Santa's Healthcare

Last Friday, while on her way to her studio in Chicago's Austin neighborhood, my wife Molly spotted a dog dodging traffic on a busy street. She quickly pulled over and took off after this dog on foot. After a mile chase that included assistance from a nice bystander with a car, Santa was finally caught. Absolutely terrified, filthy, and beat up, Molly bathed this poor little guy in the sink and, in turn, invited him into our home.

We're still not certain that ours is his forever home, however we do feel an obligation to provide baseline healthcare for Santa - something that, apparently, has never been given. Molly and I thought, based on his appearance, that he was a senior and that and care, at this point would be palliative. However, our vet cited the condition of most of his teeth and joints to estimate his age at somewhere in the range of 5-8 years. His coat is patchy, his skin is dry and flakey, his body covered in scabs from feral cat and rat attacks, and a badly scratched cornea in his right eye, and very apparent spine and hip bones indicating malnourishment.

Our fundraiser's goal will cover all initial veternary costs including, but not limited to, the removal of a few abscess teeth, neutering procedure, instillation of a tracking chip, blood panels, and medication.

Santa is a super special, gentle, and VERY sweet little guy that, until now, appears to have been neglected - we think that today's vet cisit was his first. Please consider helping us set Santa up for a full, loving life!