A Shameless Plug

This cute little kitten wants you to donate money to Paws 4 A Cure

Is it fair to use a years-old, heartbreakingly adorable picture of Gus to promote something near and dear to my heart?  My cat, my picture, my rules.  Besides, Gus hates animal cancer just as much as I do, so he's totally on board with this post.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Paws 4 A Cure walk, founded by my good friend Keri, a fellow dog Mom.  Founded in honor of her son, Nikko, Paws 4 A Cure raises funds to provide treatment for pet parents who cannot afford treatments on their own. 

Anyone who has ever dealt with animal cancer knows it can be shockingly expensive.  Some cancers can be removed surgically or treated with drugs.  But other cancers, like lymphoma (which require months and months of multiple drugs) or osteosarcoma (bone cancer, which often requires surgery, radiation, and chemo) take months, or even years, to treat.  These costs add up.  And some families can't afford even the simplest of treatments.

Through nearly five years of battling cancer with Indiana, we've always been fortunate to be able to afford anything we wanted.  We've never had to make a decision based on finances.  But I've seen it happen.  Sitting in the lobby of the Purdue University Small Animal Clinic, waiting for Indiana to finish up some tests, I heard a conversation between two distraught parents and a vet.  Their dog was dying, currently in the ER, awaiting a much-needed surgery.  After a quick discussion with the vet, they left, only to return a short time later.  They had crunched some numbers and made some calls, and come to the realization that they couldn't afford the surgery for their dog.  They were both in tears, heartbroken over this.  The vet left to stop the surgery.  It was the saddest thing I have ever seen.  I don't know how it ended up, if the family found some way to help their dog, or, if in that moment of decision, their dog's life was ended.  I honestly couldn't bear to find out what happened.  I wanted desperately to help, but my own finances don't allow for taking on thousands of dollars of another pet's care. 

This happens more than we realize.  Loving, committed families forced to make awful choices because of money.  Wanting to save their pet, but having to decide between risky surgery or feeding their children.  No family should have to make that decision.  Paws 4 A Cure makes sure that they don't. 

If you are financially in a place to do so, I encourage you to visit the Paws 4 A Cure website and make a donation (no size is too small).  I'm already committed to the walk, and I'll be making a donation too.  The care we give Indiana should be available to everyone.  Please help Paws 4 A Cure make that a reality!