Vet Aid Finder exists for the moment nobody plans for — when someone you love is hurting, and the size of a vet bill stands between them and the care they need. Everything here is gathered in one calm place — grants, low-cost clinics, food, and medicine — so you can spend your energy on your pet, not on searching.

In dedication to my mother, and to my best friend, Toby the pug — created by Joseph Rocco Peransi.

Need help for your pet? Start here.

560 verified programs across all 50 states — nationwide funds plus local help in hundreds of cities. Pick what you need below and you’ll see only that help — side by side, a few big cards at a time. Tap, call, or apply. Pinch to zoom on your phone anytime, or use the A+ buttons up top.

♥ In dedication to my mother, and to my best friend, Toby the pug — created by Joseph Rocco Peransi

Illustrative photo of a woman smiling outdoors while hugging her dog

Pick what you need

Vet care? Food? Help paying? Tap one big box below.

Narrow it down

Type a name or pick your state. Nationwide help always shows.

Tap to get help

Open the site or call. Each card says who it helps and how.

Is this what you need?

Tap one — you’ll see a few cards at a time underneath.

Need a vet right away? Your pet comes first.

Head to your nearest vet or emergency clinic, or call them on the way — then come back here for help with the bill and follow-up care. Many clinics can also tell you about CareCredit / Scratchpay at check-in.

All help

What happened to Toby — and why this list is here

People wonder what happened to Toby, so I want to be honest about it. I didn't know enough at the time. I was learning as I went — learning about diet, about what to feed him. I had very little to feed him with, but I fed him the best I knew how. And when you care about an animal enough to really look into things, you start to realize there's always better — and there's always certain things that certain breeds call for.

For his kind of pug, Toby was strong. He didn't have any breathing issues whatsoever. We were very active — he never grunted or snorted like pugs usually do. He was very active and very well fit, and he was never underweight or anything like that.

What I wasn't doing was the little things — little things I just didn't know. I didn't know you had to wash the rice before you cooked it. I didn't know about the little snacks: I'd give him Vienna sausages every once in a while, not knowing that just that alone can be poisonous — because there's garlic in them, there's onion powder in them, there's all these things that are toxic to them, and I had no idea.

So all these little things that I learned, I want to give to you as information: this is what you need to learn about, and this is what you need to do, in order to keep your dog healthy. These little things matter. That's what the list below is for.

And I need to stress this part, too — part of why Toby's diet was so hard to keep steady is that when you're on the streets, it's really hard to keep getting the same type of food each time. The pet shops change their food constantly, it's hard to afford it when it's a certain way, and it's hard to keep them on the same thing especially when you're having to move around so much. Carrying around big bags of food is really hard to do when everything you own has to move with you. None of that was about not caring — it was about doing the best you can with what you've got, wherever you are that day.

Keep Them Safe — What Can Hurt Your Dog or Cat

573 foods, plants, and everyday household items that vets and poison-control sources say can hurt a dog or cat — checked against ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline, Merck Veterinary Manual, Cornell, and UC Davis. Search for anything you're not sure about before you share it, plant it, or leave it where a pet can reach it.

EMERGENCY — if your pet ate something on this list, call right away: ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661 (both 24/7). Vet Aid Finder safety list — created by Joseph Rocco Peransi.

Print this safety list — all 573 items, with the reasons: use your browser's Print command (Ctrl+P, or Share → Print on a phone). The printout comes out clean — just the list, every reason included.

Toby the pug sitting patiently and posing in front of a big glowing circle of Christmas lights

“I promised my four-year-old pug, after he was tragically taken from me, that his walks would never end and that I would do everything in my power to help others protect their fur babies. If you love your dog or cat, please take note of these do's and don'ts for what you can and cannot feed your animal, and please print these lists out and leave them in your community rooms, laundry rooms, and places like that, because it's going to save a life.”

— Joseph Rocco Peransi · Toby, posing for his Christmas photo, in the picture

Ate something on this list? A quick call is the kindest next step.

Call your vet or an emergency animal hospital right away — or animal poison control, 24/7: ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661 (a consultation fee may apply). Note what was eaten, how much, and when — and don't make your pet vomit unless a vet or poison control tells you to.

