Thank you again to everyone who donated to Charlie’s GoFundMe. We were able to pay for his surgery and final care and had $376 left, which we donated to @acctphilly (rescue where we got Ripley). ❤️ This pic is from a few years ago. He didn’t love feeling off balance on boats but he almost always hit a moment where the joy overtook the fear and discomfort. He would close his eyes, lift his face, feel the breeze, soak in the sun, and breathe in all of the river smells with huge gulping sniffs and his widest smile. It always made my heart burst to see him like that, fully immersed in the air and the light and the scents.
It hurts so much right now but I know the happy memories will overpower the pain at some point. I’ll close my eyes, lift my face, feel the breeze, soak in the sun, breathe, and remember him just like that, on the boat, fully immersed in a moment of pure joy.
We just said goodbye. We lost him. There were too many complications once they opened him up. They say he was a champ throughout the preparation process. Our brave pup. They closed him up and let us into the operating room for one last goodbye. He was still asleep but we kissed his head and whispered in his ear how much we loved him and how perfect he was. I won’t be doing a video but just know how much you all mean to us. Thank you for giving him a chance. That’s all we had. We took it and it didn’t work. But this way was much more humane than the alternative. Our hearts are broken and we miss him more than words. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. Rest peacefully, sweet Charlie. We love you forever. 3/15/2013 - 3/31/2026
We’re still absolutely floored by the love and support. You guys showed up for Charlie. We’re forever grateful. We’re taking the very good boy in for his fully funded surgery now and we’ll keep you all updated. We love you all so much. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Woods and my wife’s name is Missy. We have a dog named Charlie who has an aggressive tumor on his spleen. One morning, I noticed his belly was misshapen and stiff so I took him to our vet who immediately gave him just a few days to live. We were shocked and destroyed. That was over two weeks ago. Several visits later, we’ve learned that the growth is pulling nutrients and protein from the food he’s eating and it’s growing rapidly. The immediate danger is that it could burst and take him, which would be very painful and scary for him. If he showed any signs of shutting down, we would have to say our goodbyes, but there’s a lot of fight (and love) left in this dog.
That said, this thing could rupture any minute, but it turns out he’s a great candidate for surgery, so we’re taking him to get it removed this Tuesday. Naturally, we’re scared but we trust the team at Queen Village Animal Hospital to get our buddy through this ordeal. They give him great odds.
That being said, the procedure isn’t without risk, but there’s a very good chance they’ll be able to give him a gradual and dignified off-ramp on the car ride to the farm upstate in the sky, as opposed to the swift and painful alternative that could happen at a moment’s notice. Removing the mass is what's most important, but there's also a 1 in 3 chance that it's not even cancer, which means surgery would be 100% curative.
Obviously, there are many causes to donate to these days. It would mean a lot to all of us if you could throw in a couple bucks. I wouldn’t say we’re broke, but my career has taken a sabbatical and I’m not sure when it’s coming back to work. Long story. In the meantime, I’d say we’re adjacent to broke. The surgery runs around $2500 and every dollar helps.
The procedure is booked for this Tuesday March 31, but we’ll be running this fundraiser until the end of May. In the event we’re able to raise more than our goal, the rest will be donated to ACCT, the non profit animal rescue who brought us our little nutcase Ripley. But with costs everywhere going up and countless global crises to consider, we’re happy with any amount that comes in. We love you.
Hey, friends. Some of you might not know, but my dog Charlie has cancer and needs immediate surgery. Thanks in advance for watching my video where I share details. Any amount is appreciated beyond words.
We’re shattered to say our best friend Charlie isn’t doing so well. We found out yesterday that he’s losing a battle to stomach cancer. Those of you who’ve spent any amount of time with him know how sweet and loving he is and how important he’s been these past 13 years. Just the other day, I was lamenting that he was turning 14, then I redid the math and realized he’s an entire year younger than I thought, which was relieving until I noticed his stomach was tight and misshapen. I took him in immediately and our vet determined he has aggressive cancer of the spleen. We’re absolutely shocked and crushed by this news. He’s our little big head. Our 70 lb lap dog. Our Mr. Velvet Ears. Our welcome homer, unconditional lover, and fearless protector. Impervious to any threat, except for getting wet. Things are moving quickly, but we still have time. Not much, but every minute matters. As long as he’s still wagging and barking at the mailman, we’ll keep giving him as much chicken as he can handle and as many slow motion sniff walks as he wants. We don’t know his birthdate, just that he was born in March and survived the streets of West Philly until our friends Emily and Ryan found him and saved him from the elements. We figured the Ides of March was as good a birthday as any, so this Sunday, we’ll give him the best thirteenth birthday a dog could have, complete with walks, cuddles, steaks, and ice cream. Then we’ll take it one day at a time. Thanks for reading. Love you all.
@thegoldenbalance I’ve been meaning to try making one of your recipes for a few years and it turns out I had all the ingredients for your Chipotle Chicken Alfredo. Dude, this food is insane. Thank you!
Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy and Friends played a hell of a tribute show at Union Transfer last night. I never thought I’d get to see REM live, and I’m right! But they did a VERY solid version of “Life’s Rich Pageant” among a full set of other REM deep cuts. And Bobcat Golthwait’s (crystal clear pic 3) got the goods! It was a pleasure, fellas. Thanks for a great night.
