Luncheon Memorial Fund

Luncheon was a happy, healthy, loving boy. From the moment my spouse and I adopted him in 2020, he was a shining star - always friendly, always cuddly, always a big personality with a big heart. He loved to be taken out on a leash, playing fetch, and of course food! Every night he would cuddle with us, curling up beside our heads and purring until we fell asleep. Every single person he met fell in love with him.

On August 8th, days after my spouse's birthday, he became sick. He would throw up constantly, totally unable to keep food or water down, refusing even his favourite treats. We had hoped and prayed it was just a bug, something that would pass if we gave him a few hours.

My spouse took him to the nearest vet in the morning while I worked - we had been surviving for so long on a single income, and payday was just a day away. We had a bit over $100 in the bank and an overdraft limit of $300. The vet said he needed x-rays, ultrasounds, and bloodwork. They seemed sure he was diabetic, or that he had eaten something that he shouldn't have (which would have been totally unlike him). However, when they found out we couldn't pay $1000 upfront, they turned us away after charging us for an exam and some fluids. I believe that if he had been able to receive the care he needed right away he would still be with us.

Luckily they provided us with the information for a vet that would happily set up a payment plan for us. We rushed him there the second they opened on the 9th, praying that he would get the care he needed. He didn't seem to be in as much pain anymore at least, though he had barely moved from the place we set him down.

They told us he had a high fever - something that the previous vet made no mention of - and determined it was likely he had acute pancreatitis after his bloodwork came through. They gave him fluids, scheduled him for an ultrasound on Saturday afternoon, and we finally felt that he was getting the care he needed.

He had purred for my spouse before they left him there. We found out later he was purring when the staff had spent some time with him just before the shift change. Everyone thought his recovery was likely. He was a healthy boy, no indication of diabetes or any other issues. We paid careful attention to his food, his exercise, everything. I had been taking him outside on a leash while I worked the garden, and made sure he wasn't eating any strange plants or bugs. He loved being out there with me. He loved living with us. He should have recovered.

On August 10th, just before 7 am, we got the call that he had died. Even now, a week later, my heart feels bruised from the loss. We were left with approximately $4000 in vet bills - the downpayment we were able to make thanks to the generous support of our friends took that down to $3000. I have listed this gofundme at 3,500 in the hope of recuperating some the money we spent at the first vet, and pay some bills that had to go unpaid in favour of his care.

Please help us recover from our devastating loss, and no longer be indebted to a system that prioritizes money over care.