Piper's medical fund
Donation protected
Hello,
I started this go fund me page to raise money for medical bills for my dog Piper. She is the sweetest little hound dog. I rescued Piper from Helping Hounds in Syracuse, New York on March 11th 2015, just three short months ago. She has had a rough life and this week has been no exception. I don't have much of a back story on her other than being told she was in and out of rescues the first two years of her life until I found her and took her home.
Over the past two months she has won over the hearts of everyone in my life, mostly mine. I've seen so much improvement in her in the time that she's been with me. I have a very special bond with her that I see in many dog owners. Something I've always longed for and finally have found.
So here is the story with as much detail as I can think to include. Saturday morning Piper and I had a wonderful hike on some trails and had some good quality time. It was a sunny day and I was planning on going out for a motorcycle ride that afternoon. My best friend, Shawn, has told me on a number of occasions that he would love to watch Piper if I ever needed it. I thought I would take him up on the opportunity, he loves her company. Shawn is an artist with a Gallery in his furniture store. This is where I dropped off Piper. He likes the idea of having a "shop dog" and so do I. He has been longing for a dog companion just as I longed for Piper.
Well, soon after I left, tragedy struck. Shawn let Piper out the back door and she made a dash for the road, over a football field length away. He tried to stop her but she was on a mission, to find me. You see, Piper suffers from separation anxiety. An issue that has dramatically improved in the last three months and I believe is due to her unknown past.
Piper ran out into the road, Route 20 in Nelson, NY. It's a 55 mph zone that changes to 45 near the front of the store. She was hit by a car, a 16 year old girl driving with her dad in the passenger seat. The father saw what was about to happen but the girl didn't have much time to react. From what Shawn witnessed, the girl swirved at the last minute, which turned out to be a good thing. Piper got a direct hit to her head with the tire. Shawn, immediately without concern for his own well being, ran out in the four lane road to grab her. He ran back inside and immediately called me. It wasn't until I asked if he even looked for traffic first that he realized that he acted out of concern for Piper above himself. This showed me something about his true character. The fact that without thinking twice, my friend put his life on the line to save my dog, was amazing to me.
Luckily, I heard the phone ring. "Piper got hit". I raced back to get her. When I arrived, he had placed her inside the front door. The look on his face told me one thing, she was dead. She lay there on the ground, motionless, with blood and the contents of her bowels on the floor. My heart sunk. I picked her up in my arms and she was totally limp. We rushed to the animal hospital up the road that luckily was still open on a Saturday. I ran into the back with her and put her on an operating table. I made a call to my friend Jen, an animal guru, who rushed over to help me make some decisions about what to do next. Piper was happy to see her.
The Vet started giving Piper fluids, pain meds and a steroid. At this point she was unresponsive, her eyes were open but she was in a daze. She was in a lot of pain, confused and sad. At that point we all felt her pain. Within a few minutes she started showing some signs of life. X-rays showed no broken bones, but there was evidence of bruised lungs. They couldn't make out her bladder and they were sure that there was internal bleeding. She obviously had some head trauma, which they stated was a concussion with brain swelling. She had a big hole in her lip from a tooth puncture and a bad cut on her leg that you could see the bone. Her face, and body has road rash in multiple spots.
Within an hour we put her on the floor in the standing position. She held her own weight for a few seconds then collapsed. But to me that was amazing. Just the fact that she was able to hold her own weight, even for a moment gave me so much hope. Around that time, Shawn's wife Theo arrived. Her and Jen are both RN's and they are both animal lovers. They started talking in a language that was foreign to me. The decision was quickly made to bring her to the 24 hour ER in Syracuse.
Piper rode in the back seat of my car to the city. I kept a close eye on her the whole way. I still had thoughts that I might lose her but at least she got one more ride in the car, one of her favorite places to be. When we arrived at the ER they hurried her in behind closed doors to start the next process while I filled out paperwork.
They let me see her a little while later and then told me I had to go. I broke down in tears carressing her little head and telling her it would all be okay. Brings me to tears as I am typing this. The reality is, with the internal bleeding and the head trauma, there was a part of me that thought it was the last time I'd see her alive. I got a call around 10:30 pm. I was with a friend and we listened to the message, both of us holding our breath, stomachs churning with suspense, fearing the worst. They said Piper was showing signs of improvement! PHEW!!! We hugged, laughed and cried.
