Just over a month ago, I lost one of my best friends. For 12 1/2 years Alex was a constant, loving companion to me, and for 10 of those years she was also the perfect companion for my other Labrador, Astro. The two of them were inseparable and played together like puppies, despite their age.

I arrived home from work one night to find my precious fur baby in obvious distress and pain. What must have been a game of tug of war with one of the couch cushions had turned life threatening as Alex had ingested some of the pillow stuffing. I rushed her to the emergency vet clinic and made it just before they closed. An x-ray confirmed she had a stomach full of foreign material. They operated the next morning as her condition had severely worsened. She spent the next 3 days fighting for her life in intensive care.

The caring staff did all that they could for her and I told them to spare no expense on her treatment. (I told myself I would worry about that part after she had pulled through and was back home where she belonged.) After 4 days of ups and downs, I received a call from the vet in I.C.U to inform me that tests showed her internal organs were starting to fail and her blood clotting rate was dangerously slow, meaning she was at high risk of internal hemorrhaging. The vet also explained that even on the highest dose of pain killers she was still suffering and having seizures. As delicately as she could, the vet explained that Alex wasn't expected to survive the night and asked for verbal permission to humanely end her suffering. I begged them to wait until I could get there to see her one last time.

The 30 minute drive there felt like an eternity. When I was allowed in to see my precious Alex I knew, as heartbreaking as it was, it was time to let her go and run free over the Rainbow Bridge. Letting her go was the kindest thing I could do for my fur baby, but at the same time, one of the most devastating times of my life. Saying goodbye broke my heart and she took a piece of it with her over the Rainbow Bridge.

My other best friend, Astro, in the last 3 years, has had 2 mast cell tumors removed and cruciate ligament repair surgery on one of his hind legs. None of which slowed him down for long. His zest for life is amazing considering all he has endured. He still misses his best friend, Alex, and sometimes lays on her old blanket and cries.

Just last week one of my worst fears was confirmed. Astro was diagnosed with his 3rd mast cell tumor, this one more aggressive that the last 2. There are several options for treatment, some offering more hope than others. Unfortunately my financial ability to afford any such treatment is severely diminished by the regular payments I'm making toward the large vet bill accumulated trying to save Alex's life.

Without any form of treatment Astro has been given only 2-3 months to live. Some treatments hold the possibility of remission for my little man. It devastates me to know that money is the only thing standing between losing my other best friend too soon, and being able to give him a much better and more comfortable quality of life.

So, if there is anyone out there who is willing and able to help with a donation of any amount, my appreciation would be beyond words. Vet bills are not cheap and I wish for nothing more than to be able to give Astro the best quality of life, for as long as he has left.