Ziggy Stardust emergency surgery following attack

Hi, I'm Brian and I have an emotional support animal/best friend named Ziggy Stardust who was attacked by another dog at Amazon Small dog (25lb limit) park on the morning of Dec 16th. Ziggy was pinned down by another larger dog and bit on the face repeatedly with a final bite that did not let go until intervention. Ziggy was upside down, screaming and her face was bitten repeatedly and not in a playful way. The dog was much larger than Ziggy. Ziggy is 10lbs. I don't know the weight of the other dog but there is a 25lb limit at the park. There were some other minor bites and scratches but the most devastating injury has been to her eye and her spirit. The final bite made her eye came out of her socket with the face biting and the eye suffered some additional injury. It is unknown currently if the eye can be saved at all.

The owner of the other dog claims to be unemployed and void of any funds so is unable to assist in the costs associated to Ziggy getting emergency care and surgery. They have said they will do what they can to be responsible. They did apologize and I believe they are sorry but I don't think the dogs aggression has been taken seriously, because there was aggression, repeated bites and the dog didn't release until there was intervention. I pray they make good on getting funds to me. I also hope they don't take their dog to the park again any time soon and take another look at how their dog interacts with or "plays" with others. I know I will be too scared to let Ziggy get near another dog for a long time. I'll update on that as the days unfold. There has been a lot of advice given since and there are laws and rights in place that are all in favor of me feeling entitled to total compensation from the owner. But I don't feel entitled. I want to be compassionate and forgiving. I just want Ziggy to be okay I don't want any other dog or owner to go through this situation again. I want to believe the owner will step up and do what is right. I still need to make a report to animal control. I have not been able to function. My friends don't want to see me get walked on and are encouraging me to assert more of my right. I am restraining for now even if I am naive. We will see how it goes.

Her eye came out of her socket and there is risk in both the surgery itself and the success of trying to get the eye back in socket. There is also risk in surviving the surgery, her breathing is erratic as well as her heart rate and glucose levels shot up from the stress. She may lose her eye completely. There may be other complications, infections, etc. There's a lot that could go wrong even if the eye can be saved. As most pet owners know, vet visits and especially emergency ones can be incredibly expensive. I am asking help out of necessity as I am suddenly in the position to save my dog from another dogs actions. Pug breeds are prone to having their eyes come out but this didn't just happen with normal dog play. The vets confirmed there was trauma to the eye and that it is both responding to light. It is very likely she does not have vision in the eye if she is able to keep it. Ziggy is very small but socialized well and has had thousands of interactions with large and small dogs and has done amazing at both small and large dog parks and has never exhibited aggressive behavior or exhibited behabior that would lead one to say she provoked an attack. She is VERY vocal and sets her boundaries well without aggression.

I am on my own and have only survived this ordeal through friends, family and completely strangers who have expressed far more concern towards the situation. I am quite jumbled as I write this, but I could use help with this kind of large unforseen bill. Ziggy is my entire life and everything to me. She is currently awaiting surgery at Emergency Vet Hospital in Springfield, Oregon. The initial vet she was rushed to (Animal Health Associates) was not on operating hours but they were able to do a quick assessment, give painkillers and put a cone on her and got me directed to an emergency vet. The costs so far are estimated to be $4684.57 on top of $178.00. I remain unsure of the final costs as she is in queue to have surgery in a few hours. It has been a bit of a rough year financially for everyone. I only ask for donations if you are able. I know there far more worthy things to donate hard earned money to and so many of us are just surviving month to month. Ziggy is so very special to me, I can't really put into words how much she means to me and how in love with her I am. She is 3 1/2 years old and a force of enthusiasm and love to be reckoned with. Thank you to all my friends and family who are scattered far and wide across this planet. I only have a few friends here in Eugene and not much of a support system to call on. My employer and coworkers are the closest I have to family in town. I suffer from CPTSD, depression, anxiety, ADHD. I am a wreck. I rely on Ziggy to function as a human. Ziggy has been the unconditional love in my life and the only reason I can get up and attempt to function every day. She has been my medicine and soul. I have rambled far too much but I just want to say thank you and emphasize how difficult it is for me to ask for financial help from anyone when the world is the way it is right now. It's the holidays and everyone is struggling. The world is in chaos and there is so much hate, struggle and real horrors everyone faces in their lives. I only ask for help if you feel fortunate enough to do so, I don't think im entitled to help and I will do everything I can to make Ziggy's life the best it can be and go into debt as far as possible before giving up. Asking for help is the hardest thing in the world and there is so much guilt around doing so for those who are conditioned the way I have been growing up. But I am here asking for help. Help with supported words. Good vibes. Encouraging words. I need it all. I thank you for even reading if you made it this far. There are thousands of pages and charities and situations far more dire than mine. Thank you for being here for me, as hard as it is to be here and ask for help.. xx