Hope and Help for Shelby
Donation protected
Dear Friends,
It’s been very difficult to write this request because Shelby and I are usually on the “giving” side of helping, and my heart is burdened by seeing all the need out there; but, I have no choice because the past five weeks have been beyond what I could bear alone. I love Shelby so much, and I want to do whatever I can to help her be happy and healthy again. I pray that the prayers and generosity of others will allow that to happen.

Shelby’s Diagnosis and Treatment Plan…
Shelby is my sweet, sensitive yellow lab/golden retriever cross, who was diagnosed with advanced staged nasal cancer five weeks ago. We were referred to the University of Florida Small Animal Hospital, which has an excellent Oncology Dept and state of the art equipment. Although advanced, Shelby has a good chance for full remission.
A four-week program of Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) was begun on Shelby immediately to save her life. We stayed in a nearby extended-stay hotel for four weeks, so that I could bring Shelby for her treatments every day and be close their ER on the weekends, in case of emergency, since we live more than 100 miles away from the hospital. Because animals are put under anesthesia to keep them perfectly still during treatments, the preparation, treatment, and recovery can take up to four hours each day.



Shelby’s Story and Impact on Others in Need…
Service Dog Training - Shelby was placed in my care when she was 8 weeks old because I’m a volunteer puppyraiser for a national nonprofit organization that breeds, raises, trains, and provides Assistance Dogs free of charge to people with disabilities (excluding blindness, which involves a different type of training).

Shelby has always been an energetic, happy puppy, with a beautiful spirit, an engaging personality, and big brown eyes that could melt your heart in an instant. She’s extremely intelligent and exceptionally intuitive – more than any other dog I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. I raised, trained, and socialized Shelby for 1 ½ years, and we developed a uniquely strong bond. We were two peas in a pod. At age 1 ½, I had to let go of Shelby, so she could matriculate into Advanced Training and learn how to be a life partner for someone with a disability.

Shelby excelled in Advanced Training and happily learned all of her new tasks quickly and easily, making her fully-trained as a Service Dog; however, at her time of placement, there wasn’t an individual in our candidate pool whose need was a suitable match for a higher-energy-level companion (she loves people and is so eager to please), so Shelby was released from the program and I had the pleasure of adopting her and bringing her home to be my lifelong companion. (Honestly, with the way Shelby has impacted my life and others, I think that was all part of God’s plan.)

AKC Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) Certification - Although not matched as a Service Dog at placement time, Shelby clearly had a calling because of her warm, engaging personality; her boundless love; and her way of making you feel like you’re the only person in the room when she approaches you. The next phase of our journey together started with AKC Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) testing. Actually, Shelby was so well-trained already that she skipped the training program and went straight to the final testing, which she passed with flying colors and received her AKC CGC Certification.
Registered Therapy Dog - The next step was testing to become a Registered Therapy Dog. Once again, Shelby passed with flying colors. Since another commitment of my volunteer work includes being on the leadership team of a nonprofit organization that supports Veterans in our local community and Central Florida, Shelby and I began providing volunteer Pet Therapy at the Orlando VA Medical Center – both in the Nursing Home (long-term care) and in the Domiciliary ("the Dom"; residential program for Veterans dealing with life challenges such as homelessness, addictions, and PTSD). Our Veterans at the VA love Shelby and look forward to her visits.
Shelby eagerly participated in all of our morale events with our Veterans at the Dom and, donned in her reindeer antlers, she helped to deliver Christmas gifts and puppy kisses to disabled Veterans and elderly recipients at their homes who participated in our "Angel Tree Gift Giving" project.

Coming Full Circle - Over the past few years, my own medical issues have increased (two spinal surgeries, and four other surgeries within an 18-month timeframe), as well as a complexity of other health issues having manifested. Since I’m alone (family is out of state), and was unsure what the future held, I met with the placement coordinator at the nonprofit for Assistance Dogs, where I volunteer, to discuss my physical condition. Since Shelby and I are already together, and she is already fully-trained as a Service Dog, I was given their blessing to allow Shelby to help me with my needs.

