Keeping Boone Around

Meet Boone!

He's about 3 years old and was seconds from being put down by a shelter when a local rescue group saved him. We found him at the rescue and adopted him just 3 months ago, and he has been such a fun addition to our family! We can't understand how anyone would let this sweet, goofy guy go, or how he could ever have been chosen by the shelter to be euthanized. He is the sweetest dog, fun-loving and energetic, loves quite literally everyone, and is so great with the kids, even when they dress him up. 

Over Christmas weekend, Boone wasn't acting like himself and began to look like he was in a lot of pain. After seeing the vet and some tests Sunday, he started improving over the next couple o f days, but then on Christmas night he was in pain again. We spent all the next day in vet offices performing more tests, only to face the hardest decision pet owners face: While it was still unclear exactly what was going on, Boone had something causing problems around his pancreas/intestines and he needed immediate surgery or he would die. Because of the location, and because there was already fluid in his belly, Boone needed a specialty surgeon who was board certified, otherwise the prognosis was poor and the likelihood of him living was low. After already spending about $1600 on diagnostic tests, this surgery would cost another $5800 due to the specialty involved and only a few options of surgeons to choose from given that it was the day after Christmas.

Despite the cost, we proceeded with the surgery, performed the night of 12/26, where the surgeon removed an abscess that had developed on his colon, which we are thinking was caused by swallowing something he shouldn't have and ended up perforating it. He also had peritonitis, so they flushed out his abdomen and started antibiotics. Thankfully, we took action early enough. So far Boone is doing great and is getting back to his normal self, just still on antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection. This surgery was a difficult decision. This was our Boone...he still has so much time ahead of him, and he already escaped death once! But like most people we didn't have that kind of money just sitting around. Yes, there is care credit, and credit cards, and we used all of the funds we had available and applied for even more to make this happen. When we adopted Boone, we made a commitment to care for him, and it just didn't feel right to put down such a happy and healthy dog that we loved over money, especially knowing if we just go through with the surgery he will live a happy life. 

Owning a pet comes with expenses and we know and accept this, but we never imagined this type of situation where we'd have to spend so much to keep our beloved pet around, and after only a few months when he's so young. It was an unfortunate, rare, and odd circumstance that required an extreme amount of care or face putting him down, and we chose to keep him around.  We so appreciate help in even the smallest way, even by sharing, to ease some of the financial strain we now face.