I went home and prayed that night. The first time I've prayed in a long long time. And I know my higher power heard me. The next morning she was doing a little better, but there was still blood loss and they had to do a transfusion. She was able to sit up and they said she even took a few steps. Due to the transfusion they said I couldn't go visit til that night.
So around 11pm I made my way to the ER. They put me in a room and told me they would bring her in. I was expecting them to carry her in or roll her in on a cart. The door opens up and Piper sees me and walks right in on her own, with a heavy limp. Again, I broke down in tears. At this moment my faith was restored. I got down on my knees, held my dog and cried. The doctor and nurses were all so happy to see this, for I'm sure they get a great sense of fufillment knowing they saved a life.
My friend Bill said they should videotape that moment and sell it to you on your way out like an amusement ride. That made me laugh. I know he was joking but in all seriousness, it was a moment that I can't even put into words. So much fear was lifted and was replaced with joy. At that moment I knew I had done the right thing by continuing treatment. They left us alone and we layed down on the floor together and both fell asleep. Some time later, I woke up and realized that it was very late and I should head home.
The next morning I called to check on her. Thay said they would be giving her meds and running some tests and they would call me back with an update. A few hours later I got the call, "She's ready to go home." WHAT?!?! I'm in shock. I was not expecting that to come out of her mouth. They told me that she was showing a lot of improvement. She started eating, was able to walk more, her blood loss had stopped and clotted, the brain swelling was down, they had stitched the cut on her arm, and they had seen her bladded on the x-ray's so they were confident that she didn't need any surgery. THANK GOD!!!
I picked her up Monday afternoon, less than 48 hours after the accident. My mom came right over to see her when I got home. Piper was extatic to see her gramma. she got up and limped to meet her in the kitchen wagging her tail uncontrolably. Another touching moment for me. A few minutes later my dad rolled in, followed by Shawn and my other friend Cory. The love and support in the room was truly special.
As I type this on Tuesday morning, Piper is laying her bed under my desk. She is not out of harms way yet though. She had internal bleeding and the wounds inside her have clotted but need to fully heal. There is still potential for surgery, and if she doesn't rest and something bad happens, she could even die still. She's on bedrest for the next two weeks with limited activity, only to go out to potty. Her lungs are bruised so she's having trouble breathing too. And with the trauma it caused some damage to her liver function, which has to be checked over the next couple weeks. I have to be by her side constantly to monitor her and make sure that she doesn't strain herself, which means I'm missing a lot of work.
This is where my Go Fund Me kicks in. Piper's medical bills have almost reached $4,000 already, and we still have more tests and followup visits to go. I'm hoping that it doesn't get above $4,500 total. Just that unexpected financial burden is a lot to bear, aside from the fact I'm losing quite a bit of income to stay home and not work because I am self employed I don't get paid time off. The go fund me website collects 8% to cover their operating costs, which is why I have the goal set at $5,000.
My friend Shawn is an artist and has generously agreed to donate profits from the sales of his artwork in the coming weeks to help offset the costs. He's calling it "Paintings for Piper". All his art is on display at his gallery and furniture store in Nelson, NY. He had his first sale this morning and the first donation for $300. We are also going to be auctioning a painting of his directly for the cause which we will have more information about soon. Links to find out more information about Shawn and the art are below.
ALL proceeds are going directly towards Piper's medical bills. If we somehow raise more than the bills, the remainder will be donated to Helping Hounds Dog Rescue, where Piper came from. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and please donate. Every dollar counts.
Sincerely,
Piper and Nick Borsellino
If you don't feel secure donating online please send donations directly to:
Nick Borsellino
48 Fenner St
Cazenovia, NY 13035
See Shawn's painting that will be up for auction on his facebook page or go to his retail location and art gallery to buy any of his artwork for "Paintings for Piper". All art proceeds going to the cause.