Our Financial Needs…
First and foremost – funds to cover Shelby’s medical expenses (meds, treatments, and follow-up). Currently, these costs exceed $12,000, which I had to pay upfront on my CareCredit card, otherwise Shelby wouldn’t have received treatment. Monthly minimum payments are due, and the balance needs to be paid off within six months, otherwise the finance charges are incredibly high (26% interest rate).
Secondly, funds to cover travel and lodging (four weeks). I don’t have all the receipts yet, but will post them after the end of our stay. Current expenses are $2,573.55 (hotel, fuel, tolls).
Future… Estimated expenses $2,000. We have to make three more trips to UF Small Animal Hospital for follow-up evaluations and CT scan within the next three months, then another trip about two or three months later for another evaluation and CT scan to monitor Shelby’s progress. All will require lodging, as well, due to the length of time needed at the hospital for evaluation and testing, anesthesia for the scans, and travel distance.
My Limitations…
I’m single and self-supporting (working full-time from home on a medical restriction), with partial disability (compromised mobility and other medical issues). The past five weeks have been a fusillade of unfortunate events that have pummeled me. Two days after Shelby was diagnosed, my refrigerator stopped working (irreparably) and had to be replaced; my garage door opener stopped working (it’s not the batteries in the transmitter) and has to be replaced; my Air Conditioning unit (which is also my Heat Pump) stopped working; and, while driving up to Gainesville to UF, the transmission on my 19-year-old car started slipping (not sure if this can be fixed or if I’ll lose my car; it’s still in the shop). I am not asking for help with my needs, just sharing the bigger picture. I’ll find a way. Shelby’s care and well-being are my priority.
You can’t put a price on the life of someone you love. Everything else is material.

Our Sincerest Gratitude…
While we welcome and appreciate all prayers and donations, please don’t contribute if you can’t afford to do so. The fact that you’re even on this page shows where your heart is; and what’s in your heart matters. Prayers and support are the drivers, funds are the vehicle.
It all makes a difference.
To all our fellow prayer warriors out there, please unite in prayer for complete healing for Shelby and no recurrence. Remission is only part of it. The damage (that the tumor growth has caused) needs miraculous repair.
I love Shelby more than words can adequately express. The bond we’ve shared for the past 12 ½ years has been life-saving for me, to say the least; and the joy and love she’s brought to me and to others has been immeasurable. It’s been a very rough road, with many obstacles and challenges, but having Shelby by my side with her beautiful spirit and boundless love greeting me every day, motivates me to push through it all.
My faith is steadfast and genuine, but in the earthly realm, Shelby is the light in my life. It’s only been Shelby and me for more than a decade. She’s my other half. She makes my house a home. She makes “us” a family. More than anything else, I want her to be well and happy again – not in pain, disoriented, or struggling to breathe – for however long God continues to bless me with her.

Shelby and I graciously appreciate whatever anyone can do to help us get through this difficult and challenging time, so that Shelby can breathe freely, regain her strength, and be the happy, healthy puppy and blessing to everyone that she’s always been.

