Buck came into Jo and Rudy Hovey’s lives when their roommate found him on the streets of north Dallas, in an industrial area known for dog fighting.
“He had fireworks tied to him, his fur burned off, and a very bad flea infestation,” Jo said.
When they arrived at the veterinarian, they learned not only that Buck was just
6 weeks old, but also that he had
Parvo and
poisoning. The vet didn’t think he would make it.“Rudy took his vacation time and nursed Buck back to health,” Jo said. “Buck turned out to have a very joyful nature and loved to play with toys and us. So much so we got another puppy at a shelter for him to play with.”
Enter Bear.
Bear as a puppyWhen Buck was about 5 years old, Jo and her husband moved to live with her mother on 5 acres of farmland. There was plenty of room to run and play, and they thought it was the perfect time to bring another dog into the family.“We found Bear at the shelter,” Jo said. “They had a Lab mix mother give birth at the shelter, and all [of the puppies] were tan except one. He looked like a little German Shepherd mix. He was a little bit aggressive in the litter, and since Rudy has such extensive experience with all sorts of dogs, he knew this puppy would be trouble for the wrong family, so we brought him home.”
Paying For A Pet’s Unexpected Illness While Dealing With Your Own
Everything was going great for the new family. Jo and Rudy set a lot of boundaries for Bear, but also gave him lots of affection. Soon, he came to love people and cuddling, and he and Buck were fast friends.
Unfortunately, things didn’t remain so perfect. Around Bear’s third birthday, he developed epilepsy, and began having seizures every 6 weeks. A few visits to the vet and some medication later, the seizures dropped to around 2 per month.
“Now we never know when he will have a seizure, but we had to add another medication because they started increasing again,” Jo said. “Because he is fairly large (German Shepherd mix) it is a harder balancing act with medications, vet visits, and lab tests to make sure his
liver is okay.”
Paying for Bear’s epilepsy treatment hasn’t been easy. Jo and Rudy didn’t know about pet health insurance until it was too late and Bear already had a pre-existing condition, making it difficult for him to qualify for coverage.
“We pay out of pocket - on my disability,” Jo said.
Jo has a heart condition and chronic migraines. Rudy, her husband, is severely diabetic and also has a heart condition, as well as several other health issues.
Jo and Rudy often save up a few months in advance if they know the dogs will need to go in for lab testing. In the case of surprise large vet bills, Jo’s mother sometimes has to help out. And once in a while, Jo and Rudy just eat less in order to afford treatments.
“We have made a commitment that they rely on us to take care of them,” Jo said. “We can go without on occasion if we have to.”
Because of their disabilities, Jo says that it can sometimes be hard for her or her husband to find the energy or strength to take the dogs out or give them their medications. But even on the most difficult days, they continue to offer the care and support that their dogs need.
“For us it is the day to day, just trying to take care of them - some days are good, some are not so good,” Jo said. “Would we trade Buck or Bear for anything? Heck no. They are the reason I get up. I look at Bear’s face and he makes me glad I can do stuff with him. Buck just wags his whole body. They are joy. Even when it is really hard, it is totally worth every minute.”
We really applaud Jo and Rudy for their love and commitment under such challenging circumstances, and to show our appreciation, we offered the family a free year of
PetPlus coverage. PetPlus covers all pets regardless of pre-existing conditions, and with coverage Jo and Rudy will save up to 75% on their dog’s medications and receive discounts on boarding, supplies, and more.
We’ll check back in with Jo and Rudy to see how they are enjoying PetPlus. For now, take a look at some of the adorable and creative videos Jo has created of her dogs (and their friend Murphy, a Swiss Mountain Dog!):
“Legendary Buck”“Bear The Spy 2”“Where Is The Ball?”“Squirrel!”“Playtime In The Yard”--
Have a story you’d like to share or know a pet-family deserving of a free trial of PetPlus? Contact the Pet Savvy editors at content [at] petplus {dot} com or leave a note in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you.