We know that sometimes bringing our pets to a veterinary clinic can be scary for both owner and their animal friends.
When you love someone, you would do anything for them, right?
In the case of Randy Etter, that someone is his dog, Gemini. The pair have been in each other’s lives since Gemini was a little puppy, and now that he’s two years old, the dog has become his best friend in the whole world.
The love they have for each other is undeniable – so when Gemini’s life was put at risk, Randy promised to do everything he can to save his best buddy.
Gemini loved to play with Randy’s girlfriend’s daughter, and the little girl found it hilarious to repeatedly throw her feeding bottle out of her playpen at Gemini. The pup would then pick it up every time, and Randy would grab it quickly from his mouth, wash it off thoroughly, and hand it back to the baby.
However, at some point, Gemini got hold of a bottle without Randy knowing, and the dog ended up eating its cap.
His dad had no idea that Gemini ingested something that he wasn’t supposed to, until one day, he got extremely sick.
“He just started to slow down and I didn’t think that was normal, just laying beside me and following me everywhere,” Randy told The Dodo. “I just felt like he was saying, ‘Help me.’”
Then Gemini got worse – he started vomiting relentlessly. At this point, Randy knew that something was really wrong with his dog, and he quickly brought him to the veterinary clinic. Unfortunately, the doctors he consulted with couldn’t tell him what was going on with Gemini.
“I lost my job driving vet to vet to vet and it just seemed like I wasn’t gonna get anywhere or get him the help he needed in time. It was truly one of the scariest things I had to deal with,” Randy said.
Finally, after going from one veterinary clinic to another, a vet was able to confirm that Gemini had a blockage inside him. The dog would need surgery which cost $4,500 – money that Randy definitely did not have.
But he didn’t want to lose Gemini, so he did what he thought would help him amass the amount needed for his dog’s surgery – Randy put his car up for sale.
“I was gonna spend every dollar made from the car sale on his surgery,” Randy said. “I would be devastated if I lost my best friend.”
A kind friend loaned him $2,000 – but it still wasn’t enough. Eventually, a local charity heard about his dog’s surgery and his financial situation, and the organization decided to help Randy and Etter out.
Ultimately, the S.O.A.R Initiative (Street Outreach Animal Response) was able to raise $3,000 in donations from strangers who wanted to help the duo! With that amount, Gemini was able to proceed with the surgery at the veterinary clinic, and he got through it gracefully.
Gemini is now recovering well, thanks to his dad who is always by his side to take care of him. Randy is grateful to all those people who chipped in for his dog’s surgery, knowing that without them, Gemini’s situation could have ended much worse.
“It means the world to me,” Randy said. “He’s my best friend. He’s always there for me, I just wanted to be able to return the favor and be there for him.”
Truly, there is nothing that a man wouldn’t do for his dearest friend, and Randy’s actions is a testament to that.
Share this story with your friends and family!