Herbie the Pit Bull's Vet Bills

Herbie has been a beloved member of my family since my brother, Mike, and his late wife, Jen, rescued him from a kill shelter in 2013. With his slobbering kisses, conviction that he's somehow a lapdog at 65 pounds, and boundless appetite for pig ears, he has provided us all with endless joy and love over the years. He was a steadfast companion to both Jen and my father in their last months of life, and then he was there to comfort the rest of us in our grief. It's not an exaggeration to say that my brother, mother, and I would not have made it through the past decade without him.

The good news is that Herbie is doing very well. He was able to get emergency surgery to remove a tumor that was pressing on his urethra and making it impossible for him to relieve himself. While the tumor still needs to be biopsied, we're hopeful for the future, and right now he's recovering at home with my brother, knocking over everything in his path with the cone around his neck.

The bad news is that this surgery was extremely expensive, and while my brother has a good job, he doesn't have thousands of dollars in discretionary funds. He was willing to spend whatever it took to make sure his "little man" was ok, but he's feeling the financial hit. As his sister, I want to do whatever I can to help him out, even if that means coming to my social networks with hat in hand.

I know we're all struggling, and I don't expect to raise the full amount of this fundraiser--but every little bit helps. If you've met and loved Herbie, or you want to help our family, or you just have a soft spot for dopey pit bulls, consider throwing a couple bucks my brother's way.