How to read the labels: Can be fatal can kill, even in small amounts — treat any taste as an emergency. Serious can cause major illness or organ damage — call a vet. Harmful causes vomiting, diarrhea, or longer-term harm — keep it away. Caution not a poison in the usual sense, but causes stomach upset or other harm in quantity, or only in a certain form — each item says which.

Search the safety lists

A jade plant with thick, fleshy oval green leaves

All 573 items in one plain list, with rodenticides and rat/mouse poisons first inside “can be fatal” at the top — even a small dose can kill, so better safe than sorry — then serious, then harmful, and caution at the very bottom — the label color shows the danger. Hover over any item (or tap it) and the reason pops up right on top of it.

Safety lists

This is general information, not vet advice — every animal is different, and size, age, and health change what's safe. When in doubt, ask your own vet first. Full lists and sources: ASPCA — People Foods to Avoid · ASPCA — Toxic & Non-Toxic Plants · FDA — Paws Off Xylitol · Pet Poison Helpline

Marijuana & Pets — Please Read This

Do not expose a dog or cat to marijuana — recreationally or medicinally. Don't blow smoke at them, don't smoke or vape around them in an enclosed space, and never share edibles, flower, oils, or any THC product with them.

What feels relaxing to a person does not feel that way to a dog or cat. Dogs and cats are far more sensitive to THC than humans — dogs have more THC receptors in the parts of the brain that control balance and basic body functions. For a pet, the experience is disorienting and frightening, closer to a bad trip: they can't understand what's happening, can't ask for help, and can't control the dose. Legal for a person does not mean safe for a pet — and no THC or CBD product is FDA-approved for animals.

What it looks like — don't mistake it for enjoyment

A wobbly, glassy-eyed, drooling pet that can't walk straight, dribbles urine, and flinches at a touch is not relaxed — it is intoxicated and distressed. Watch for: sleepiness and lethargy, stumbling like they're drunk, vomiting, glassy eyes and dilated pupils, drooling, dribbling urine, confusion, over-reacting to ordinary touch, sound, and movement, slow heart rate, low body temperature, tremors, and fear or agitation. Signs usually start 30–60 minutes after eating it (sooner if inhaled) and can last 18–36 hours, sometimes 1–3 days.

Edibles are a double danger

Edibles and concentrates are the most dangerous forms — concentrates can be up to 80–90% THC, and a pet usually eats the whole package at once. Edibles also often contain chocolate, xylitol, raisins, or macadamia nuts, each toxic on its own. If a pet eats an edible, keep the packaging — the vet needs to know the total THC and what else was in it.

If your pet was exposed

Call right away — don't wait to see if it passes: your vet, an emergency clinic, ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435, or Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661.
Be honest about what happened. Poison-line vets are there for your pet, not to report you — and they need the truth to treat fast. Say what product, how much, and when. Bring the packaging if you can.
Do NOT make your pet vomit unless a vet or poison control tells you to — doing it in a sedated, wobbly pet is dangerous.
Keep them safe meanwhile: a quiet, dim room, away from stairs and sharp edges, kept warm, and watched — don't leave them alone, and don't try home remedies to “sober them up.” Most pets recover fully with vet care, usually within 1–3 days.

Keep it from happening

Never blow smoke or vapour at a pet, and don't smoke or vape in a closed room with a pet in it.
Store all cannabis — flower, edibles, oils, concentrates, vape cartridges — locked away and out of reach, like any medicine. Dogs will eat a whole package.
Clean up roaches, ashtrays, spilled oil, and crumbs. Don't leave edibles on a low table or in a bag a pet can get into.
If you use cannabis medicinally, use it away from your pets, air the room out, and wash your hands before handling them.
Not sure whether a “CBD for pets” product is safe? Ask your vet first — don't assume a human product, or anything labelled “natural,” is safe for a dog or cat.

