged. The vet on call said he suspected Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA), a very serious and often-times lethal condition in dogs where the body’s immune system attacks itself and depletes its own red blood cell supply. They stabilized Gigi with a blood transfusion and we took her to see an internal medicine specialist at Animal Medical Center (AMC), where she has been since Monday night. The specialists there confirmed this was IMHA, and a very advanced, aggressive case. Gigi’s prognosis is poor. She has been receiving multiple blood transfusions a day but has not been able to stabilize her red blood cell count.

Just like human healthcare, pet healthcare is extremely expensive, and my family has already had to make the extremely hard decision of turning down certain treatment options because we cannot afford them. The current cost we are facing is $17,000, and that is just to cover hospitalization until Monday to see if immunosuppressants help Gigi at all.

Gigi is my baby. Love is love, and Gigi is not just a pet, she is family. Her sickness and prognosis are painful, numbing, nauseating, confusing, and unbearable. She is my little angel and though she may be tiny (at only 8.5 pounds), her heart is enormous. You can meet her for the first time and she will look up at you and wag her little tail furiously, waiting for you to bend down and pet her or pick her up and hug and kiss her, or put her in your lap and give her belly rubs. She is always happy to meet new people and is fiercely loyal to her family, always looking up at us on walks and following us from room to room to make sure we’re safe and all together. My dogs have given me reasons to live. I love them more than anything else in the universe. I will have to say goodbye to Gigi in the next day or so, and it is tearing me apart. My family and I have given everything we have to get the best care for her. Gigi has been such a blessing for us, and as we struggle to come to terms with her fate, we would really appreciate any help at all in covering her medical expenses. She has helped so many with her big heart and enormous love, and it would mean so much if we could return that love and help her when she needs it most.

My family and I, including my precious angel Gigi, thank you sincerely.