Help Suki Recover from a Dog Attack

Dear Friends, Family, and Kind Strangers,

We are reaching out to you with heavy hearts and a plea for help. Our sweet 10-pound senior dog, Suki, was recently the victim of an unprovoked attack by our neighbor's German Shepherd. On Monday 5/13, Suki was sniffing around our yard and enjoying the sunshine when suddenly she was tackled onto the driveway by a dog 10 times her size. Thankfully I was standing right there and able to immediately grabbed the dog off of her. The neighbor didn't even realize his dog was loose- I yelled across the property telling him that his dog jumped the fence and attacked mine. He came over to the fence, said he was sorry, walked back inside while dragging and yelling at his dog, and did not come back out.

As of today, 5/20, the neighbors still have not acknowledged us or even asked if Suki was okay. And she is not okay. After I got the shepherd off of her, she could not stand up. I rushed her to the emergency vet, where it was determined that she had suffered a severe hip injury requiring immediate surgery. Three days later, Suki had an FHO procedure.

Despite her small size, Suki has been a champ through all of this. Barely able to stand on her own in the couple days between her injury and surgery, she still would greet us with vigorous tail wags every time she saw us. Now that we're in the recovery phase, she's enjoying hobbling around on her short, controlled walks. She's being incredibly tolerant of her cone of shame, strict cage rest, icing, and mobility exercises (even though I can tell she really doesn't like them). It breaks my heart that my bouncy, wiggly little girl won't be able to run, jump, or play for the next 4 weeks, just as it's getting nice enough to enjoy more outside time.

As you can imagine, the cost of emergency veterinary care is substantial. The initial ER exam and the surgery have already cost us $5,000. Once we add in follow-up visits and rehab, the total is projected to exceed $7,000. This also leaves out the time we've taken off work to make our appointments and provide the extra care Suki needs during recovery.

While we would hope the neighbors would contribute, after speaking with animal control and trying to work with them, the sad reality is that they do not seem willing or able to do so. Even if we were to take them to court over the incident, there is no guarantee we will be fully reimbursed or how soon that money would come, and we would incur additional the legal fees, loss of time, and stress. I just recently left my full-time job to start my own business and I'm doing everything I can to be able to give Suki the care she needs to recover fully and enjoy her golden years free from pain. Any amount you can contribute to Suki's care will make a tremendous difference, not only to alleviate the financial stress but to allow us to focus on helping Suki regain her strength.

We are incredibly grateful for all of the love and support we've received so far. Whether it’s a donation, a share of our campaign, or simply some kind and encouraging words, it fills my heart knowing so many people are thinking of Suki. She is the sweetest, smartest dog I've ever had and I'm determined to give her as many comfortable years on this earth as possible.

With sincere gratitude,

Kieran and Suki