911: Squeezer the Wonder Pug

As many of you know, I do my best to run Rockit Ranch Rescue and Sanctuary, with a whole lot of help from our dear friends and donors.  I was forced to retire from the practice of law due to a series of severe equestrian injuries and  am now wholly dependent on Social Security and minimal income from legal work.  At Rockit Ranch, I care for 5 dogs, 14 cats, 2 horses, and Gringo, one very stubborn donkey.  One of the most precious additions to the family was a loving little dog named Squeezer, a pug who was found running down a busy street in a nearby town.  She was picked up by animal control and adopted by me about a year ago.  She immediately became a beloved member of our crazy family and has brought all of us so much joy.  On February 20, 2106, in a totally unexpected and unforeseen development, she was diagnosed with an extreme form of diabetes -- diabetes ketoacidosis -- one of the most extreme complications of diabetes mellitus that can be experienced.  She was hospitalized immediately, and the initial stay to stabilize her insulin levels, is estimated to cost almost $900.00.  We recently had to raise almost $5000 for the amputation of Trip's foreleg (an Aussie who was shot), and even the regular maintenance costs of the ranch and the animals are always more than I can manage on my own.  The hard truth is that emergencies like Trip's and Squeezer's simply cannot be met without your help.  Squeezer will require daily insulin injections, a special diabetic diet, daily ketosis testing, and a host of other costly care, and the only other option is euthanasia, which is out of the question.  Please know that this is not a case of keeping an elderly or incapacitated dog alive out of sentiment -- she is very young, vibrant, joyous, loving, extremely active over all 8 acres of the place, and, most of all, she deserves a fighting chance at a long life.  I hope you will help me give her that -- God knows, she has given me so much already.  This is a huge challenge, considering how many other animals I care for, who also need care that I cannot presently afford, but I am going to continue to do my best for all of them.  Thanks for being such wonderful friends.  Keeping on with gratitude,  Sally.