Drew is a very close friend of mine and a brother in Christ doing amazing work in His name. Please take a few minutes to read this post and if you can, help out with a donation.

If you’ve ever met Ritter, you know he’s an incredibly special dog. Ritter is not just a working service dog for Drew, a combat-wounded veteran, but he’s also a devoted companion and source of support.

Last week, Ritter almost died, and the emergency surgery that saved him left Drew and his family with over $12,000 in veterinary bills. Let’s come together to support Drew and Ritter by helping ease some of the financial burden from this traumatic event.

Please join me in helping Ritter get back on his paws so he can continue the incredible work he was born to do!

Here are some details from Drew about what happened:

Ritter started acting strangely on Friday, March 7—he was unusually tired, which was completely out of character for him. By Saturday, March 8, it was clear something was very wrong. He hadn’t eaten in two days, threw up mucus, and showed no interest in going anywhere—a huge red flag for a dog who always wants to be by my side. His usual high energy was gone, replaced by obvious discomfort and exhaustion.

Worried, I rushed him to Urgent Vet in Pottstown, where they took his vitals and x-rayed him. The X-ray revealed a potential foreign object in his abdomen and his intestines in an unnatural position. They sent us straight to Metropolitan Veterinary Associates in Norristown for specialized care.

At Metropolitan, they gave Ritter pain medication to make him more comfortable before performing an ultrasound, which confirmed the earlier findings. Things got even worse when they took a sample of fluid from his abdomen—it was pus-filled, indicating a severe infection. Without immediate surgery he was going to die.

I had to say goodbye to my best friend, unsure if I’d see him again. I remained anxiously in the waiting room as the vets worked to save him. Hours later, they told me he survived, but the damage was extensive, and they weren’t optimistic about his recovery.

Ritter spent the next few days in the ICU, receiving top-notch care. The vets and nurses fell in love with him (no surprise there). On Tuesday evening, I was finally able to bring him home. Now, he’s on a strict, expensive diet and multiple medications, but he’s healing remarkably well. I consider it a miracle.

I am beyond grateful to still have this incredible dog by my side. Ritter has always been there for me—now, I’m doing everything I can to be there for him. 💙🐾

• So far, $12K has been spent in Ritter’s medical care. Thankfully, $5K has been gifted to Drew & Ritter from the Semper Fi Fund, leaving $7k to cover.

• Please join me in helping raise this $7K.