Sources: ASPCA — Hashish / Cannabis sativa · Pet Poison Helpline — Marijuana & Pets · Merck Veterinary Manual — THC Toxicosis

📋 What to gather before you apply

Vet’s name, clinic phone, and written estimate
Your pet’s age, breed, and diagnosis
Proof of income or hardship if asked
A clear photo of your pet — many funds ask for one

💡 How grants usually work

Most grants pay the vet directly, not you, and only part of the bill. Apply to 2–3 at once, be honest and brief, and follow up by phone. Amounts and rules change — always check the fund’s own site for today’s details.

🎁 Want donated toys & supplies?

Check “Free Food & Supplies” above, then your local shelter, humane society, and pet food pantry — many give out donated toys, leashes, beds, and litter with food pickups. Rescue Bank (Greater Good) supplies shelters nationwide, so shelters are often the local hand-off point.

🔍 Can’t find help in your town?

Pick “All states + Nationwide” — every nationwide fund stays visible. You can also try findhelp.org and search “pet food” or “veterinary” with your ZIP code for hyper-local pantries and clinics.

In dedication to my mother, and to my best friend, Toby the pug

For my mom whose story is why this exists and for Toby, my pug, my best friend gone at just four years old. This is for you both.

Did you miss this? Skip to the Safety List · Skip to Help

Help a Pet Directly — Active GoFundMe Campaigns

This section is personal to me. When I was living in that tunnel with Toby — torn ACL, disabled, couldn't work, no income — GoFundMe helped me. People gave when I had almost nothing, except my fur baby who stayed with me through thick and thin. I built this section to pay that forward.

Here you'll find active campaigns for people who need help with their pets right now — real people, and a few small rescues, raising money for a specific pet's vet care. If you need help, you can see you're not alone. If you're a philanthropist or just someone with a little to give, pick a story, tap through, and donate on GoFundMe — even a small gift can be the reason a pet gets care.

Why GoFundMe is here: because it helped Rocco when he was in the tunnel with Toby, and because back then there was no one go-to source bringing help like this together. Checked Nov 9, 2026: every campaign below was open and taking donations when checked. Raised amounts change daily, so where a total isn't shown here, check the live amount on GoFundMe. These are individual fundraisers, not organizations vetted by Vet Aid Finder — donations happen on GoFundMe, not on this site. When a campaign reaches its goal, it stays up for about a month so people can see a success, then it is replaced by another pet who needs help. Amounts shown on GoFundMe itself are current when that page loads; new campaigns are screened and added by hand, so this list does not update itself automatically. (This is separate from the “Buy me a coffee” button in the footer, which supports Vet Aid Finder itself.)

32 active campaigns

Did you miss this? Skip to GoFundMe · Skip to Toby's Story

Rocco sitting on a folding chair outdoors with Toby the pug resting on his lap — Rocco and Toby, sitting together. He promised Toby his walks would never end.

About the creator

I'm Joseph Rocco Peransi — most people call me Rocco. I'm not building this from the outside looking in. I was on the streets with Toby, and I know what it's like to love your dog with everything you've got and still not know how you're going to feed him, keep him safe, or get him to a vet when something goes wrong.

Something like this would have helped us a lot back then — one place to find food, a low-cost clinic, or a little help with a vet bill, without the runaround. That's why I built Vet Aid Finder. If you're in that spot right now, I've been there — and this is here for you.

Rocco and Toby, sitting together — that was us. I promised Toby his walks would never end, and I meant it. In a lot of ways I embodied Toby: his stubbornness, his loyalty, the way he made a home out of wherever we were. On my TikTok there is a whole AI-generated mini-series of me acting with Toby — they came out very realistic — including a zombie apocalypse video of the two of us running from zombies, and more.

I am not a freeloader, and I am willing to work. I am a full-stack developer and vibe-coder who works in Python, JavaScript / TypeScript, and HTML/CSS, building real things and shipping them. I am loyal, resourceful, creative, and I do not quit — Toby taught me that.

If you want to support me rebuilding my American dream and help me afford another pug, check out my shops — I sell clothes, paintings, and more as Frock Doctor: Frock Doctor on Shopify, and find Frock Doctor on Depop and Vinted too.

