About the Campaign

Painful Cysts

This big German Shepherd guards foster kitties! Such a sweet dog, and she needs only a small amount of help to dramatically improve her life.

“I will protects you kittah!”

Maya, a resilient 11-year-old German Shepherd, has overcome unthinkable trauma. Once a terrified and reactive young dog, Maya came to Elzy after being rehomed at age 3. Elzy, a lifelong rescuer with 28 years in dog rescue, discovered the heartbreaking truth—Maya had been abused by a breeder who used shock collars and allowed other dogs to attack her. So afraid she wouldn’t even let anyone put on a collar, Maya’s journey to recovery took years.

With patience and love—and help from a renowned behaviorist who even featured Maya in her book—Maya blossomed. (See the book here: Amazon).  She stopped needing anxiety meds after bonding with a fellow rescue dog, Poppet, who became her emotional support companion. Today, Maya is calm, sweet, and even helps raise foster puppies and foster kitties!

Playing with 2 foster pups:

With Poppet

But now Maya is suffering again. Over the past year, she’s developed four non-healing cysts. At first benign and manageable, they’ve started draining and resisting wound care, causing her growing discomfort. Maya flinches away when Elzy tries to clean them, something she never used to do. It’s time to remove them.

The cysts, which have to be cleaned 2x a day currently

The surgery is estimated at $1,385. Elzy, now 62 and working part-time as a contract nurse after multiple hand surgeries, simply doesn’t have the funds. Her fixed income is stretched thin by vet bills for both Maya and Poppet, and Maya’s ongoing supplements and medications cost over $300 each month.

Despite her age and past, Maya has finally found peace. Let’s help her stay comfortable in the loving home that saved her. All donations go directly to Maya’s vet and a copy of the estimate is below: