Rey is a 11-year-old Australian Cattle Dog in Roselle, IL, who needs $2,000 for CT Scan and Splenectomy.

Rey's story is pretty wild. I'm a disabled veteran and needed a service dog ASAP, but unfortunately back in 2016, the wait list for 20+ organisations called was 1+ year, so I thought fast and found Rey at PAWS North Shore in Highland Park, IL. She is deaf, but bonded so instantly with me and understood my triggers, that I intensely trained her for six months to be the best service dog she can be.

When we're in the living room, Rey loves to sleep on her coolaroo bed between my fiancé and I. She gives our cats Simba and Sunny lots of face kisses, which they tolerate, while also trying to shy away from her vast tongue! On class days, Rey vests up and becomes her working minded self to help me through my days, followed by plenty of dental treats and face scritches as reward for a great job!

Rey is such a sweet, loving dog; almost to a fault, really. Since I take her around with me a lot, she tends to get her feet stepped on by strangers, but she's never mean or bites, or even makes a sound - she just looks up with her doe eyes asking, "why?" I can't express how gentle and kind she is, while also catching on to new tasks/commands like she was born to.

Recently, Rey was seen by the VCA Arboretum View ER, where Dr James Sievers told us she has a large tumour in her abdomen. She quickly needs a CT scan to verify placement to proceed with urgent surgery. Her assigned surgeon is Dr Brittany Abrams also at the VCA, and she has high hopes if done quickly.

I am a permanent & totally disabled veteran on disability, and my fiancé has only made around $12,022.66 this year. As Rey is my service dog, not only do I already rely on her beautiful personality as a dog, she also helps me wade through PTSD and other health issues daily.