Charlie is our 8-year-old Cane Corso mix, and to our family, he is so much more than a dog. He is a member of our family and a huge part of our three young children's lives.
In February, we noticed a small lump on Charlie's leg that was about the size of a quarter. We kept an eye on it, but it began growing incredibly quickly. By May, it had grown to approximately the size of a baseball.
We brought Charlie to the veterinarian, where they performed a fine-needle aspiration of the mass. The results were suggestive of a histiocytoma, which is generally a benign tumor. While that was a huge relief, the mass has continued to grow rapidly and is now large, uncomfortable, and located in a very tender area.
Our veterinarian has warned us that because of the size and location of the mass, it could rupture and turn into a life-threatening emergency. We don't want to wait until Charlie is in severe pain or until we're faced with an emergency situation that could have been prevented.
Thankfully, Charlie is otherwise a healthy, happy 8-year-old pup full of energy, love and all the snuggles. ❤️
Our veterinarian believes that removing the mass will allow Charlie to continue living a long, healthy life. The estimated cost of the surgery is a little over $2,000.
Unfortunately, with three young children and the many expenses that come with raising a family, an unexpected $2,000+ veterinary surgery is more than we can manage on our own right now.
We're asking for help so we can get Charlie's surgery scheduled as soon as possible.
Our biggest fear isn't just losing Charlie — it's having something happen to him suddenly and having our children witness him suffer. They absolutely adore him, and we want to do everything we can to make sure they get to grow up with him for many more years.
Every donation, no matter how small, will help us get Charlie one step closer to having this mass removed and getting back to being his happy, energetic self.
If you're unable to donate, sharing Charlie's fundraiser would mean just as much to our family.
Thank you for taking the time to read Charlie's story, for caring about our boy, and for helping us give him the chance to stay by our family's side for many more years. ❤️🐾