A future plan, not a live feature: one day, I want half of any tip sent to me to be split across every campaign on this page — a $1 tip across 100 campaigns would be a penny each. No payment splitting exists here yet; it is an intention for the future, clearly labelled as a plan.

Toby and Rocco's trials and tribulations, what made us who we are. And what's going to keep us who we've always wanted to be.

The Full Story of Rocco & Toby's Journey

I promised my four-year-old pug, after he was tragically taken from me, that his walks would never end. This is our whole journey — every photo and video, in the order it happened. The earlier photos from our story are woven through the page above; everything new I shared is here.

Personal details on the vet papers (phone numbers, addresses, account and prescription numbers) are covered up. Rocco's name is left showing, so you can see these are real.

Toby comes home — and the ACL

The best day of my life. Then, two weeks later, I tore my ACL.

From Jul 14, 2021 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Jul 14, 2021

From Jul 15, 2021 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Jul 15, 2021

From July 2021 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — July 2021▶ Watch the video (Drive) · 0:12

From Jul 19, 2021 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Jul 19, 2021

July 2021Tiny Toby on the table — 13 seconds, from the day he came home from Bakersfield. Watch it right here; no Drive link.

From Summer 2021 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Summer 2021

From Aug 15, 2021 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Aug 15, 2021

Aug 21, 2021My leg in the brace. I tore my ACL two weeks after I got him.

From Sep 12, 2021 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Sep 12, 2021

Learning fast

I was learning how to keep him healthy, and learning how to walk again.

From Feb 22, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Feb 22, 2022

From Mar 11, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Mar 11, 2022

From May 20, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — May 20, 2022▶ Watch the video (Drive) · 0:12

From Jun 7, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Jun 7, 2022

From Date unknown — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Date unknown

Inside the tunnel at night when they first moved in — Toby standing by his food bowl beside a mat laid out on the concrete, a guitar case against the graffiti-covered wall, and the few belongings Rocco had — Everything I had in the world, right there — a mat on the ground, my few things scattered around us, and Toby in the middle of it all. We didn't have much. We had each other.

Entrance to the graffiti-covered tunnel where Rocco and Toby lived together — **This is where I started.** The tunnel where I raised Toby — home was wherever we were together. If you're in a place like this right now, this site was made by someone who's been there.

Toby the pug sleeping curled up between Rocco's legs inside their tent — And then the calm — a nap in the tent, Toby curled up between my legs. Even there, we were home.

You might have very little right now — but you have your fur baby

They'll be with you through thick and thin. So the least we can do is take care of them the best we can.

Sometimes we just don't have the money to do it. That's why I created this. This is for people who are struggling — I've been there, I've done that. This is my way of helping, and I wish I had something like this when I was raising my fur baby alone in a tunnel.

I was in that tunnel because I injured myself. I tore my ACL in a skateboard injury I didn't expect to happen. I became disabled, I couldn't work, I had no income, and I was struggling. GoFundMe helped me — people I didn't even know helped me and Toby get through it.

And look at that tunnel picture again — that's it completely flooded. We got flooded out of there so many times. The rain would come and we'd lose all of our stuff, over and over, because we didn't have a cell phone to stay on top of the weather alerts. We almost died many times in that tunnel to flash floods. That's how fast it could turn.

Back then, there was no one go-to source for any of this. No single place for free this, free that — for the people and organizations who were willing to help. That's what this site is. And that's why the GoFundMe section below matters so much to me — so you can see other people who need help with their pets right now, and if you're in a place to give, you can help them the way people once helped me.

If you see graffiti on the walls in these pictures, that's how you know we're down in the tunnels. It might look almost like a backyard in some of them, because we took really good care of the place — there was an island area down there, the one with the two big solar panels. My buddy who lived down there took care of the landscaping and did a lot of cool stuff for that little community. He's like a father to me. He's been down there 14 years, and he's still there — I'm hoping to get him off the streets. Out of everyone who came down there to vandalize, I was one of the only people he trusted to actually move in. We're still very close — I see him almost every other day. And he loved Toby dearly. He loved him a lot.

The tunnel years

Back on the streets. A tunnel for a home, a tarp for a roof — and him, always with me.

