Vet Bills After the Passing of Jaxx

Hi, my name is Kelsy and I am fundraising on behalf of my dear friend Danielle Herren.

Danielle is the definition of the perfect dog mom. Her dogs are her children and she will do absolutely anything for them. Every time I talk to Dani, she is in the car with her dogs, off to their next adventure. Whether it was a quick trip to Trader Joes, a visit to her grandma, or a long walk along the beach, Dani had her two dogs with her: Henny and Jaxx.

Jaxx was her special little baby, as she called him. He had a lot of anxiety, triggers, and some health conditions that made him a little more high maintenance than his brother. That never bothered Dani. She did everything she could to make him comfortable. She bought him a stroller for their walks, a backpack to carry him for hikes, comfortable beds and blankets for her car and in every room in her apartment for him to lay in, and she gave him his medicine and supplements routinely. He was the most loved dog and she cared about his wellbeing more than her own. She would sacrifice trips, experiences, or adventures of her own so that she didn't have to worry about finding someone to attempt to take care of Jaxx and his brother the way she did. No one could give love to them the way she could!

The economy, living in California, planning for the holidays, preparing to be in a wedding, and just the every day stresses of life are enough of a financial burden for the average person. Adding vet bills on top of that have created an insurmountable amount of weight on Dani's shoulders as she navigates this new part of life without her precious Jaxx. Grieving such a huge loss and also trying to figure out how to pay for the thousands of dollars that she had to charge to give Jaxx the best care is overwhelming, painful, and heart-wrenching.

Jaxx suffered from many ailments, with a heart condition being the biggest concern that eventually led to his passing. Jaxx had a consistent cough, troubles breathing after long walks or getting too excited, and had received medical treatment consistently over the past couple of years. On Wednesday, November 8th, Dani took Jaxx into the vet for an annual follow up that would consist of several x-rays in order to check how his heart condition was doing and look for further steps on how to treat it with medication. Because of Jaxx's extreme anxiety, the medical team at the vet's office had to sedate him in order to get the x-rays completed. He was there most of the day and when Dani picked him up, she received confirmation of what the x-rays showed for his heart condition and information on the medication they were suggesting she put him on. Everything seemed okay and not out of the ordinary in comparison to previous visits. However, on Friday, November 10th, Jaxx was having a bad reaction to the lasting affects of the medication used to sedate him a couple of days prior. Dani and her boyfriend rushed Jaxx to the emergency vet and eventually, Jaxx passed away in Dani's arms.

The amount of pain, grief, heartache, and loss my friend is feeling is one most of us have experienced at least once in our lifetime. Pets are our family. They are part of our every day routines, lives, and such a huge part of our hearts. She is heartbroken and just trying to take every day one day at a time as she adjusts to this new chapter.

Over the past year with both routine checkups, x-rays, sedation expenses, regular vet visits and now the emergency vet bill, Dani has been charged over $10,000. The healthcare system for pets is brutal and outrageous to start, but when your pet gets sick, the bills seem to multiply.

As I help my friend process her heartache, I wanted to do something that might help take the stress off of other areas in her life. It is hard to ask for help and not everyone will understand. However, if you are able to donate any money at all, even the smallest amount, it will make a difference. Thank you in advance for all of the support for Danielle, her boyfriend, Jaxx's brother Henny, and her family as they process and grieve this awful tragedy.