Frankie’s Friends helped Augie receive lifesaving surgery for removal of a cancerous sarcoma. This is a note from Augie’s family.
“Our story begins in the spring of 2022 when my contract ended and I lost my job as a college professor teaching media systems engineering and media production. The pandemic was really hard on people in education as hiring was down over 90% across the board nationwide. Multiple universities which would commonly have 150 faculty openings would then have five. Of course, I had to adjust and take jobs which paid 1/5th of what I was earning before while I have continued to apply for work in the field I was educated in. I have been hanging on trying to make sense of things and the fact I am a senior now makes it even harder to ever get back to the income level I had only two years ago. Besides this, I have been caring for my very alert but handicapped 90 year old Mom. Getting back to that previous career and economic status is honestly very unlikely. So, that brings me to the summer of 2023 where I was aware that my dog Augie had a large lipoma but more than one Doctor told me it was common and rather straightforward to remove it. There was never any hint that the lipoma could be or could become cancerous otherwise I would have pushed to have it removed much sooner. So, the plan was to have it done in the summer of 2023. Well, I went in to have a colonoscopy in Mid-July and found out I had a cancerous tumor that needed to be removed. The risk was high considering its size and location. The doctor’s thought the prognosis may be good based on the CT scan but they would know nothing until it was removed. It was removed at the end of August and thankfully it had not spread to my lymph nodes. I was declared cancer-free in early September. So, after a many week recovery I was able to plan to have Augie’s surgery. We decided to have his surgery at the Vet School in Davis, CA. But, they were not able to get the entire large tumor out and then I found out it was a cancerous sarcoma. This hit me harder than my own condition as I felt responsible for not getting him cared for earlier plus overfeeding him which contributed to the growth of the lipoma. I still feel bad about this because Augie is such a sweet and good boy and always tries to please us at home and even at the vets. He totally seems to understand that we are trying to help him when he goes to the vet and is always a very good boy. I know he is a senior dog but he is still full of energy and enthusiasm and he loves being alive. Due to various circumstances I know he is very likely my last pet and I would just be so heart broken if and when the day comes his time is over before mine. He came to me twelve years ago as a street dog that had run away from his first family by chewing through his lead and just taking off. He had been living in my old neighborhood and was starving and 25% underweight. He was scared and anti-social and not a suitable pet for most people at that time. I looked and looked and never did find his home so I decided to keep him because his desire to run away remained strong for over a year. I had another senior dog named Haley at the time who was the first dog I ever had of my own and Augie invigorated her tremendously with his puppy enthusiasm and playfulness. I remain heartbroken over losing her at age 15 in 2023 and speak to her in Heaven every day. Augie is the link I have to her and he remains a good buddy and very sweet boy. So, the fact that Dr. Mclellan told me there was a chance you could help through Frankie’s Friends I was overjoyed and thankful and I will remain so for the rest of my life. Augie is on a better diet now with a lot of Antioxidant foods like broccoli, chia seeds, kia fruit, avocado, , flax seed, mango, blueberries, and other good foods mixed in with salmon and chicken. He eats it all up, too. He is getting very little dry meal to cut down on the carbs. Overall, we remain thrilled and happy with Frankie’s Friends. You are all wonderful. Feel free to print anything about our story, as you wish. Thank you so Much. ”
