HENRICO COUNTY, Va. – Thanks to an outpouring of support from members of Central Virginia, a Henrico County man with disabilities and his aging dog will receive live changing help.
We first introduced you to Chris Jackson and his dog Jake in June.
Jackson is in a wheelchair and lives on a fixed income. He was sacrificing his own food and medications to try and keep 14-year-old Jake comfortable.
Jackson reached out to CBS 6 in an effort to find a way to afford Jake’s medical expenses and transportation to get Jake treatment.
Chris Jackson and Jake the dog
Jake’s biggest hurdle is his extensive arthritis. Jackson has been spending up to $300 a month on his dog’s various medications, and recently had a vet bill over $500 dollars.
Veterinarian Dr. Courtney Belden found Jake through FETCH A Cure, a local non-profit that connects pet owners to resources, treatment and education to help their ailing pets.
"Chris has gone above and beyond to help his dog first," said Belden.
She volunteered to donate her time to keep Jake healthy. All he needed now was a regular ride to and from the vet.
Dr. Belden even turned to Social Media to tell friends she was volunteering her services, all she needed was someone to help get Jake and Chris to her clinic.
Once our story aired, viewers responded in droves to help Jackson with that and so much more.
"I think 24 hours it was $3,000 and then today I believe it's around $7,000,” Belden said of money raised on the GoFundMe page for Jackson and Jake.
Jake the dog
That’s enough to pay for Jake's medicine, primary vet bills, and for his food.
That’s not all.
There are also enough volunteers willing to drive Jake and Chris twice a week for the first two months of Jake's Treatment.
"To see people reach out that have never seen either one of us, is, I'm shocked," Jackson said.
As for Dr. Belden's services, "I owe her my life too," he added.
Donations
Direct donations can also be made to Dr. Belden's practice, Central Virginia Veterinary & Acupuncture, using PayPal. Donations of Uber rides for Jackson will help, as well as gift cards to a pet store, for food, that can be dropped of or mailed to the vet.
Dr. Belden can be reached at info@centralvavet.com, and her practice is located at 5711 Staples Mill Rd., Suite 103, Richmond, VA, 23228.