From Aug 4, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Aug 4, 2022🏕️ on the streets

From Aug 10, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Aug 10, 2022🏕️ tunnel days

From Aug 12, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Aug 12, 2022🏕️ on the streets

From Aug 16, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Aug 16, 2022

From Aug 20, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Aug 20, 2022

Aug 22, 2022The very first solar panel — one foot across. It started everything.

Aug 25, 2022🏠 housedThe mission downtown — one night in the shelter dorm. Me in my flannel pajama bottoms, Toby asleep on me, bunk beds all around us.

From Sep 10, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Sep 10, 2022

From Sep 12, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Sep 12, 2022

From Sep 22, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Sep 22, 2022

Toby in the dark tunnel, his eyes glowing green in the flash, with the first tent Rocco got for them pitched at the far end of the tunnel — Sep 23, 2022🏕️ tunnel daysTunnel days. That's Toby in the dark, his eyes glowing in the flash — and that tent at the far end is the first tent I ever got for us, when we first moved down there. Before that tent, we were literally living on a pool chair — a reclining poolside chair. And before that, when we first moved in, we were sleeping on a sun blocker for a car windshield. That was the padding. What I had then was my guitar, my dog, my laptop — the things I hold real dear — and a knife. Very few things. That was all of it.

From Oct 1, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Oct 1, 2022

From Oct 10, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Oct 10, 2022

From Oct 13, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Oct 13, 2022

From Oct 15, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Oct 15, 2022

From Oct 18, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Oct 18, 2022

From Oct 21, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Oct 21, 2022

The bigger solar array we built — panels on a cart, enough to actually live on. — Oct 22, 2022The bigger solar array we built — panels on a cart, down on the island in the tunnel, enough to actually live on.

From Oct 27, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Oct 27, 2022Toby in his grey inflatable cone, asleep on blankets after a vet visit.

Two big solar panels on the island area inside the tunnel entrance, graffiti on the walls and plants growing around them — Oct 30, 2022🏕️ tunnel daysThe island, down in the tunnel — the two big solar panels, and the landscaping my buddy kept up down there. He took very good care of that place, and of everybody in it.

From Nov 4, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Nov 4, 2022🏕️ tunnel daysOur spot down in the tunnel — everything laid out on the tarp, graffiti on the walls. If there's graffiti in the picture, it's tunnel days.

From Nov 5, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Nov 5, 2022

A packet of Safe-Guard canine dewormer for Toby — Nov 6, 2022Safe-Guard canine dewormer — learning what he needed, and keeping it on hand for him.

From Nov 24, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Nov 24, 2022

From Dec 5, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Dec 5, 2022

From Dec 15, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Dec 15, 2022▶ Watch the video (Drive) · 0:13

From Dec 31, 2022 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Dec 31, 2022

Vet bills, and the community that showed up

The bills I couldn't pay, the letter that put us out, and the strangers who showed up for us.

From Feb 18, 2023 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Feb 18, 2023

Mar 28, 2023The letter that put us back on the streets — outreach got us into the motel, the funding ran out, and we had to leave. None of that was in my control.

Apr 10, 2023The vet estimate — $1,014 to $1,114 for X-rays and labs. Toby was lethargic.

Apr 10, 2023The invoice — $140.57, paid. Exam and medicine.

Spring 2023GoFundMe: help Toby get X-rays and lab-work done — $681 raised of $980.

April 2023GoFundMe: awaiting SDI and homeless again as of April 15th — $1,016 raised of $3,870.

April 2023GoFundMe: help Joseph get back on his feet — $1,892 raised of $28,371. The community showed up.

From May 4, 2023 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — May 4, 2023

From May 30, 2023 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — May 30, 2023

Out of the tunnel

The panels went up on the Cadillac. We were out of the tunnel — still on the streets, but out.

Motel 6 price screen showing $141.50 for one night — Oct 13, 2022One night at Motel 6: $141.50. That is the math that changed everything — see below.

Sep 10, 2022Toby by the car door at night, lit up by the Mercedes light.

The Mercedes — one of the cars that carried Rocco and Toby — Sep 12, 2022The Mercedes — one of the cars that carried us.

