Tara is a 10 year old Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois) in Mico, TX, who needs $11,565 for Splenectomy w/Gastropexy.

Tara came to us as a puppy from a breeder, but came directly from Europe a little over 10yrs ago and has been our trained service dog ever since. She lives with us in the San Antonio, TX. We named her Tara because she is also protection K9 trained. About 5 years ago she nearly died delivering her only litter of puppies, but her ancient bloodline is a gift from nature.

Tara is a 10-year-old Belgian Malinois. On July 25 her abdomen swelled and she began breathing fast and shallow. Two clinics that day confirmed internal bleeding from a ruptured mass on her spleen or liver. Bloodwork showed her red cell count at 29%, below the 37% normal floor. She is now at BluePearl Pet Hospital in San Antonio for ultrasound, stabilization, and surgery. This is an emergency.

Tara is our service dog — she alerts me to low blood sugar, braces me on stairs, and she helps me with other mobility problems. She's a side sleeper who rolls onto her back when she feels safe, and she takes food from my wife's hand. Even bleeding internally this weekend, she walked outside on her own, then fell asleep dreaming with her paws running. She's a provider, protecror, and loves us.

We are a disabled military family on a fixed income with little to no emergency fund. This bill arrived with no warning, as life does. Tara is not just our dog, she is our working service dog — we depend on her daily. Having her home and healthy means our family stays whole.