Help Mr. Find Peace: Cancer & Medical Expenses

On February 18th, I brought Mr. home from OC Animal Care on a 14-day foster-to-adopt trial. Mr. was found on Harbor and 1st. with no chip on January 11th. I was told that he had a scrotum tumor that was described as a ‘large oozing mass’ that was removed at the same time he was neutered at the shelter on January 18th. I noticed swelling during our visit but thought that it was probably just residual from the surgery. There was no bloodwork before the surgery or biopsy conducted by the shelter following the tumor removal. The shelter deemed him in good health.

I scheduled an appointment at my primary vet Newport Animal Hospital for February 20th. During the visit, my vet conducted a urinalysis that revealed trace amounts of blood. She was concerned about the swelling on his groin area, mostly on the right side, noting that it didn’t look good and that he shouldn’t have had that amount of swelling left from a surgery that happened a month ago. Blood was taken for testing, but my vet suggested visiting the shelter’s vet first since I was still within the foster period. We were sent home with Clavamox and Gabapentin to manage his symptoms.

On February 21st, I took Mr. to the shelter’s vet, hoping to get bloodwork and x-rays. They informed me that they would not perform those services and only offer ‘standard vet care.’ They aspirated the swollen area on his right side groin area but found no fluid, which they said was not good. I was then given a choice: either relinquish him back to the shelter or proceed with adoption to take on full ownership.

Not wanting to leave him at the shelter knowing that that they would not be able to provide him with the care he needed, I asked them if I could continue the 14-day foster period which they agreed to. I was then asked to sign a medical waiver acknowledging that I would be responsible for his care and any associated costs which I agreed to. I then contacted my vet to proceed with the bloodwork so I could have some answers about his condition.

By that evening, Mr.'s right hind leg swelled up significantly. It seemed that the aspiration had aggravated the area, causing his whole right side of his body to swell.

The next morning February 22nd, my vet called with his bloodwork results, showing high basophils and globulin levels. I shared photos of his severely swollen leg, and she urged me to take him to VCA Animal Hospital as soon as possible.

We arrived at VCA on February 22nd at 2:15 pm, and within hours, I witnessed the cancer spreading rapidly through his body while we waited to be seen. Lumps of fluid began to cover his chest and entire body. Once Mr. was seen, the emergency vet at VCA conducted a smart scan and confirmed that Mr. had an inguinal tumor (MCT) inside his right groin. The Doctor explained that the most humane option would be to let him go peacefully.

I called OC Animal Care at 5:20 pm to confirm my right to make this decision since I was still in the foster period. Despite signing the medical waiver the day before stating that I was responsible for his veterinary care, I was told that I didn’t have the legal right to make that call unless I paid the $35 adoption fee and that I would have to wait until tomorrow morning because it was ‘after hours.’ Despite his condition of being riddled with cancer.

Tonight, I’m doing my best to keep Mr. comfortable and manage his pain. Tomorrow, I will finalize the adoption and grant him the peace he deserves.

I’m not writing this GoFundMe looking for a handout but to bring awareness to the flaws in the shelter system and adoption/foster process. If you feel inclined to help with Mr.'s medical expenses, your support would mean the world to us.

Thank you for reading Mr.'s story and for considering helping us during this heartbreaking time.

UPDATE Sunday 2/23

This morning, I took Mr. back to OC Animal Care at 10 am to finalize his adoption, just as they had instructed. When I arrived, they directed me to intake instead of the adoption center, which immediately felt off. They informed me that Mr. needed a final vet examination before the adoption could be completed.

While they had Mr. in the back, they gave me a behavioral questionnaire to fill out—a form that had nothing to do with his current medical state. I waited anxiously, only to be informed that they were denying my adoption. They showed no interest in any of the medical findings from the last five days, including the bloodwork and cancer diagnosis from VCA Emergency.

They insisted that their vets would perform their own diagnostics, despite previously telling me that they didn’t have the capability to do blood panels or any type of imaging. I explained to them that his best interest would be to follow the medical advice from VCA Emergency, which confirmed his cancer diagnosis and stated his condition was poor. I told them that I was willing to take him home, fully understanding his medical state and committed to giving him the love and care he deserved.

They denied my request, stating that he was their property—even though I had signed forms on 2/21 accepting full responsibility for his medical care after they aspirated the mass, which significantly worsened his condition. I asked them to at least let me say goodbye to him. They refused, claiming he had already been medically transported. They wouldn’t tell me where he was or why he was moved. They gave me no option but to leave without him.

I’m devastated by how Mr. was treated. He deserved so much better. I’m sharing this update not only to honor his story but to bring awareness to the flaws in the shelter system. Thank you to everyone who has donated, called, messaged me and for just being there. I hope this isn’t the end of Mr.’s story.

UPDATE Sunday 3/9

By Monday, 2/24, Mr. was listed on the OCAC “Rescue Track” website as "High Alert – Medical," which meant that only a 501(c)(3) rescue group would be able to pull him from the shelter. I also got word that he had surgery that day to remove an abscess.

Desperate to get him out of there and make sure he received the care he needed, I contacted as many local rescues as I could. By Wednesday, 2/26, a local rescue group stepped up and pulled Mr. from the shelter. I adopted him from them immediately.

When I got Mr. back, he had drains near his groin from the "abscess removal surgery." His right hind leg was still severely swollen, and his overall condition was poor. To make matters worse, he was not sent home with any antibiotics or pain management after surgery. I received all of his medical paperwork from the shelter, and once again, they had not biopsied the "abscess" or performed any diagnostics. At this point, Mr. had undergone two surgeries at the shelter—both without proper diagnostics.

The night of 2/26, I took him to the vet associated with the rescue group. They prescribed him antibiotics, pain medication, an anti-inflammatory, and an antihistamine—once again raising the concern about mast cell cancer.

In the days that followed, Mr.’s condition began to decline even more. He wasn’t eating much and had very little energy. He was a different dog from the one I had brought home on 2/18.

Thankfully, I was able to get him an appointment at the Veterinary Cancer Group in Woodland Hills on Tuesday, 3/4, to confirm our suspicions of mast cell cancer and hopefully explore treatment options. At the Vet Cancer Group, the doctor was able to FNA (fine needle aspirate) an area near his incision from the "abscess surgery" and confirmed that it was, in fact, mast cell cancer.

An ultrasound revealed growths in his abdomen and near his spleen. The doctor explained that Mr.’s condition was advanced and that the options would be humane euthanasia or chemotherapy, but that there was no way to eliminate the mast cell cancer due to how advanced it was. The doctor estimated a 50% chance that chemo might extend his life by two months—but also warned that at any moment, Mr. could go into anaphylactic shock or respiratory distress due to the tumors affecting his internal organs.

At this point, Mr. had not eaten for two days. We stopped the antibiotics and anti-inflammatory to prepare him for prednisone—a steroid treatment—just to make him as comfortable as possible.

Over the next couple of days, with the help of some amazing friends, we monitored his condition closely. By Friday, he hadn’t eaten for four days aside from being force-fed and given fluids. The hard decision was made to put him to sleep on Friday, 3/7. He passed at 6:06 pm—peacefully and surrounded by love.

I’m not sure why or how this dog ended up in my life, or why I felt so connected to him so quickly, but I’m grateful to have known him. He taught me a lot in a short period of time, and I won’t ever forget him.