Imagine coming home from work to find your dachshund’s back legs paralyzed. Now envision it happening twice within a 12-month period with two different dachshunds in the same household. Welcome to the reality of one devoted dachshund human: Jennifer Hales Yandoli.
In December 2011, Jennifer’s worse nightmare was realized when her doxie-mix rescue’s back legs suddenly stopped working. Jennifer made the decision to pass the vet visit and go directly to the emergency hospital for surgery. Thanks to her fast acting, today her baby boy Jake is walking. He will occasionally get a little wobbly, but he looks as good as new to the undiscerning eye.
Approaching the one year anniversary of Jake’s surgery, Jennifer was shocked and devastated to come home Thursday afternoon from work and find her other dachshund rescue, Kaia, dragging her back legs. Once more Jennifer knew she had to act fast, if there was any chance of Kaia walking again. She returned to the emergency room: a different day with a different dog but with the same emotional turmoil and heartache. Déjà vu.
The surgery in Southern California cost about $6,000. Jennifer and her husband had been saving their pennies to take a cruise early next year, but with the sudden and unexpected cost of another back surgery, they canceled their vacation plans and put the money towards their dachshund. In addition to the financial hardship of two back surgeries so close to each other, the emotional strain challenges even the most faithful person.
Luckily for Jennifer the local dachshund community, specifically her friends at LA Doxies, and the dachshund loving community at large have been pillars of support during these trouble times. It is inspiring to watch fellow dachshund enthusiasts come to the aid of a fellow doxie-holic. Only can another crazy dachshund / dog person truly appreciate the anguish we humans feel when our doxies hurt.
The global charity Dachshund Outreach Giving and Socialization (DOGS) is passing the dog bowl to collect funds on behalf the Hales Yandoli family. DOGS will donate all dollars received through September 30 (8 days) directly to the family to offset the cost of surgery and rehabilitation. Additionally, for the first 100 donations, you’ll receive a custom thank you photo postcard featuring Kaia – perfect for display on the refrigerator or office bulletin board. All donations are tax deductible, and DOGS is getting it started with a $100 donation. To contribute please click here.
Kaia comes home from the hospital either Saturday or Sunday. The road ahead is a long and uncertain one, and this our opportunity to let Jennifer know she’s not alone. We all need help from time to time, and if we collectively give a little each, our impact can be big. So please consider giving, especially for Kaia.
