To whomever is reading,

My name is Gianna and my best friend is a 16 1/2 year old Shih-Tzu/Pekingese mix named Chloe. We’ve been joined at the hip since the day she was born in the extremely early hours of March 21, 2010. I even had to stimulate and bottle feed her (and her 6 siblings) every 3-4 hours for weeks because their mom tried to harm them all shortly after beginning to nurse them.

Chloe has been right by my side through my absolute worst days including multiple moves, several heartbreaks, and more emotional turmoil than I can count. My regulator, my support dog, my confidante, my partner in crime… she has never complained once. She’s been with me for my best days too – watching numerous sunsets, hiking up a few trails, kayaking, ice cream trips, stopping to breathe in the fresh air and take in the view. I’d take her with me anywhere I could. And I promised that in return to this devotion, as her chosen mom, I would do anything to care for her in the ways she needed to be cared for.

This includes an unexpected surgery to remove her spleen after a 6 cm mass was discovered to be attached to it and at risk of rupturing and bleeding internally. I didn’t think twice about maxing out my credit card to make this procedure a possibility. I upheld my promise and will continue to do so. Not only as an attempt to return the unconditional love she has so graciously given to me, but also because she otherwise is a healthy senior pup with more life and spunk left in her.

Though fulfilling this promise comes with downsides (as does everything, right?) and will cost me nearly $10,000 after all is said and done. I’m not the type of person to ask for help. Setting up this campaign is incredibly discomforting to me. However, I’m at a loss as to how to pay back this debt without drowning in it. So, believe me when I say, every. little. bit. helps.

I could write pages about Chloe and how she has saved me from the depths of despair. And because of this, I’m willing to move past my own hyper independence to please ask you to help me save her too. Though, I do not know how to properly thank you for whatever support is shown, but just know that I’ll forever be indebted to you too.