I have loved so many dogs and cats in my lifetime (and a hamster, Rick, too). My family has raised 3 dogs, Lucky, Otis, and Boudreaux. I have been in serious relationships with partners who have had dogs/cats that became close, dearly loved friends of mine, Tuesday, Freddie, and Madhu. Many of my best friends have entrusted me with caring for their pets for periods of time. Doc-Doc, Seamus, Simon, Ally, Penny, Janet, Ranger, and Smokey to name a few. But Zelda is without a doubt my FAVORITE person that I have ever met in my entire life. She is my soul mate. She understands every single word I say and believes that I understand every word that she does and doesn’t say (I can’t swear that I do). 

 

My best friend in elementary school had a corgi dog named Cody that loved to play soccer and run around in the backyard with us growing up, always had a smile on his face, and was just a sweet and endearing pup. And then as a teenager, I discovered this Japanese cartoon called Cowboy Bebop about space travel and existentialism, that featured an adorable corgi, Ein, as one of the core crewmates. Between those 2 experiences, corgis became a fascination of mine.

 

And so in the summer of 2021, I found myself in a long-term relationship with a partner whom I would send corgi gifs as text responses to in pretty much every situation.  And one day I come home from a weekend out-of-town trip and my partner says, “we need to talk”. They walked me to the bedroom and out from a pile of clean laundry pops this little pup’s head.  Apparently Zelda had been adopted from a corgi breeder by someone and then it had not worked out with the owner for whatever reason and subsequently listed on facebook for free.  My partner made a snap decision to adopt her and surprised me with little Zelda.  Needless to say, I was beyond shocked, and definitely not prepared for what had just happened to me. But when I tell you that it was love at first sight…. I have never doubted from that first moment that I would care for this dog with every single fiber of my being. 

 

Since I have met this wonderful little puppy, she has been the light of my life.  I have dedicated my entire existence to making sure that every day is the best day we can have. She has been so happy and healthy, and it was smooth sailing until a few months ago.  She loves going on adventures, daily walks, chasing her glow-in-the dark ball and NOT bringing it back to me, rather wanting me to chase her to get it back. She loves hanging out by pools, but is not a fan of swimming.  She prefers to chase the ball on land and snooze in the grass. She also LOVES the snow.  We don’t see much snow here in Texas, but the few times we have gotten snow storms, it has been so much fun to watch how excited she gets running around in the snow.  I pretty much have to force her to come back inside and warm up. 

 

Anyways, in April of 2023, my partner and I had to go through a very difficult break-up, and they reluctantly agreed to let me take Zelda. Not 2 weeks later, I was laid off from my job of 10+ years that I deeply loved, I and have struggled to find steady work ever since. I liquidated my retirement account and sold basically everything of value that I owned to buy myself time to find another stream of income. Being largely out of work over the last 3 years, I have been able to spend nearly every hour of every day with Zelda by my side and it has been the most rewarding experience imaginable. She makes me smile and laugh constantly, and she fills my heart with joy in a way that I don’t think I’ll ever properly be able to put into words.  She is the sweetest, most empathetic pup.  I can hardly sigh audibly without her immediately putting her face right into mine to try and cheer me up. 

 

In late December of 2025, I noticed a weird patch of flaky skin on her side, and noticed a small part of her nose had turned pink.  Zelda had her annual check-up in January and the vet did not seem concerned. We put her on an antibiotic for a skin infection and after a month, I noticed that the patch of flaky skin had not healed, and if anything had seemed to spread. So we did another skin cell sample, and then at my vet’s request, did a biopsy. Zelda had not and to this day still has not shown any behavioral signs of having anything wrong with her, other than seeming much itchier than normal over the last couple months.  So never in my wildest imagination did I expect for Dr. Falagrady to call me a week later and have to inform me that Zelda had a rare cancer called cutaneous lymphoma. The horror that flooded my body during this phone call is something I would never wish upon anyone. 

 

But Dr. Falagrady recommended me to an oncologist, Dr. Donnelly at VCA Dallas Animal Specialty Hospital, and we scheduled an appointment for later that week. The three days between that phone call and our first appointment were some of the darkest I’ve had to endure.  I’ve never cried so much in my life. I had to go sit in the bathroom or out in the backyard every time to cry so as not to upset or concern Zelda. I couldn’t sleep or eat to save my life. But since our appointment with VCA I have felt like we are in such good hands, and I have no doubt that Zelda is getting the best care possible by a wonderful team. 

 

I trust Dr. Donnelly and the team to put Zelda’s best interests first and foremost.  And while I now live in constant fear over what my baby is dealing with, I feel reassured to know we have experts caring for her.  I told Dr. Donnelly during our first consultation that, while my current financial situation is very bleak, I would do everything in my power to find the funds to pay for whatever treatment is recommended. That was when she told me about Dog’s Life. My brother Matt offered to help me with the initial application and has been such an incredible source of emotional support over the last few months and I can’t thank him enough for assisting me to get the application filed. 

 

And I am so immeasurably grateful that Dog’s Life has graciously offered to help with Zelda’s cancer treatment moving forward. It is such a powerful and immense feeling of gratitude to know that Zelda and I are not alone.  From my friends and family, to the teams at Animal Medical Center of Richardson, VCA Dallas Animal Specialty Hospital, and Dog’s Life, I am so thankful for you all. And I can promise you that Zelda and I are going to fight like hell, while savoring every single moment that we get to share together.