Zelda
Zelda has been in my life for 9 years now, and she was my first dog that I got and cared for with my own money. I got her when she was a puppy and have seen her grow and change throughout the years; I feel incredibly lucky to know her. She is an extremely smart, sensitive and kind doggy who loves her humans and other animals.
I have been taking her to the vet for routine check-ups and vaccines twice a year since she was a puppy. This past time, I was alerted by her vet that she had an abnormal cyst on her anal gland and I chose to get it tested. The results came back that she had a tumor and she was diagnosed with perianal gland adenoma; my heart sank and my mind raced through all of the possibilities. I tried to keep my hopes up, after doing research into the cancer and finding that, after treatment, she had a high chance of surviving. The real heartbreak was when I sat down at VSNT and was given
the cost of treatment; I knew that there was no way I was going to be able to afford something like that. Knowing that she could be saved, but that I couldn’t provide that to her was a hard realization to come to.
As I broke down in the vet’s office, Dr. LaRue offered up Dogslife as a possible solution to this problem. She
explained that this charity was made specifically for instances like this and my hope came back. I told all of my family members, colleagues and friends to please pray that we would receive this grant to help save Zelda’s life, because without it she certainly would have died from this cancer.
Throughout the weeks waiting for the call back, I spent as much time as I could with her. She spent lots of time at the park, had many many walks and tons of treats were given. I just wanted to show her as much love as I could, not knowing if our time together was rapidly running out. The day I got the call, I was so nervous I thought I might get sick, when she asked how I was doing, I told her honestly that I was really quite nervous to hear the results; she said, “Don’t be nervous, I’m calling to give you good news.” At hearing those words, tears of joy and relief came into my eyes. I am so incredibly thankful that this charity is able to help ensure that she gets the treatment she needs to rid this cancer from her, so she may live her full life and stay in my life and the lives of those around me. I can’t even put into words how grateful I am; this charity has saved Zelda’s life, and without it, I know that she wouldn’t have been long for this world. My heart goes out to anyone who chooses to donate to this organization, know that your money is being spent on something that is invaluable, a dog’s life.
Hope Larson (November 2023)