If you know me, you probably know Calamity. If you don't know me, first of all, thank you for being here; second, Calamity is my 13-year-old dog. She is to me what some people refer to as a "heart dog" or "soul dog". Above all else, she is a good dog. She has been my loyal companion, a partner, a light in any darkness, and an anchor when I felt adrift.

After I adopted her on Valentine's Day in 2013, she became a Pet Partners therapy dog for about eight years, bringing comfort and joy to countless people. She also served as a blood donor for DoveLewis, donating over 30 times until she retired at their mandatory retirement age of 9. Calamity was by my side as I earned my Karen Pryor Academy certification, and she loved greeting everyone in a busy waiting room before the pandemic. She adores sunshine, long sniffy walks, and always lets me know when it's time for bed. I honestly can't remember what my life was like before Calamity Jane.

In December 2025, Calamity had a tumor removed from her neck. The histopathology revealed it to be a rare malignant trichoepithelioma. A chest X-ray thankfully revealed no signs of metastasis, but we got a second opinion with an oncologist as well as an abdominal ultrasound that would reveal more than the X-ray, just in case.

We chose the oncology department at DoveLewis because of Calamity's many years of blood donation and the care they've regularly shown during our other animal emergencies (Catastrofe's seizures, Ruffian's mystery neck swelling). The next best possible news from that visit was that nothing concerning showed up on the ultrasound, her lymph nodes looked good, and all in all, there is no immediate cause for concern.

However, it's still a big question mark because malignant versions of these tumors are so rare, but the plan for now is that Calamity will have a recheck with oncology every three months.

If all this good news, then why the fundraising?

To date, since the tumor was discovered, we have spent over $3,000 on tests, exams, surgeries, and more. I estimate these rechecks every three months will cost around $800.

We had an emergency savings at the start of 2025. If I hadn't been laid off in April and then spent 6 months unemployed (or underemployed), draining that emergency savings, I wouldn't be in this position. It is extremely difficult for me to publicly ask for help, and I abandoned the idea of a GoFundMe when all of the best-case-scenario news came back. But if you buy a t-shirt, and we get a little help that makes the hole we're in feel not quite so deep or so desperate, I feel like that's a good trade.

For this campaign in particular, I'll make roughly $9-$10 for every item sold. You can check out the other campaigns too, if you see something that catches your eye. Every little bit helps. Funds raised will go directly to paying these accrued medical debts and any future tests and treatments. I want to give Calamity every fighting chance to live healthily, and it pains me that money feels like such an obstacle.

Any support would mean the world to me, because Calamity means the world to me. There are no words that could properly express my gratitude.

Calamity Jane was adopted on Valentine's Day. Since her adoption, I have run a Puppy Love Donation Drive almost yearly, collecting donations for various local shelters, rescues, and animal welfare organizations. Over the years, we have delivered donations on Valentine's day to Humane Society of SW Washington, West Columbia Gorge Humane Society, Columbia Gorge Humane Society (formerly Home At Last where Calamity was adopted), Cat Adoption Team, DoveLewis, Oregon Humane Society, and more.

This year, the Puppy Love Donation Drive is directly for Calamity Jane.

Thank you for considering helping us. ???