Cleo's Vet Bills

Cleo came into my life around the 4th of July. A neighbor called me to let me know there was either a pregnant or lactating dog outside and no one knew whose she was. The plan was for me to keep her while we located the owner. When, through Facebook, we found the owner weeks later, she told me she didn't want her. I thought, who would not want this sweet, spirited, and affectionate baby? I decided to foster her indefinitely. Then my dogs Parker and Penelope fell in love with her. Parker is a 70+ pound hound and Cleo was about 20 pounds when we got her, but he gets on his belly and wrestles gently with her. Penelope lets her share all her secret spots, and both of my hounds have been great about sharing their toys. It's obviously destiny for me to have a third dog, even though it's not convenient or inexpensive. 

A neighborhood north of ours has been having trouble with a group of loose dogs killing people's cats, I learned recently via NextDoor, but I am always vigilant (Parker was attacked in a dog park two years ago) and the incidents were far enough away that I didn't expect to encounter these dogs. I carry a Taser and a knife, and stay aware at all times. Animal Control caught one of the group of dogs and seems to be doing their best to locate the others. Neighbors have been calling when they spot them.

This morning, I was walking the dogs on one of the three usual routes we take, and as we made a turn I saw a brown pitbull staring at us. There were two other dogs with him, but they were clearly being playful with each other.  I immediately turned around and hastily walked in the other direction, but it was too late. The pitbull charged toward us and went right for Cleo, the smallest of my dogs. Parker tried to get the bigger dog off of her, but he could not. Penelope went over to a man to try to get his attention. (She is so smart.) The man came over, hearing Cleo's yelping and screaming as the pit viciously attacked her. Cleo rolled over in a submissive gesture and the dog bit her stomach and started shaking his head back and forth. Blood was everywhere. She was crying and screaming. I thought she would die. I tased the dog, which did not faze it. It jumped for a second, just long enough for the man to grab the dog's collar and pull him back. This pitbull is someone's dog. It is well-fed, clean, and has a collar (but no tags). 

I was terribly shaken and needed to get Cleo to a vet immediately. My friend's husband took us right away to the Veterinary Emergency Group in South Tampa after I called my vet to ask what to do. The technicians and doctor have been amazing. They have taken amazing care of Cleo. Initially, the doctor thought the wounds were all surface-level after a set of x-rays came back, but as she started to clean the wound on her belly, she found that a tooth punctured Cleo's stomach. It needed to be surgically repaired and requires an overnight stay at the hospital plus extensive aftercare.

In these troubling times, I am lucky to have a good job as a data analyst at a wonderful company, and just took a part-time job assisting with a COVID-19 testing project with a school of pharmacy. Nevertheless, emergency veterinary care is *staggeringly* costly. The estimate is close to $5,000 now. 

If you know me well, you know that I hate to ask for help. I value my independence and ability to take care of things on my own, but we are moving next month and I have just paid thousands in deposits (because Florida) and I need to swallow my pride and ask those of you that have the means and feel inclined, to help out with as little or as much as you can. Cleo has already had a challenging life. I just want to make the rest of it good for her. 

Thank you friends. 

So much love,
Nicole