River is a rescued puppy who is living her second life. At almost one year of age, she faced some health problems that seemed impossible to manage and she was brought to an emergency veterinary clinic, two days before Christmas. She belonged to a loving family and they lavished her with affection. She was well cared for and had been living a happy life. But her diagnosis was grim. A rare and complicated disease was advancing rapidly and the treatment would be costly. The medications, ongoing tests, veterinary care, and frequent checks were going to be overwhelming. Managing her care was going to be impossibly complicated, with uncertain results and her family was told there was no real hope.