Jake is a ten-year-old Labrador in Forth Worth, TX, who needs $2,000 for hospitalization for respiratory infections and tumor removal.

Just when Jake should have been enjoying his golden years living in a loving home, his life took some heart-wrenching turns.

First, his owner died, and Jake got dumped at a municipal shelter that is notorious for having outbreaks of hideous respiratory diseases. Then as Jake sat in a kennel in the shelter hoping someone would adopt him, he caught not one, not two, but THREE awful illnesses!

Lucky Lab Rescue and Adoption got an urgent message about Jake. He was so ill the shelter's workers weren't sure he was going to make it. Jake had a fever, a horrendous cough, and he stopped eating and drinking -- he was taking a turn for the worse.

Lucky Lab bolted to his rescue. A wonderful volunteer picked up Jake from the shelter and brought him to VCA Westcreek Animal Hospital. He was so ill that discharge was streaming out of his nose. Jake's veterinarian ran a respiratory panel which revealed he had a trifecta of highly contagious ailments: canine herpes, mycoplasma, and kennel cough.

"I was super surprised at those test results having no idea that all of those things could be happening at once. Taken alone, each one is a challenging diagnosis, but all together at one time, I was truly concerned for his prognosis," Katherine G., the rescue's Dallas and Forth Worth manager tells Waggle.

Because Jake was so sick and contagious, he stayed hospitalized on fluids, antibiotics and was quarantined at the animal hospital for weeks so he did not spread germs to other dogs.

Eventually, Jake started to get better, and everyone at the animal hospital cheered for his recovery. Jake also had a large tumor on his foot that was surgically removed and sent to pathology. Once he was no longer contagious, his foster mom, Shelia G., picked him up. "The veterinarian's employees loved Jake," she tells Waggle. "He was a bit cautious when he arrived at my house. I would reach out to pet him, and he would hop backward like he didn't want to be caught, but now he's learned pets and belly rubs are coming, and he's all for it."

Now everyone is saying prayers the tumor is not cancerous so Jake can be posted for adoption, and this big boy can finally have a second chance at the life he deserves.
Lucky Lab Rescue and Adoption is a nonprofit organization that doesn't turn away dogs that need medical care. Jake's illnesses and surgery ran up quite a hefty bill; they are hoping generous donors will help them raise the money to pay it off so they can save more dogs.