Arlo

About the Campaign

Cancer Can Be Treated!

Arlo is an 11-year-old Husky/Pitbull mix with thyroid carcinoma—a cancerous tumor in his throat area that is affecting his breathing. What started as a pea-sized lump has grown quickly over the past two months, and now Arlo is wheezing with a sound Taylor describes like “snoring while awake.” The heartbreaking part is that this tumor cannot be safely removed surgically because of where it sits near his trachea. That means Arlo’s best chance is radiation treatment to shrink and control the tumor and help him breathe normally again.

Taylor noticed the first small lump on Arlo’s throat and took him to the vet, but at that early stage it was difficult to detect. Then the wheezing began. Within two days of that new symptom, Taylor rushed him back in, and the diagnostic work began—blood work, X-rays, and referrals. In just about two months, the mass grew to a point that finally revealed what they were dealing with. Taylor was able to get Arlo in with a specialist on February 12, and the diagnosis was confirmed: thyroid carcinoma requiring advanced care.

Taylor has already spent nearly $4,000 just to get Arlo this far—appointments, imaging, testing, and specialty evaluation. She has a few thousand more available, but radiation is expensive. She was also denied CareCredit, leaving her with no financing option and no way to move forward without help.

Taylor adopted Arlo right when she started college working toward a zoology degree. Arlo was about a year old—and he had already been returned to the shelter three times. He wasn’t a bad dog; he was an anxious, underestimated one. He’d break out of crates and chew anything he could reach, the kind of behavior that often comes from stress and instability. Taylor had always loved animals and was moving out on her own, and she wanted a companion. Arlo stood out immediately—especially his adorable cocked ears, one up and one down. Taylor was specifically looking for a pittie mix, and he fit perfectly. Because he’d been returned so many times, Taylor paid just $1 to adopt him.

Today, Taylor works full-time as a wildlife technician in Yellowstone, supporting the Yellowstone Wolf Project (through Yellowstone Forever). She’s preparing for graduate school and isn’t in a position to take on huge unexpected medical debt. She also lives in a tourist town where everyday costs—rent, groceries, gas—run high, and there’s little room to absorb a major veterinary oncology bill. She lives with a roommate, works hard, and has already put nearly everything she can into saving Arlo’s life.

Now she’s asking for help so Arlo can get the treatment that surgery can’t provide.

Donations will help cover Arlo’s radiation therapy and related veterinary care to control the thyroid tumor and protect his airway. All donations are paid only to the veterinarian. A comprehensive estimate is below, click on it to enlarge: