Laurie Stevenson

Dear Friends, Neighbors, and Community, My name is Laurie, and I am reaching out to ask for your support for my beloved 30 kg (66 lbs) mixed breed dog, Tango. I am a young senior, (I like to think of myself as a "Seenager"). I have been living with disabilities for many years, in a housing co-op in downtown Toronto. My medical condition has been changing, and as a long standing foster parent for 22 dogs and 44 cats for the Toronto Humane Society, Toronto Animal Services and other small rescue organizations, when I first rescued Tango, I thought that once she overcame her trauma, she would make a great companion and service dog for me as I move into my 70s. Because of this, I have been working diligently toward training and certifying my rescue dog Tango to be my official service dog for the coming years. I first fostered, then adopted Tango in November/December 2025. Since then, she has been improving every single day. She is incredibly smart, knows a wide variety of cues, and absolutely loves showing off her skills when we play fetch or "find it" with her toys—in fact, she is so sharp that she can identify 12 of her toys by name! And she spontaneously picks up my glasses when I drop them. I have an upcoming total shoulder replacement surgery which was originally scheduled for October 9, 2026. However, because I live alone and face several personal mobility challenges, I will be going into post-surgical rehabilitation at a live-in centre. Additionally, I have been unable to find a foster care provider for Tango, who can accommodate her unique needs during my recovery. I started looking for someone to care for her back in April 2026, but because I have been unable to secure adequate pet care through the channels that were available to me, I may have to make the difficult decision to postpone my surgery for several months, in order to allow time to find the right person or agency to care for Tango while I recover. This means possibly four more months of ongoing shoulder, arm and back pain. But the thought of having to surrender Tango and never seeing her again is more than I can bear. So taking the advice of a friend, I have decided to try to raise some money to help pay for a safe, secure dog care service. While postponing gives us more time to prepare, the reality remains the same: I will need to spend my initial recovery period in an inpatient rehabilitation program. Following that, I will be in a medical sling for approximately six weeks before beginning extensive physical rehab to regain use of my arm. As I use a mobility walker to get around, I will not be able to take Tango out, until such time as my doctor feels that it is safe to do so. I cannot risk falling and damaging my new implant. In total, Tango will need a safe place to stay for 1 to 3 months. From Survival to Service: Tango’s Journey To understand why finding the right boarding environment for Tango is so vital, you have to know where she started. In November 2025, Tango was found abandoned as a stray near the Scarborough Town Centre in Toronto, Canada. She had suffered from extreme, heartbreaking neglect and was literally starving to death. When she was rescued, she weighed a mere 16 kg (35 lbs)—roughly half of what a dog of her size should weigh. She had open, infected wounds on her muzzle from desperately scavenging for food just to stay alive. Because of this severe trauma, when I first took her in, her reactivity and fear were incredibly profound. She struggled with intense separation anxiety and a deep-seated fear of strangers entering the home. But Tango is a survivor. Under my care, she has transformed into a beautifully trained companion with excellent house etiquette. She waits politely at the door, is crate trained, and walks wonderfully on a leash. She even loves trotting right alongside me, jogging beautifully beside my adapative bicycle. She has become a familiar, joyful face around town, whether we are visiting the beach, running around Trinity Bellwoods, or socializing at other local dog parks. Although she has proven herself to be quite the wonder-dog, she still has a ways to go. She is protective of my patio and barks at people who pass by, and needs slow introduction to people who enter my home, she is learning and adapting every day. She has made such a spectacular recovery that if you met her today, it would be truly difficult to tell she was ever the same neglected, traumatized animal found on the streets. Because of her past trauma and sensitivity to strangers coming into her space, standard volunteer foster homes have thus far not been a match. My only viable option to guarantee her safety and continue her progress, is to place her in a dedicated, secure boarding environment. Tango actually loves people, and other dogs. She plays wonderfully with other large dogs at the open space dog parks, and has learned to be gentle with smaller dogs. When introduced slowly and correctly, a structured boarding environment with other dogs will keep her happy, socialized, and active while I heal. The Financial Breakdown Commercial boarding rates in the GTA are normally prohibitively expensive. I have not yet secured a budget-friendly option that will care for her, but I hope to find a specialized, structured placement that keeps costs under $50 to $60 per day. While $50 a day is the target rate I am actively searching for, a multi-month medical stay adds up significantly: 60 Days (2 Months): $3,000 to $3,600 90 Days (3 Months): $4,500 to $5,400 GoFundMe Platform Fees Protection: ~ $150 Total Goal: $4,650 to $5,550. Every dollar raised will go directly towards funding Tango's safe stay. If my recovery goes faster than expected, any remaining funds will be donated directly back to local animal safety-net programs in Toronto. ➡️ How You Can Help Donate: Any amount helps. Even the cost of one day ($50) or half a day ($25) of boarding gets us closer to keeping Tango safe. Share: Please share this link with your network, dog-loving communities, service dog networks, and neighbourhood groups. Pushing my surgery to November, 2026 or even as late as February 2027, buys us time, but ensuring my future service dog is safe and cared for is the only way I can undergo this procedure with peace of mind. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me protect Tango while I work on my health. With gratitude, Laurie & Tango