Patch, a Shepherd/Pitbull mix, was having a tough day. One of his best friends, Beth, Jenn's daughter, had just left for school. That prompted him to lie down on the floor and bawl like a baby. The way Jenn Moye tells it, that's not unusual for Patch.

When Jenn had an in-home day care, Patch worked with the disabled kids like he had been trained. Even when kids bit him, Patch seemed to have an intuitive knowing. He never reacted. He was the perfect dog.

Except, of course, for that shower habit he's got. Seems Patch likes to turn on the shower, get a drink and get soaked! But if that's the worst you can say about your best friend, and you say it with a grin…well, you know there's a lot of love!

But over Labor Day Weekend this year, Patch became lethargic and started breathing rapidly. The whole family was terrified. Their best friend and constant companion was sick. Not knowing what to do, Jenn rushed Patch to the vet. Immediately, they drained fluid from his lungs. Ultrasound confirmed the vet's suspicions. Patch had a tumor, but Jenn's vet didn't specialize in the type of treatment Patch needed so he recommended a specialist in Leesburg.

There was no question. Jenn would make the appointment. She wanted to make it immediately, but it was already a holiday weekend. In the meantime, her children were traumatized watching their playmate and protector gasping for breath.

On Tuesday morning, Jenn called the Lynchburg vet and got an appointment. In the meantime, she had to take Patch to her local vet every other day to drain the fluid from his lungs so he could breathe. By the time she and her children got Patch to the Leesburg specialist, the picture was grim.

All three waited breathlessly as the vet broke the news. Patch did indeed have a tumor on his thymus glad. The problem could definitely be corrected with surgery. But without surgery, Patch would die.

Jenn braced herself for the cost of saving her dog's life. But she wasn't prepared for what she heard--$6,000 to restore their beloved companion's health. Jenn's head was reeling. She left Patch at the veterinary clinic for a few days while she figured out what to do. Her bill had already exceeded $2200, plus the trips to her local vet every other day to drain fluid had cost $160 a visit.

Finally, completely out of money, Jenn brought Patch home from the Leesburg clinic on a Friday afternoon. She was desperate. The kids wanted to know what was going to happen to Patch. And the truth was, she didn't know.

Jenn wasn't even sure Patch would make it through the weekend. "I couldn't save any money for his surgery," Jenn told us." It was a horrible feeling. I didn't want to lose my dog, but I didn't have the money." The family was desperate. What do you do when the odds seem stacked against you?

For Jenn, the answer was clear. Take action. As an animal control officer in Clarke County Virginia, she had contacts in the animal rescue world. The first thing she did was to go down her list, contacting organizations one by one, asking for help.

They all said they didn't have the money. But Jenn just kept going, marking each one off, and going to the next one. Finally, she came to IMOM (In Memory Of Magic), a non-profit organization dedicated to causes like Jenn's, and The Mosby Foundation.

Both organizations responded to the Moyes' pleas to save their beloved dog. The Mosby Foundation took quick action and immediately began efforts to raise money on behalf of Patch.

A massive effort was launched to raise funds to help the Moye family save their sweet Patch. And we're proud to say that the animal community's response was generous and loving. It was literally a round-the-clock effort to beat time before time beat Patch.

Beth and Corey, Jenn's children, posted their own pleas to save the life of their dearest friend. Beth wrote, " Please help my doggy Patch. He needs surgery emeadeatly (sic). If not he could die! …He also can say 'howngry' and 'I love you, mama.' PLEASE HELP ME KEEP MY PATCH ALIVE!"

Corey was equally as generous.(pull quote) "My dog Patch loves me almost as much as I love him. He was very nice to me when my neighbors' dog bit me. Patch knew I was scared and hurt and he was very slow and nice to me…One thing you should know is Patch does have a licker problem! He loves to lick you to death, but it's okay cause he has the sweetest kisses in the world."

As Jenn watched Patch fight for his life that weekend, she knew she had to take some action of her own. She needed to do something herself. Jenn planned a yard sale but rain forced her to cancel it. So she took personal belongings and went to a consignment store and dropped them off.

She also listed items for sale on Craigslist, explaining why she needed to sell her personal belongings. One of the items was a simple computer desk chair. Jenn listed it for $10. A very nice woman called and said she wanted it. When she got to Jenn's house, they talked for awhile about their pets. The woman had recently lost her canine companion, too.

"Ten dollars isn't enough for this computer chair," she told Jenn and handed her an envelope. Distraught, Jenn took the envelope without opening it. When she finally remembered the envelope in her hand, she opened it. There she found $200 in it! "I cried," she said. "It was very emotional knowing that there were so many good people out there."

In the meantime, The Mosby Foundation continued to work tirelessly on the Moyes' behalf. We're thrilled to tell you that the foundation raised $1200 for Patch's surgery. Donations from all over the country poured in to save the life of a dog that acted more like a guardian angel.

Jenn was overwhelmed. With tears of joy, Jenn thanked The Mosby Foundation for responding to her urgent need.

With IMOM's contribution of funds completing the circle of compassion for this family, the Moyes now had the money they needed. And Patch, being the trooper he is, hung in there over a long, tedious weekend.

But it was hard to leave Patch at the hospital. "He was four hours away," Jenn recalled." I didn't know if we would see him again." Beth took it particularly hard. Because Patch slept with her every night, she cried the whole night her buddy was gone.

Thankfully, the family's misery was short-lived. Patch pulled through beautifully. But Jenn now laughs. "He's a terrible patient. They cut open his chest and he acts like nothing's wrong!"

Patch is happy to have such an ordeal behind him. "I'm really grateful for everything," Jenn told us."The Mosby Foundation, IMOM and all those wonderful individuals who pulled for us, it's just amazing." But she goes on to say, "If I hadn't had the contacts, I don't know what I would have done."

We're thrilled that once again the Moyes' lives are full of love, hope and the sweetest dog kisses ever.

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