Chucha - the notorious Indian princess, beloved in all of the lands - Needs your support!

After a mysterious bump appeared on her front arm, she was taken to the vet with the hopes that it would only be a cyst, or some extra fat… But, very unfortunately, the biopsy results showed cancer cells and the bump to be malignant. As a first step, Chucha had surgery on December 19th to remove the lump and send it into the laboratory for further testing…

In the best case scenario, since the tumor is removed, we won't have any more worries! She can go on being her sassy, goofy, loving self for many years… Continuing to shine her light on all of those around her, howling in the night, and chasing rabbits. (To keep them fit, obviously.)

I won't go into the worst case scenario because that is simply not an option for us, to the best of my ability and the most of her patience. But needless to say, there could be many more upcoming vet appointments, specialists, medications, treatments or surgeries… 

Through this month of…

• Appointment for the first biopsy
• Separate payment for processing the biopsy
• Separate payment for processing bloodwork
• Two additional appointments with different oncology specialists for more information and comparing different routes of treatment
• Another appointment for X-Rays to confirm the cancer was not in her bone
• Another appointment for more bloodwork
• Separate payment for processing bloodwork the second time
• Weekly physiotherapy appointments to care for her arthritis in her shoulders without having to resort to potentially harmful medications
• Having to buy extra bandages, a sleeve for her leg to cover the wound during the day, a silicone boot to cover her leg in the case of rain or snow, a donut to wear around her neck to prevent her from licking the wound, a cone of shame (because Chucha is very skilled in yoga and can bend in funny ways to get to her leg, even while wearing the donut neck brace,) medicine for her to be calm afterwards and not run around while in recovery, a longer jacket to cover the top of the silicone boot so that rain does not enter from the top, the rental car to and from the vet to avoid stressing her out more after being poked by so many needles, then again for after the surgery because she could not walk, soft food to have after anesthesia, and of course some treats to make her recovery time less sufferable!
• The actual surgery
• The aftercare appointment the following day
• The upcoming appointment we have in two weeks to remove the staples

… We have gone through all of our savings, emptied any last bit of my bank account, used every cent of her insurance policy, and still have had to borrow money from friends and family. In some magical utopian world, we would *somehow* be able to replenish some of our emergency fund. We wouldn't need to find more credit (or get approved…?!?!) to pay back with exuberant interest rates. We would be able to pay the last laboratory fees which we are still waiting to arrive by post, payback the borrowed money… And be able to pay for her next appointment to have the staples removed! Lastly, maybe I can eat more than rice and beans for the next months. That would be nice too.

I don't know what to expect after we receive the results from the pathologist. But, I do know that we don't have any money to pay for what might come next. (Only a lot of love and hope!) Going into the new year, my only wish is that Chucha will be cancer-free and all of this stress can soon be a distant memory. She has been by my side for the last 9.75 years and I can't imagine life without her (though I know that will come at some point - But not now.) This dog came from being left for dead, tied to a tree on the side of a road in India… To traveling the world and making every person smile who comes in contact with her - Children, especially. She may be a whole decade old, but I'm frequently asked if she is still a puppy because of how much energy and sass she has in her. Chucha's vibrancy and lust for life has not wavered; her spirit is truly unbreakable and with a little extra spice than any other dog I have come across. No matter how much of a financial hole we may be in now, I wouldn't change it for the world. The most important duty I have in life right now is making sure this doggy gets the care, love and treatment she needs. It is the least I can do to thank her, for her years of being the brightest part of my life. 

I know it is the holiday season, and especially in this economy, everybody is having a difficult time financially. I get it. I was also struggling before this last month and thought, “Oh, it's fine. I will just need to use some of the savings.” Then suddenly, Chucha's cancer diagnosis and treatment became priority number one and all of those savings evaporated. I'm sure you, too, have had emergencies come up in the past and can empathize with this feeling of not having any other options. If you could be generous enough to please, please help us come out of this debt even a little bit - It would be so incredibly appreciated. Even a few dollars, or euros, or zloty could really help Chucha get the care she will need in the next months and slowly start to repay the financial damage from this last month.

If you need a reminder of how adorable she is, here is one of Chucha's first puppy photos from when she was given to me:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/45rBApbhowQFUUzd9