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Rowdy

Rowdy means the world to me. I am his person and his is mine. I am the only person he trusts to pick him up or carry him if needed. He knows I would never do anything to intentionally hurt him. If I accidentally step on his paw or do something to make him yelp, I feel terrible and give him tons of loves. I’m a bit ridiculous when it comes to my dogs, now that my child is an adult. These boys are my babies.


When I fostered Rowdy he was heartworm positive and had a terrible time when it came to the overnight stay at the vet. The vet finally said, you have to come get him before things go backward. As soon as I got him home, he was a different dog.


Rowdy and I have been through a lot this past year. In December 2021, his basset big brother, Harvey, was diagnosed with anal gland cancer. He passed away in Feb 2022. In August, Rowdy was diagnosed with cancer. I will never understand why lightening must hit our house twice. Losing Harvey was devastating to me, but I am able to work through my grief. However, watching Rowdy grieve was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. In April, I decided Rowdy needed a companion. I got him a little brother basset named Roscoe. He acts like his little brother annoys him but, when I watch them play together, Rowdy is so happy, and that makes me so happy.

I couldn’t bear to lose another dog. While cancer treatments are expensive, I had to do everything possible to give Rowdy the best quality of life. Thankfully, his cancer hadn’t spread, and the chemo is precautionary. It is very hard for me to watch him go through it. I do a countdown to each time I drop him off, “3 more to go, 2 more to go. Buddy, we only have one more left and then you can be the crazy guy I know you are…”. His last treatment is December 9th. I know there will be costly follow-ups, but it will be worth it to have peace of mind that there is no cancer.


I had heard about Dogslife when I was going through Harvey’s situation. I was so overwhelmed, and everything happened so fast, I never got to apply for assistance. The grant means so much to Rowdy and me. Once his insurance payout was depleted, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I thought I could handle it but, then he was hospitalized after his first treatment. He was hospitalized for extreme nausea and vomiting and spent three nights at the oncology ER. Needless to say, this grant helps lessen the amount I need to pay out of pocket for his previous treatments, which is a huge help, and I am very grateful. Now I can concentrate on Rowdy and making him whole again. Thank you will never be enough.

- Holly K. (November 2022)

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