Shawn Gilmore's art on FB
See all of Shawn's art in person
Visit Helping Hounds dog rescue
Helping Hounds Dog Rescue
I started this go fund me page to raise money for medical bills for my dog Piper. She is the sweetest little hound dog. I rescued Piper from Helping Hounds in Syracuse, New York on March 11th 2015, just three short months ago. She has had a rough life and this week has been no exception. I don't have much of a back story on her other than being told she was in and out of rescues the first two years of her life until I found her and took her home.
Over the past two months she has won over the hearts of everyone in my life, mostly mine. I've seen so much improvement in her in the time that she's been with me. I have a very special bond with her that I see in many dog owners. Something I've always longed for and finally have found.
So here is the story with as much detail as I can think to include. Saturday morning Piper and I had a wonderful hike on some trails and had some good quality time. It was a sunny day and I was planning on going out for a motorcycle ride that afternoon. My best friend, Shawn, has told me on a number of occasions that he would love to watch Piper if I ever needed it. I thought I would take him up on the opportunity, he loves her company. Shawn is an artist with a Gallery in his furniture store. This is where I dropped off Piper. He likes the idea of having a "shop dog" and so do I. He has been longing for a dog companion just as I longed for Piper.
Well, soon after I left, tragedy struck. Shawn let Piper out the back door and she made a dash for the road, over a football field length away. He tried to stop her but she was on a mission, to find me. You see, Piper suffers from separation anxiety. An issue that has dramatically improved in the last three months and I believe is due to her unknown past.
Piper ran out into the road, Route 20 in Nelson, NY. It's a 55 mph zone that changes to 45 near the front of the store. She was hit by a car, a 16 year old girl driving with her dad in the passenger seat. The father saw what was about to happen but the girl didn't have much time to react. From what Shawn witnessed, the girl swirved at the last minute, which turned out to be a good thing. Piper got a direct hit to her head with the tire. Shawn, immediately without concern for his own well being, ran out in the four lane road to grab her. He ran back inside and immediately called me. It wasn't until I asked if he even looked for traffic first that he realized that he acted out of concern for Piper above himself. This showed me something about his true character. The fact that without thinking twice, my friend put his life on the line to save my dog, was amazing to me.
Luckily, I heard the phone ring. "Piper got hit". I raced back to get her. When I arrived, he had placed her inside the front door. The look on his face told me one thing, she was dead. She lay there on the ground, motionless, with blood and the contents of her bowels on the floor. My heart sunk. I picked her up in my arms and she was totally limp. We rushed to the animal hospital up the road that luckily was still open on a Saturday. I ran into the back with her and put her on an operating table. I made a call to my friend Jen, an animal guru, who rushed over to help me make some decisions about what to do next. Piper was happy to see her.
The Vet started giving Piper fluids, pain meds and a steroid. At this point she was unresponsive, her eyes were open but she was in a daze. She was in a lot of pain, confused and sad. At that point we all felt her pain. Within a few minutes she started showing some signs of life. X-rays showed no broken bones, but there was evidence of bruised lungs. They couldn't make out her bladder and they were sure that there was internal bleeding. She obviously had some head trauma, which they stated was a concussion with brain swelling. She had a big hole in her lip from a tooth puncture and a bad cut on her leg that you could see the bone. Her face, and body has road rash in multiple spots.
Within an hour we put her on the floor in the standing position. She held her own weight for a few seconds then collapsed. But to me that was amazing. Just the fact that she was able to hold her own weight, even for a moment gave me so much hope. Around that time, Shawn's wife Theo arrived. Her and Jen are both RN's and they are both animal lovers. They started talking in a language that was foreign to me. The decision was quickly made to bring her to the 24 hour ER in Syracuse.
Piper rode in the back seat of my car to the city. I kept a close eye on her the whole way. I still had thoughts that I might lose her but at least she got one more ride in the car, one of her favorite places to be. When we arrived at the ER they hurried her in behind closed doors to start the next process while I filled out paperwork.
They let me see her a little while later and then told me I had to go. I broke down in tears carressing her little head and telling her it would all be okay. Brings me to tears as I am typing this. The reality is, with the internal bleeding and the head trauma, there was a part of me that thought it was the last time I'd see her alive. I got a call around 10:30 pm. I was with a friend and we listened to the message, both of us holding our breath, stomachs churning with suspense, fearing the worst. They said Piper was showing signs of improvement! PHEW!!! We hugged, laughed and cried.
