Donate to Save Sunshine: A Beloved Family Member

Hello all -

My name is Scotty and my dog is named Sunshine. She is a yellow lab and is 9 and a half years old. From day one, she had medical issues, from allergies to pyometra, to cancer. She has endured a lot, but it doesn't stop her from going to the dog park and to the beach. We don't have pet insurance, as the bills before the pyometra surgery were pretty reasonable. The pyometra surgery cost $10,000, and from there we thought of getting pet insurance. Then, all of a sudden, we had a test done on a growth by her nipple, and it turned out to be cancerous. In Dec. 2021, she had pyometra, and a couple of months later, surgery to remove the tumor. Then, a couple of weeks later, surgery to remove the surrounding tissue. Things seemed to mellow down for a while until Dec. 2024. Sunshine had a hacking cough and her eyes were red. We went to the vet, and they prescribed doxycycline to fight a possible infection. It was recommended to get X-rays done (which of course we never hesitate), and there was a shadow. We went to Shoreline Vet Hospital to get a CT scan, but they were booked and thought that the issue was not that of an emergency. Well, a day later, Sunshine couldn't walk, and she wanted to eat, but it was just too painful. We rushed to the ER where they did a CT scan and found a huge tumor and multiple nodules. They said the likelihood of her making it past six months, even after treatment, is grim. They told us the price to pay for the surgery and said it would be understandable to put her down. I told my wife, if she didn't want to live anymore, then she should make that decision. Well, we paid $30,000 (CT scan plus surgery), and I don't regret doing so. This turned out to be an excellent decision as the recovery is going very well, and she is happy and eating. She was so excited to see us, and well, now she's home after being in since Friday, Jan 17.

So why I came here is I love my animal with all of my heart, she is basically our daughter, and I will do all I can to keep her safe. My total spending has reached over $80,000, and chemotherapy is coming. I don't know how much everything is going to cost, and of course, taxes are here and bills don't pause because of personal issues. I need help as I am pulling money out of my equity, and I will need to pay everything back. I don't expect to get this $50,000, but I do hope I can get some help to lessen the impact. Also, I have many medical records and can provide these if you are unsure if I am telling the truth. If you are in Shelton or have even been to the Milford dog park, you may know me and my dog as she is super friendly and very outgoing. I have walked around, and people ask me if that is Sunshine as my wife and I take turns bringing her to places :)

-Scotty :)