To some people, dogs are just furry animals, but I’m sure that every loving dog owner would agree with me that they are much more than that.
Dogs are our best friends, our loving furry children, and our beloved companions for life. A dog’s life is already way too short, especially for our liking, but even more heartbreaking is seeing your dog die before its time.
Randy Etter, a local R&B singer from Indianapolis, has had his beloved dog, Gemini, since he was just a small puppy.
Gemini was his absolute best friend, so when Etter found out that he might lose him, he was utterly devastated. But, he couldn’t imagine losing his dog, so he knew in his heart he would try everything to save his pup’s life.
Gemini was then a happy and healthy two-year-old dog when all of a sudden, he started getting very sick.
In an interview for the Dodo, Etter said, “He just started to slow down, and I didn’t think that was normal, just laying beside me and following me everywhere… I just felt like he was saying, ‘Help me.’”
It was when Gemini started vomiting that the R&B singer knew his life was in danger. Although he was supposed to be working, he decided to rush his pooch to the emergency vet, but unfortunately they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Gemini.
He continued to drive his dog from one vet to another, losing his day job in the process. “You can’t really say that you can’t make it into work because your dog is sick. Nobody wants to hear that,” Etter told FOX59 News.
Seeing his dog get more and more sick each passing day was truly the worst thing he had to live through.
Finally, one vet was able to determine what was wrong with poor Gemini. Apparently, he had accidentally swallowed the top of a baby bottle, which caused a blockage inside him, and he needed emergency surgery.
The initial estimate of the surgery was between $3500 and $6000.
Without his day job, this amount was simply unreachable for Etter, especially in such a short time.
However, losing Gemini was simply not an option. Etter was desperate to save his best friend and vowed to do absolutely everything to save his life.
“I was watching TV and was just thinking about how he was dying that night,” said Etter. He didn’t have the money for the surgery, and Gemini was feeling worse each hour.
So, he decided to sell the most valuable thing he owned. “I put my car up for sale for $1,000 less than what I was actually wanting to take for it,” he said, in hopes that it would be enough to save his beloved dog’s life.
A friend gave him $2,000, but that was still not enough.
The situation was very critical. He had to find the rest of the money by the end of the day; otherwise, Gemini would die.
“I never thought I’d be one of those people to catch the miracle,” said Etter, but that is exactly what happened.
With the help of the central Indiana community and the S.O.A.R. Initiative (Street Outreach Animal Response), enough money was donated for Gemini to have his surgery.
Total strangers came together in record time, generating nearly $3,000 and helping this loving duo continue to live their life together.
The surgery was a success, and thankfully, Gemini has made a full recovery.
Etter thanked everyone on the S.O.A.R. Facebook page by saying, “Thank you so much for everything you did. I just can’t express how I’m feeling right now. You guys are so amazing. I’m just speechless and so thankful for you all.”
The floors of Etter’s house are now void of everything Gemini could accidentally swallow just in case. Hopefully, this precious boy will live a long and healthy life with his family.
However, if it weren’t for the generosity of complete strangers, Gemini probably wouldn’t be alive now. Everyone could see just how much this man loves his dog, and they simply couldn’t let him die like that.
When there is great love, such miracles are possible.
