Fred's Back Surgery

Hi Everyone!

Fred, my darling dachshund, has IVDD and had to have emergency back surgery to correct the problem. Insurance will cover up to $3600, but the total bill comes to about $8000. So, I am humbly requesting support from my friends towards Fred's recovery.

To know me is to know how much I love my beloved wiener dogs, Fred and Coney.

In June of 2020, 5 days after I closed on my new house, I responded to a facebook status from Dachshund Haus & Corgi Rescue requesting transport for hundreds of dachshunds rescued from a puppy mill bust in Tennessee. My friend Emerson and I hopped in my car at about 8 pm that evening and raced through the night to reach the dogs before they were euthanized.

We were able to fit about 10 dachshunds in my Honda Civic that day. It was a wild, smelly ride back to Michigan!

Dachshund Haus Rescue organized foster families for each and every one of our new long and low friends. I enthusiastically agreed to look after two of the boys -- a skinny, sickly-looking blue dachshund and a funny-looking guy with a broken tail, eye infection, and a beautiful brown coat.

Click here to watch the boys featured on the news!

From the moment Emerson and I took them out of their crates, these two long boys were inseparable. When they hit the grass, Coney immediately laid down perpendicular across Fred in a position that I would later coin "lincoln logging."

It has been a wonderful, happy, three years with my boys.

Coney "Conard" Baloney is the "shy one," an adorable, anxious mama's boy who -- when he deems you worthy -- is the sweetest snuggling snoozleton east of the Mississippi.

Frederick P. Snoozleton, AKA Fred, is an extroverted, bumbling, sloppy sweetheart with a heart of gold. Fred has to wear a diaper because when he gets excited, he pees -- and he gets excited a lot! Fred is a "fan favorite" due to his extroversion and pure love attitude.

Fred and Coney are immortalized in my song "Tennessee," which you can listen to below!

Some more Fred and Coney art for your enjoyment by artist Dave Woodward :

A few weeks ago, Fred started acting less goofy than usual. He wasn't moving around well, and he started having muscle spasms. We went to the ER and -- sure enough -- classic dachshund back problems. They gave him some pain meds and sent us on our way in the hopes that Fred would feel better with time and strict rest.

Alas, this was not the case. Fred started dragging his back feet across the ground when he walked. The next step was to take him to a neurologist. From there, things moved pretty fast. Fred's MRI revealed ruptured disc material. The doctors recommended surgery and explained that the alternative could be a lifetime of strict crate rest.

The thought of keeping Fred confined to a crate after spending his early years in a cage at the puppy mill... Nuh-uh. Not doing that!

I eagerly consented to the surgical option, and Fred is now in recovery.

His doctors tell me that he is healing well. I even received this sweet text from "Fred" last night:

I will update this page as I learn more about how my long boy is doing.

I humbly ask you to consider helping Fred and I recover from this recent turn of events. Any amount you can spare is so, so needed and appreciated. I am grateful for my wonderful community of friends and family for the love they have shown me and Fred as we handle life's curveballs.

Love,

Emily, Fred, and Coney