We got Abby in late January 2003 at 12 weeks old... just a few weeks after we had to have our 14 year old male Lab, Dylan put to sleep. He left such a huge hole in our hearts, that we just HAD to have another dog. We found just two puppies left in Sussex County with a private breeder, and when we saw her wiggle her butt, it was love at first sight! Even the breeders had nicknamed her "Wiggles". We called her our little butterscotch lifesaver, because we never would have survived our grief for Dylan without her. We named her Abby, for no particular reason, but it's been a name that suited her well. She was also a companion to my elderly mother (who had Alzheimer's) who was with us when we got her. Mom loved to stroke her soft fur, and would always mention how Abby had such "soulful" eyes.

 

She's also a cuddle puppy; loves to sit with you in her chair, sleep with her head in your lap, and gives lots of great kisses! Imagine our heartbreak, when we noticed a baseball-size lump in her throat!! And, when we started looking her over, found lumps under her armpits and on her belly. She was diagnosed with Lymphoma the day before Thanksgiving... what a sad holiday for us. And then it got worse.... Abby went blind! She had uveitis in her left eye, and was bleeding into her right eye. It was so sad to watch her bump into everything when she had been so self-assured and confident of herself. We were certain that we were going to lose our baby, and just didn't know how to handle that. We have had a terrible year, you see, and weren't sure we were going to be able to afford to pay for the very expensive chemo treatments Abby was going to need to stay alive. My husband has degenerative disc disease, and had slipped and fallen in February of this year, herniating a disc in his back. He hasn't been able to work all year, we haven't been able to pay our mortgage, because I don't earn enough money at my work, and the situation looked mighty bleak.

 

But, the receptionist Katie who works for our veterinarian, Dr. Howard Miller of Eagle Rock Veterinary Hospital in West Orange, NJ, found an article about the Magic Bullet Fund in "Jersey Tails" (a veterinary publication), and showed it to me. What a providential day that was! I contacted Laurie and told her our sad story, and at the end of the conversation, she asked me to fax in the application!