Melissa Horstman was dealing with a very sick pup. Luckily, she had finally saved up enough money to get her boy, Prince, the surgery he so badly needed. Prince has bone cancer in his leg and he can barely move. He needs to have the leg amputated to help him be more comfortable, but obviously it is an expensive operation. After saving up, she was finally ready to bring him in for surgery, but then burglars broke into her home.
They took around $3,000 in cash and valuables, leaving her unable to afford the surgery. Horstman came home to find not only the cash missing, but also saw her poor pup surrounded by broken glass. The patio door had been smashed in, scattering glass all over their home. There was nothing Prince could do to stop it, but Horstman knows it could have been a lot worse.
"I'm just lucky they didn't kill my dog," Horstman said. She posted about the burglary on Facebook with the hope that they would be able to catch the thief, but instead her friends, family, and a bunch of strangers decided to step in and help her out...
A GoFundMe campaign was started to help her raise money for the surgery her dog so desperately needed. Horstman's friend posted their story, hoping to get some donations to help Prince.
"A friend of mine's house was robbed in Worcester over in Lincoln street area. The family has lost jewelry, Christmas gifts for their son, and most importantly the funds they had been putting aside for their dog Prince's surgery. The robbers smashed the back glass door all over him as he lay there in pain unable to move. Prince has bone cancer and needs to have his back leg amputated," the campaign says. "Please help this family recoup the cost to get Prince his surgery. Any little bit helps! Thank you!"
Little by little the campaign started to gain traction. Whether people donated $7 or $100, every penny helped. In seven short days they were able to raise $18,968 dollars, more than tripling their goal!
Now that Horstman has raised more than enough money for her dog's surgery, she has decided to give back. "I've decided to make some donations to Broken Tail Rescue that are here local in Worcester and possibly another rescue depending on how much is left over from Prince's surgery," Horstman said.
"I want to thank everyone for the love and support. You have given me some peace during these tough times. It is an indescribable feeling to be violated at my home along with already dealing with the every day struggles prince is going through. Prince has shown me unconditional love so it's only right that I reciprocate it. You all have shown him love and I wish I could personally thank every single one of you. You have given me hope because I will be able to give Prince all the care he needs. A long journey is still ahead, thank you all again I don't have enough words to express my gratitude."
The fundraiser will hopefully help Prince feel a lot more comfortable, and will maybe even help a few other dogs as well!