Meet Bronx. He is a 7 year old mixed breed rescue that saved me about 4 years ago. He was at the pound after being found covered in gashes from what must have been a fight with something. He also has a bb or pellet lodged under his skin, clearly being shot at some point. Back then, our pound was not a no kill shelter and he was on the final day before heading to the "room". Despite all this, he is the sweetest, happiest and most loyal dog I have ever known. He has been by my side ever since.
Through a lot of tough times in my personal and professional life, he has truly been my best friend. Two years ago, we got another rescue, she is also a mixed breed named Brooklyn. She was only 4 weeks old when we brought her home, and the two of them are inseparable. They sleep on each other, play with each other, groom each other. When I left them at a doggie spa one weekend, the staff told me they had to be in a cage together. Brooklyn has never lived without Bronx.
In December, he started to get a sore in his mouth. Two weeks later it was red and swollen and we took him to the vet. We got the dreaded answer no pet owner wants to hear....cancer. We were told to make him comfortable and my research indicated he might be gone soon. We took him home and waited. Well, the tumor had tripled in size, completely decimating his lower front teeth and hanging well outside his mouth. But his spirit was completely unscathed. He ate, would drink and play constantly. He still smiled all the time and snuggled every night.
We finally scraped together the money for the biopsy and got the best possible news, the mass was benign. Bronx could be "cured" with a partial mandiblectomy. The problem was the cost for the surgery. This was just more then we can possibly afford. My girlfriend is an elementary school teacher and since losing my job as a chef and trying to get my real estate career off the ground, I have been loading trucks for UPS. We scrape by without any kind of public financial assistance, but it leaves us nothing to save and no chance of paying for this surgery.
We decided to try to borrow the money from relatives, possibly straining them in the process. When we had almost lost hope, we were introduced to Frankie's Friends. Dr Hodshon and the staff at BluePearl in Louisville talked to us about this miracle fund. Because of the absolute generosity of the doctor's at BluePearl and funds from Frankie's Friends, Bronx has had his surgery and the day after, he was walking around as if nothing had even happened.
We were told to keep him from running and playing.....like that is even possible. Although we are still waiting on the final lab work for the all clear, it appears that Bronx will be living a long, healthy life with us. I could never possibly thank Frankie's Friends enough for what they have done, except to make a promise that I will be paying that forward to another Frankie's Friends pet in the future when things improve.