Marlow's Miracle: Help us Cover Unexpected Veterinary Costs

Hi, my name is Arielle and I am fundraising for my dog Marlow.

This is a story of hope and resilience.

Last Wednesday morning Marlow ran into the woods behind our neighbours house and did not come back. Marlow is very good in the woods and has great recall, and he is not the kind of dog to just run away.

We were very concerned as some neighbours had heard coyotes making noise around that time. We live in Paradise Valley just outside of Squamish BC, and our neighbourhood backs onto a steep mountainous slope.

We conducted several search attempts with no success in finding Marlow, but since we hadn't found any evidence of carnage we refused to give up hope.

On Friday evening, my partner Tom along with our neighbour Ben and his dog Keo (Marlow's best friend, a 10-month old Shepard mix) went to do another search. It honestly felt like the final hopeful attempt. We'd had other dogs looking for him, but this was the first time Keo and Ben were available to help since Marlow had gone missing.

We had Keo sniff Marlow's collar to help him get the idea that we were looking for him. The terrain is so extreme that we really had to find paths of least resistance to gain any access. The conversation meandered through optimistic outcomes to senses of confused futility to a simple appreciation for wilderness. They noticed though, that once they started talking about memories of Marlow, Keo's energy shifted noticeably and he began to lead Ben and Tom up the hills. Only a few minutes later they came upon a somewhat plateaued area, and Ben heard a very faint bark.

At first they weren't sure if it was coming from the bottom of the hill (our neighbourhood always has dogs barking and children playing) but Keo had begun focusing on an area of fallen trees and mossy growth. Tom noticed a basketball sized hole and called into it, "Marlow?" They heard Marlow bark back, and everyone's adrenaline kicked into gear. There was a period of confused, hesitant barks, and then very excited constant barking and whimpering.

Tom immediately called me letting me know they had found a dog barking down a hole. He told me what tools and equipment they needed, and I got help from our neighbour Sam who had his climbing gear ready to go to help get Marlow out the hole. I tried going with Sam up to where they were, but the terrain was extreme - rocky, steep, full of moss covered holes, and I hadn't slept in 2 nights and had been sick, so I decided to wait for them at the bottom.

They started the mission by carefully uncovering the top of the hole so that Tom could fit in. Once the hole was wide enough, Ben and Sam belayed him down a corridor which was about 2 feet wide at the top and had a wedged rock as a platform about 6 feet down. Tom still couldn't see Marlow from there, so he had to climb down further into the narrow depths and peer over an edge before he finally had eyes on him. That's when he saw his boy looking up at him from the floor of his would-be tomb, whimpering with tentative excitement. The entire crevasse was about 20 feet deep, 20 feet long, and slightly wider than 12 inches at the bottom. Marlow's barking ceased only once he saw Tom. They lowered a large backpack into the cave, with Tom guiding it around the tight spots via a bottom rope attached to the bag. Marlow seemed to understand entirely, and provided zero resistance when Tom began shimmying him into the bag and cinching it shut over his head. They then guided the bag safely up and out of the crevasse, with only minor inconvenience, and Tom was able to climb out of the hole with Sam's anchor on belay.

As previously mentioned, Marlow is very good in the woods. By that I mean he's very fast, agile, and knows what's around him. I believe he was outrunning the coyotes but knew instinctively they were going to keep chasing him, he sensed there was a deep hole and dove in to save himself.

We were relieved that Marlow had no major noticeable injuries (ie. broken bones or major contusions) but he did have some matting in his fur that were covering wounds, as well as stuff coming out of his ears and what looked like a golf ball of inflammation in his throat. We took him to the vet first thing Saturday morning, where they shaved some of his fur and discovered several puncture wounds around his head, neck, and ear. His ear had a hole through it and was about 25% torn off. The wounds on his throat had also caused an abscess to develop.

He needed a lot of fixing up to get back to himself. The medical bills came to just under $1400, an unexpected cost that I couldn't pay in the moment. Thankfully, a family member advanced me the funds so that we were able to get Marlow taken care of and sent home.

Its very difficult for me to imagine what Marlow went though in those 56 hours. The shock and terror of almost being killed by coyotes, followed by 2.5 days of cold darkness. The feelings that I've been experiencing since we found him are hard to describe. The level of gratitude, thankfulness, and sheer relief I feel is beyond my own comprehension.

It has been a joy already to share Marlow's story with our friends and family, as well as strangers who inquire about his still prominent wounds and dressings. The feelings of inspiration and excitement give an instant sense of kinship and community, and shine such a silver lining on the whole incident. We certainly feel compelled to share this story as a heartwarming tale of dedication, faith, and love.

Dr. MacGregor and nurse Kelly and the entire team at Garibaldi Veterinary Clinic have been so compassionate and gentle and accommodating throughout this episode. They were able to keep the cost of his care well within a manageable range, and we want to commend them for the noble work that they do. Marlow's current and continued wellbeing can be credited to their beautiful efforts.

Thank you to everyone who came to help, and offer their support. We want to specifically commend (and reward) Keo and Ben for their efforts in coming out to search the treacherous terrain for their lost friend. Keo's nose and Ben's ear truly came to save the day. May they be met with a hero's welcome wherever they go. This is a heartwarming story about best friends and community coming together. Neighbours have already and will continue to come together to celebrate around a fire, and the beautiful music being sung is a sweet gift.

Thank you, Marlow Sweet'n'Kind, "The Medicine Dog", "The Obsidian Prince." We love you more than words can express.