I went home and prayed that night. The first time I've prayed in a long long time. And I know my higher power heard me. The next morning she was doing a little better, but there was still blood loss and they had to do a transfusion. She was able to sit up and they said she even took a few steps. Due to the transfusion they said I couldn't go visit til that night.
So around 11pm I made my way to the ER. They put me in a room and told me they would bring her in. I was expecting them to carry her in or roll her in on a cart. The door opens up and Piper sees me and walks right in on her own, with a heavy limp. Again, I broke down in tears. At this moment my faith was restored. I got down on my knees, held my dog and cried. The doctor and nurses were all so happy to see this, for I'm sure they get a great sense of fufillment knowing they saved a life.
My friend Bill said they should videotape that moment and sell it to you on your way out like an amusement ride. That made me laugh. I know he was joking but in all seriousness, it was a moment that I can't even put into words. So much fear was lifted and was replaced with joy. At that moment I knew I had done the right thing by continuing treatment. They left us alone and we layed down on the floor together and both fell asleep. Some time later, I woke up and realized that it was very late and I should head home.
The next morning I called to check on her. Thay said they would be giving her meds and running some tests and they would call me back with an update. A few hours later I got the call, "She's ready to go home." WHAT?!?! I'm in shock. I was not expecting that to come out of her mouth. They told me that she was showing a lot of improvement. She started eating, was able to walk more, her blood loss had stopped and clotted, the brain swelling was down, they had stitched the cut on her arm, and they had seen her bladded on the x-ray's so they were confident that she didn't need any surgery. THANK GOD!!!
I picked her up Monday afternoon, less than 48 hours after the accident. My mom came right over to see her when I got home. Piper was extatic to see her gramma. she got up and limped to meet her in the kitchen wagging her tail uncontrolably. Another touching moment for me. A few minutes later my dad rolled in, followed by Shawn and my other friend Cory. The love and support in the room was truly special.
As I type this on Tuesday morning, Piper is laying her bed under my desk. She is not out of harms way yet though. She had internal bleeding and the wounds inside her have clotted but need to fully heal. There is still potential for surgery, and if she doesn't rest and something bad happens, she could even die still. She's on bedrest for the next two weeks with limited activity, only to go out to potty. Her lungs are bruised so she's having trouble breathing too. And with the trauma it caused some damage to her liver function, which has to be checked over the next couple weeks. I have to be by her side constantly to monitor her and make sure that she doesn't strain herself, which means I'm missing a lot of work.
This is where my Go Fund Me kicks in. Piper's medical bills have almost reached $4,000 already, and we still have more tests and followup visits to go. I'm hoping that it doesn't get above $4,500 total. Just that unexpected financial burden is a lot to bear, aside from the fact I'm losing quite a bit of income to stay home and not work because I am self employed I don't get paid time off. The go fund me website collects 8% to cover their operating costs, which is why I have the goal set at $5,000.
My friend Shawn is an artist and has generously agreed to donate profits from the sales of his artwork in the coming weeks to help offset the costs. He's calling it "Paintings for Piper". All his art is on display at his gallery and furniture store in Nelson, NY. He had his first sale this morning and the first donation for $300. We are also going to be auctioning a painting of his directly for the cause which we will have more information about soon. Links to find out more information about Shawn and the art are below.
ALL proceeds are going directly towards Piper's medical bills. If we somehow raise more than the bills, the remainder will be donated to Helping Hounds Dog Rescue, where Piper came from. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and please donate. Every dollar counts.
Sincerely,
Piper and Nick Borsellino
If you don't feel secure donating online please send donations directly to:
Nick Borsellino
48 Fenner St
Cazenovia, NY 13035
See Shawn's painting that will be up for auction on his facebook page or go to his retail location and art gallery to buy any of his artwork for "Paintings for Piper". All art proceeds going to the cause.
Shawn Gilmore's art on FB
See all of Shawn's art in person
Visit Helping Hounds dog rescue
Helping Hounds Dog Rescue
Organizer
Nicholas Borsellino
Organizer
Cazenovia, NY