Help Fund Hayes' Chemotherapy

For those that don't know much about me or my dog Hayes, I have built my life around him. If it weren't for him, and the love he's shown me through the years, I wouldn't have my business or my love for rescue and pit bull type dogs. I met Hayes in 2013, and he had been sitting in the shelter at CAAWS (Capital Area Animal Welfare Society) for a few years, and needed to go into foster care to under go Heartworm treatment. Against my parents advice, I took him into my home. Not only were my parents and my friends skeptical of "pit bulls", but I was too! After undergoing his treatment, I continued to fall more in love with him, and enjoyed educating people about the breed each time we would go in public. Eventually I adopted him, and continued to push for the stigma surrounding pit bulls to become a thing of the past. I created my pet sitting business, Lend A Paw, to help animals just like Hayes - the ones that get overlooked time and time again in the shelter. I've since fostered and adopted other pit bulls, and made it my life's work to promote education about adopting, volunteering, and proper animal care. Without my best buddy Hayes, I wouldn't be who I am today, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure he gets the care he deserves. 

On Saturday November 6th, I noticed some large egg-shaped lumps on the back of Hayes' legs, and immediately called my vet at VCA All Pets to book an appointment. She asked me to come in immediately. After running bloodwork and checking him over, she was under the impression that he had Lymphoma. After several days of anxiously awaiting test results, it was confirmed. We were then referred to an Oncologist at MedVet Mandeville, who was able to go more into detail of the diagnosis. He was diagnosed with Stage 3 Lymphoma, but was overall still in pretty good shape. She said left untreated, he was given about 4-6 weeks to live. This was obviously a gut-wrenching shock to us, as we were just doing everything as normal a few days prior. She went over our options, and she said he would be a great candidate for the most intense treatment, the CHOP protocol, which involves treatment every week for 6 months. Each treatment is ~$350, with a grand total of ~$7,000. Knowing we would do everything we could to extend his life and make sure he has a good quality of life, we agreed to begin the procedure immediately. We began to call every credit card company we could, and get increases on our limits, but it may not be enough in case there is an emergency and additional care is needed. We appreciate any and all donations, and will continue to update everyone on Hayes' progress throughout his journey. We are truly grateful from the bottom of our hearts.

 

If you would like to donate directly to the clinic, you can call MedVet Mandeville Cancer Center for Pets, and donate to the account for Hayes under Lauren Swartley.