Please help us spread the word by sharing the link to Shelby’s story. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts…
Blessings,
Dee and Shelby
It’s been very difficult to write this request because Shelby and I are usually on the “giving” side of helping, and my heart is burdened by seeing all the need out there; but, I have no choice because the past five weeks have been beyond what I could bear alone. I love Shelby so much, and I want to do whatever I can to help her be happy and healthy again. I pray that the prayers and generosity of others will allow that to happen.
Shelby’s Diagnosis and Treatment Plan…
Shelby is my sweet, sensitive yellow lab/golden retriever cross, who was diagnosed with advanced staged nasal cancer five weeks ago. We were referred to the University of Florida Small Animal Hospital, which has an excellent Oncology Dept and state of the art equipment. Although advanced, Shelby has a good chance for full remission.
A four-week program of Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) was begun on Shelby immediately to save her life. We stayed in a nearby extended-stay hotel for four weeks, so that I could bring Shelby for her treatments every day and be close their ER on the weekends, in case of emergency, since we live more than 100 miles away from the hospital. Because animals are put under anesthesia to keep them perfectly still during treatments, the preparation, treatment, and recovery can take up to four hours each day.
Shelby’s Story and Impact on Others in Need…
Service Dog Training - Shelby was placed in my care when she was 8 weeks old because I’m a volunteer puppyraiser for a national nonprofit organization that breeds, raises, trains, and provides Assistance Dogs free of charge to people with disabilities (excluding blindness, which involves a different type of training).
Shelby has always been an energetic, happy puppy, with a beautiful spirit, an engaging personality, and big brown eyes that could melt your heart in an instant. She’s extremely intelligent and exceptionally intuitive – more than any other dog I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. I raised, trained, and socialized Shelby for 1 ½ years, and we developed a uniquely strong bond. We were two peas in a pod. At age 1 ½, I had to let go of Shelby, so she could matriculate into Advanced Training and learn how to be a life partner for someone with a disability.
Shelby excelled in Advanced Training and happily learned all of her new tasks quickly and easily, making her fully-trained as a Service Dog; however, at her time of placement, there wasn’t an individual in our candidate pool whose need was a suitable match for a higher-energy-level companion (she loves people and is so eager to please), so Shelby was released from the program and I had the pleasure of adopting her and bringing her home to be my lifelong companion. (Honestly, with the way Shelby has impacted my life and others, I think that was all part of God’s plan.)
AKC Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) Certification - Although not matched as a Service Dog at placement time, Shelby clearly had a calling because of her warm, engaging personality; her boundless love; and her way of making you feel like you’re the only person in the room when she approaches you. The next phase of our journey together started with AKC Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) testing. Actually, Shelby was so well-trained already that she skipped the training program and went straight to the final testing, which she passed with flying colors and received her AKC CGC Certification.
Registered Therapy Dog - The next step was testing to become a Registered Therapy Dog. Once again, Shelby passed with flying colors. Since another commitment of my volunteer work includes being on the leadership team of a nonprofit organization that supports Veterans in our local community and Central Florida, Shelby and I began providing volunteer Pet Therapy at the Orlando VA Medical Center – both in the Nursing Home (long-term care) and in the Domiciliary ("the Dom"; residential program for Veterans dealing with life challenges such as homelessness, addictions, and PTSD). Our Veterans at the VA love Shelby and look forward to her visits.
Shelby eagerly participated in all of our morale events with our Veterans at the Dom and, donned in her reindeer antlers, she helped to deliver Christmas gifts and puppy kisses to disabled Veterans and elderly recipients at their homes who participated in our "Angel Tree Gift Giving" project.
Coming Full Circle - Over the past few years, my own medical issues have increased (two spinal surgeries, and four other surgeries within an 18-month timeframe), as well as a complexity of other health issues having manifested. Since I’m alone (family is out of state), and was unsure what the future held, I met with the placement coordinator at the nonprofit for Assistance Dogs, where I volunteer, to discuss my physical condition. Since Shelby and I are already together, and she is already fully-trained as a Service Dog, I was given their blessing to allow Shelby to help me with my needs.
Our Financial Needs…
First and foremost – funds to cover Shelby’s medical expenses (meds, treatments, and follow-up). Currently, these costs exceed $12,000, which I had to pay upfront on my CareCredit card, otherwise Shelby wouldn’t have received treatment. Monthly minimum payments are due, and the balance needs to be paid off within six months, otherwise the finance charges are incredibly high (26% interest rate).
Secondly, funds to cover travel and lodging (four weeks). I don’t have all the receipts yet, but will post them after the end of our stay. Current expenses are $2,573.55 (hotel, fuel, tolls).
Future… Estimated expenses $2,000. We have to make three more trips to UF Small Animal Hospital for follow-up evaluations and CT scan within the next three months, then another trip about two or three months later for another evaluation and CT scan to monitor Shelby’s progress. All will require lodging, as well, due to the length of time needed at the hospital for evaluation and testing, anesthesia for the scans, and travel distance.
My Limitations…
I’m single and self-supporting (working full-time from home on a medical restriction), with partial disability (compromised mobility and other medical issues). The past five weeks have been a fusillade of unfortunate events that have pummeled me. Two days after Shelby was diagnosed, my refrigerator stopped working (irreparably) and had to be replaced; my garage door opener stopped working (it’s not the batteries in the transmitter) and has to be replaced; my Air Conditioning unit (which is also my Heat Pump) stopped working; and, while driving up to Gainesville to UF, the transmission on my 19-year-old car started slipping (not sure if this can be fixed or if I’ll lose my car; it’s still in the shop). I am not asking for help with my needs, just sharing the bigger picture. I’ll find a way. Shelby’s care and well-being are my priority.
You can’t put a price on the life of someone you love. Everything else is material.
Our Sincerest Gratitude…
While we welcome and appreciate all prayers and donations, please don’t contribute if you can’t afford to do so. The fact that you’re even on this page shows where your heart is; and what’s in your heart matters. Prayers and support are the drivers, funds are the vehicle.
It all makes a difference.
To all our fellow prayer warriors out there, please unite in prayer for complete healing for Shelby and no recurrence. Remission is only part of it. The damage (that the tumor growth has caused) needs miraculous repair.
I love Shelby more than words can adequately express. The bond we’ve shared for the past 12 ½ years has been life-saving for me, to say the least; and the joy and love she’s brought to me and to others has been immeasurable. It’s been a very rough road, with many obstacles and challenges, but having Shelby by my side with her beautiful spirit and boundless love greeting me every day, motivates me to push through it all.
My faith is steadfast and genuine, but in the earthly realm, Shelby is the light in my life. It’s only been Shelby and me for more than a decade. She’s my other half. She makes my house a home. She makes “us” a family. More than anything else, I want her to be well and happy again – not in pain, disoriented, or struggling to breathe – for however long God continues to bless me with her.
Shelby and I graciously appreciate whatever anyone can do to help us get through this difficult and challenging time, so that Shelby can breathe freely, regain her strength, and be the happy, healthy puppy and blessing to everyone that she’s always been.
Please help us spread the word by sharing the link to Shelby’s story. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts…
Blessings,
Dee and Shelby
Organizer
Dee Romano
Organizer
Orlando, FL