Gunther

From Gunther's Dad: We got Gunther in October 2020 just two days after moving into a Tiny House. When we got him, the owners mentioned he was a bit more "high strung" than the others in the litter, but he was perfect in our eyes. Gunther immediately adapted to home, when we were still trying to adapt to a new living situation. After unpacking and getting situated, it was time to play.

My wife and I both agree we've never had a dog with this much energy before (and we've collectively had 7 dogs growing up!), but when we were choosing a dog, I said "I just want a dog who actually wants to play" and boy did I get it. Gunther loves to play with all of his toys until about 2am with periodic naps inbetween. He goes on daily walks, and made friends with the neighborhood horses down the street.

Gunther's favorite place to visit is the beach and he's an avid clam digger. He's since adopted the nicknames "Buddy" and "Bubba" from several family members and it's stuck to the point he almost responds more to those names vs his actual name sometimes. He also loves to come with us camping in Hoodsport and Mossyrock, and hiking in Oregon all the way up to the North Cascades.

Gunther had developed a lump on his neck about April 2024 which we originally thought maybe was bee related. We brought him to a vet, and seeing the vets reaction I had a feeling it was cancerous. My previous dog Obi growing up, we had to put down at 7 years old because of a cancerous tumor in his leg. My mom simply just couldn't afford to treat. I told my wife to brace for impact, and we were sent to Summit Veterinary in Tacoma.

Gunther was diagnosed with Lymphoma May 2024, at 3 1/2 years old. Our world crumbled, we just bought our dream van to convert and travel the USA in for years with Gunther. We couldn't let our best friend go, and proceeded with treatment. Over the months, Gunther was initially very stubborn. But the AMAZING staff at Summit Veterinary has worked with and learned his tendencies. "We are going to see your girls Buddy" and Gunther runs over to his harness ready and excited for treatment. Gunther did so well, he entered remission January 2025.

We had months of him living a happy, healthy life. More hikes, more playing, more zoomies around the tiny home. My wife being a Type 1 Diabetic has unfortunately been hospitalized several times and developed severe Asthma since Gunther's treatment. Expenses got tight but somewhat manageable, happiness and moods were still on the uphill. Gunther then developed a lump on his neck again in November 2025 and we immediately planned to bring him back in.

A week and half since we noticed the lump, Gunther relapsed December 2025.

My wife and I knew if we were brought back into a room, there was a good chance we were going to have "that" conversation again, but I told her we had to stay strong in front of Gunther. Looking down at him, he never lost an ounce of energy the last chemotherapy session. He never showed any pain or suffering. How were we going to just give up on him? We couldn't. So we began the treatment immediately again that next week.

With expenses being tight, we figured we will just make it work. Sell a vehicle or something worst case scenario. We really aren't typical people to ask for help. Luckily, there are people out there who are willing to help if you can just ask.

Toby's Hope and Suman have helped us a lot in this second round of Gunther's chemotherapy, and we are IMMENSELY grateful for everything they do. Gunther lives a happy, healthy, love filled life longer because of all Toby's Hope. We truly love this dog with every fiber of our hearts. Thank you. Gunther thanks you also, of course.

Gunther is now about 2 months into his treatment and doing great again. So far, so good.