Home for Mattie and Mason

Hello.

My name is Devon. My aunt, Karen, died extremely abruptly on December 12, 2022, nine days after first discovering her cancer. We are all still processing the loss, and we will eventually need input on how people would like to celebrate Karen’s life. I am starting this Go Fund Me to transport my aunt Karen’s very old dogs to my home in Southern California so that they can live out the rest of their lives in a loving home where they will have plenty of scratches and treats, and where I can stay on top of their medical care as much as possible. This would be very important to Karen, as Mattie (the German Shepherd) and Mason (the Jack Russell) meant the world to her. They will be able to play in the back yard with my Great Pyrenees to their hearts’ content. Knowing me, we will have three dogs in the bed at night, and I’ll end up on the dog bed.

One of Karen’s dear friends, April Skinner, along with her husband and a friend, have graciously offered to transport the dogs to California at the end of December. I cannot express in words how grateful I am for this. Because of how unexpected Karen’s passing was, and having just bought our first home a week or so ago, I do not have the funds to cover the travel expenses. The airline only allows dogs that can fit under the seat in a carrier. While Mason might fit those requirements, Mattie most certainly does not, and she is too old to travel with the cargo (according to her vet). I could not miss any more work driving them back from Texas, as I have missed quite a bit from the move and another emergency earlier in the year. So, we are renting a van or other sufficiently large vehicle to transport the dogs and working to cover as much as possible in terms of lodging and a one-way return flight for three people back to Texas from rewards points, but much is still in the air, and I do not know exactly how much this will cost. This is an approximately 20-hour drive (nonstop), so it’s no small task.

Mattie suffers from seizures that Karen has successfully treated with CBD for some time. This will be an ongoing expense. Mattie also has some discharge coming from her nose that I plan to have looked at. I have no knowledge of whether they have any other conditions that may require treatment. My wife and I will cover these expenses and (obviously) dog food. Nonetheless, any funds received that exceed the amount required for transport will be set aside and placed into a separate account solely for Mattie and Mason’s expenses.

Thank you all for considering a donation. It makes me very happy knowing that these dogs will have the life Karen would want for them.

In loving memory of Karen.