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This amazing black lab-mix dog, known as "SMOKEY", was rescued by my father about 3 years ago. He was only a tiny puppy living in harsh freezing conditions in the Colorado mountains. He was beaten for the first 6 months of his life, forced to remain outdoors 24/7 in negative temperatures, starved, & completely neglected until he was finally just abandoned to fend for himself . When my father saw the opportunity to save this little guys life, he jumped on it. My dad immediately got Smokey to the vet to have him assessed and vaccinated etc., as well as getting him on a proper diet to get him to a healthy weight as quick as possible. Fortunately, the vet told my dad that smokey would heal physically in time and with steady nutritional supplements,reach an ideal weight fairly quick. Although physically Smokey would heal, the vet feared that his emotional stability might take more time to recover. How sad is it that even though an amazing little puppy that was defenseless & beaten down-literally, forced to freeze and nearly starved to death..and yet that was not the hard part to recover from, but the lack of love & fear of never knowing what love is was a permanent possibility for this tough little loner. My dad knew it would not be easy, but insisted that every pet deserves love & kindness, & someone to be their voice, so Smokey's journey began! My dad brought him home and slowly introduced him to the other family pets. Dad wanted to be cautious as he was unsure how Smokey might receive, or possibly not receive them well at all. Things could not have gone better. Smokey immediately took to his new home and found close friends with the 2 other chocolate labs that lived there as well as 3 cats. Smokey fit right in in his new home and seemed like the happiest dog in the world. He loved all the other pets, and they just thought he was the greatest new baby brother! So naturally, Smokey grew increasingly close with my dad. Smokey was like his shadow. He knew my dad was the one that gave him a brand new life, and I don't think he ever wanted to be anywhere without my dad. So Smokey definitely enjoyed the part of being the baby..and my dad couldn't have had a better buddy. My father worked in construction as well as running a ranch. Smokey went to work everyday with my dad. He was like his little assistant. He always rode shotgun, and of course enjoyed all the perks,especially breakfast lunch & dinner! Smokey is so smart, he knew when it was time to herd cattle, he'd hop out of the truck and round them all up and guide them exactly where they needed to go..all from a simple tip of the hat from my dad. From spending so much time with my dad, Smokey was definitely attached,as well as my dad to say the least. The work truck they rode in had a very loud,specific sounding motor. When Smokey happened to not be with my dad, he'd just stare out the window of the house,waiting for his "partner in crime". Anytime a truck with a loud motor drove by, Smokey would think "he's home"...,only to be disappointed if it wasn't. About a year & a half ago, my father came downstairs to be greeted by his buddy & my mother, and getting ready for another day of work. My father looked at my mom as Smokey sit at his side,and said, "oh no sweetie". After that my father collaped to the ground and that was it.he dies almost instantly from an aneurysm in his heart. It was shocking because he was only 60..and never sick a day in his life. As sad and terrible this loss was to us, I think Smokey took it the hardest. For months after, he'd just wait by the door and get super excited anytime he heard what could have been my dad's truck,but sadly those days were over. After some time,smokey started to come around,getting better bit by bit. I noticed him suddenly becoming my shadow ..I think because my voice resembles my dads and it comforted him. One day while Smokey & I were laying on the couch watching t.v., I noticed a lump on his neck, so off to the vet we went. We discovered he had what is known as a Salivary Mucocele. It's basically a clogged salivary gland that was causing the lump on the under part of his neck,below his mouth. Surgery was an option, but we were about to be moving back to Florida,and the vet said it would be better to wait as the recovery is difficult and time consuming with cleaning the wound etc. he also said that sometimes they "clear up" on their own(I guess by unclogging naturally). So, we listened to the vet and decided to wait as we waved goodbye to Colorado. When we got back to Florida, we were very focused as a family on dealing with the loss of my dad. The lump on Smokey's throat had not changed size,so we were still waiting,hoping it would fix itself as the vet suggested it may do. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Over the last few weeks, the lump has enlarged at an alarming rate. It went from the size of a pea to bigger than a grapefruit in less than a month. We took him to our vet here in Florida, and he said that his a Salivary Mucocele is in an explosive state. It has grown so big so fast, it is obstructing his breathing and swallowing. It is obviously not fixing itself, and surgery is imperitive to keep him alive. I fear that losing him will be like losing another piece of my father. I wish it was much simpler,but it's life I suppose. I'd really just like to honor my father by giving his favorite little buddy yet another chance at a wonderful,healthy life. Apparently because of the severity of this explosive gland that typically does not progress as his has, the surgery needs to be done asap. I'm doing everything I can to make this happen because of how important it is to me, for my dad & for my mom since Smokey has been her reminder of how great my dad was. The surgery & recovery is estimated to cost around 1500$.I gave my mother what money I could today to put toward his surgery, with the money she has.Unfortunately I recently paid my homeowners insurance which left me with less money than normal. My mother is on a fixed income so this has all become frantic & urgent. Sadly, it's just not enough to get Smokey's surgery done now,which is upsetting. I've searched everywhere to find any vet that may "work" with my mother, perhaps takin the bit of money we have now, to at least get his surgery done so he can live,since time is so limited, but no luck. A friend suggested I try this as it's what she did and it saved her dogs life as well. So I figured there's nothing to lose, and I'm in a race against time so here we are. Any help is more than appreciated, even pennies add up! Also, prayers are always accepted! Thanks to everyone that took the time to read thisHopefully, we can help Smokey live!
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