My daughter, Laura, found Nick in our neighborhood one afternoon after she had come home from school about 10 years ago. He did not have a collar and was chasing a pick-up truck as it passed in front of our home. The owner of the truck stopped and explained to Laura that he did not want this cute dog to follow him out of the neighborhood and down to the highway. Laura got Nick to follow her down our driveway and into the house. Soon thereafter she put him out on the deck along with Shayne, our dog we had rescued from a Springfield shelter. They both instantly got along, as if they were “brothers”. Laura called me at work and told me all about finding Nick. Laura called me at work and told me all about finding Nick, She begged me to let her keep him. I told her that we’d need to try hard to find Nick’s owner, but when all efforts failed, I decided we’d keep Nick and incorporate him into our family. He has provided a tremendous amount of love and devotion over the 9 years we’ve had him. My son, daughter and I have enjoyed him beyond description (as have my brothers, when they come to visit) and think he’s the best dog imaginable. Now that my son and daughter are grown and have moved on, it’s just Nick and me and home. He’s the best companion I could have ever wished for. We’ve been through thick and thin together and have a really special relationship! He is the most “human” dog I’ve ever known, in terms of his emotions.
About a year or more ago, Nick developed a “fatty tumor” and recently it has been diagnosed as a Mast Cell Tumor. It has grown very large and hangs down from his belly area. Dr. Pepper at White Oak Animal Hospital ran some diagnostics on him and determined that he is an excellent candidate for surgery. Her hope is that she will be able to get rid of all of the cancer once she removes the large tumor. I am eager to schedule the surgery because there is hope that Nick will be able to survive after his condition is treated with the procedure, but the surgery is out of reach for me to to the cost. I am doing everything I can and working with Saint Seton’s Orphaned Animals, to seek benevolent funding for Nick to get better.
