Dear Melissa and the Zeus Oncology Fund Organization,
We had to say goodbye to our little Gizzie, in December, and we were absolutely heartbroken. We were
not thinking of adopting another dog quite so soon after, but when we came across Koda’s picture (then
Cody) there was something that pulled at us, that made us want to find out more about him. When we
met him, Koda had been at the rescue for 2 months, had almost all of his teeth removed, and was
extremely thin, weak and malnourished. When I picked him up, he fell asleep against my chest…we
decided this was no way for a senior to live out his “golden years”…he was not going to stay at the
rescue any longer, he was coming home with us to receive the care and love he deserved! The first few
days, he was so weak he had a hard time standing to go potty, was very wobbly when he walked and
couldn’t hold up his tail. We brought him to the vet right away and found that he had giardia, which we
treated. We also started him on a fresh, soft, and nutritious whole-food diet and he began to put on
some weight and was building up some strength…his spunky nature began to surface. Now, almost 3
months later, Koda seems to have quite a skip in his step! He likes to go on walks and is frequently
found playing with his stuffed toys (his favorite is duckie), doing what we’ve termed his “happy dance”
(he lays on his side/back and playfully paws at the air like he’s clapping) and even wagging his tail!
On Koda’s journey to becoming a healthy and happy little guy, we also found that he has IBD, a heart
condition, and a cancerous mass (sarcoma) on his right hind leg. We are treating the IBD with a slight
change in diet and will be treating his heart condition with medication. The sarcoma on his right hind
leg requires surgery to be removed. Koda will be having the sarcoma removed next week and, without
your generous grant, he would not have been able to have this surgery. We love this little guy, so much,
and want to give him the best chance at enjoying his senior years…your grant allows us to do this! You
are truly extraordinary people with a truly extraordinary organization! We are beyond grateful to
Melissa, and all those at the Zeus Oncology Fund, for giving Koda the opportunity to live out his “golden
years” as healthfully and happily as possible! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
With Deepest Gratitude,
Nichole, Melissa and Koda