Why rental cars, and why cars like this one? After doing the math, I spent a lot less money renting a car — mobile, with a roof over us — than one night at a motel would have cost ($141.50 for one night, in the photo above). Renting killed two birds with one stone: shelter from the elements and a way to get around the city. I had a friend at the airport car rental place who got me really good deals on really nice cars — this was not GoFundMe money spent on sports cars, and it was not luxury. It was our break from being homeless. When we got a car for a week at a time, or a few days at a time, it was our way off the streets — not stuck in that tunnel anymore. We got to drive around, have an adventure, and look for opportunities that would better ourselves, for a lot less than a single motel night.

From Jun 5, 2023 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Jun 5, 2023

Jul 12, 2023🏠 housedA real bed at last. Toby wide awake on a motel bed, looking right at the camera — he loved finally having a bed, did not want to get off it at checkout, and would lie right on it while I made it and covered him with the blanket. Over the last two years off the streets, he settled in.

Jul 25, 2023🏕️ on the streetsThe Cadillac with the big solar array on the roof — that’s when we were officially out of the tunnel.

From Aug 29, 2023 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Aug 29, 2023🏕️ on the streets

A bed of his own

A real bed. A room. A home. Look at him — look at us — when we had one.

From Oct 30, 2023 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Oct 30, 2023

From Nov 7, 2023 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Nov 7, 2023

Nov 8, 2023The 72-hour clean-up notice on the tunnel — “RAIN COMING!” We had to move.

From Dec 12, 2023 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Dec 12, 2023

From Dec 15, 2023 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Dec 15, 2023

From Jan 16, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Jan 16, 2024

From Feb 5, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Feb 5, 2024

From Feb 10, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Feb 10, 2024

From Feb 20, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Feb 20, 2024

From Feb 27, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Feb 27, 2024🏠 housed

From Feb 28, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Feb 28, 2024🏠 housed

From Mar 3, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Mar 3, 2024

From Mar 14, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Mar 14, 2024

From Mar 26, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Mar 26, 2024

From Jul 24, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Jul 24, 2024🏠 housed

From Aug 10, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Aug 10, 2024🏠 housed

From Sep 8, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Sep 8, 2024🏠 housed

From Nov 10, 2024 — a moment from Rocco and Toby's journey — Nov 10, 2024🏠 housed

Quiet moments at home

The everyday moments, once we had a home — this is the part where you can see us getting happier.

Toby the pug gently meeting a monarch butterfly on the grass — Toby, gentle as ever, saying hello to a butterfly.

Rocco lying head to head with Toby the pug on bedding — Head to head. My best friend.

Toby's paw resting on Rocco's hand while he works at a computer mouse — His paw on my hand, while I worked.

What I looked up when Toby wasn't feeling well — tap to learn

When Toby seemed off, I stayed up researching. I kept these because someone else might need them one night too.

Seizures

Leptospirosis

Anemia

Jade plant

Feeding in a pinch

Nov 14, 2022Making a quick meal for your dog — what you can feed them, and what to avoid.

Is my pug the right weight?

Date unknownPug body condition chart — how to tell if your pug is too thin or too heavy.

Free clinics

Mar 25, 2022Free pet wellness clinics in Lompoc and Santa Barbara — the help that was out there.

Sep 22, 2022Pet wellness clinic dates for September 2022 — Santa Barbara and Lompoc.

Goodbye

The last night.

Toby got me off the streets. Because of him, I kept going — and today I have a real home at Buena Terra. He loved me through all of it, and I love him very much. His walks never ended.

What Toby taught me

No matter how much you love your animal, you can only do so much micromanaging what it eats. In the long run it could all come down to one slip at the vet that ends your animal's life. If you love your animal enough, go the distance and learn the medical things yourself, so you can avoid the vet when you can — if you're knowledgeable enough and have the skills. Because you never know what could happen behind closed doors when you're not around, that will change everything and take away the one thing you love most.

— Rocco. (This is what I learned from living it — not vet advice. If your animal is sick, please get them seen.)

Rocco's pug tattoo with R.I.P. tattooed beside it — RIP Toby.