When Bonnie Crowe received a Shih Tzu puppy from the Miracle Run Autism Foundation in 2008 as a therapy dog for her then 9-year-old autistic son, Jakob, she hoped things were finally turning around for her family. After all, the Agoura Hills resident had weathered Jakob’s autism diagnosis when he was 2, she has a younger daughter with Attention Deficit Disorder and her husband was laid off from his job more than a year ago.

Jakob Crowe with his Shih Tzu, Cuddles.

Even with all the setbacks, Crowe remains positive. When she isn’t busy as a full-time mom to two special-needs children, she designs and sells pro-autism T-shirts on her Web site, Autisticgenius.com, and is writing a young adult children’s book.

But last month, the unexpected happened. Cuddles, who has always been a healthy, happy dog, suddenly began having trouble urinating, and the little bit that dribbled out was filled with blood.

Crowe rushed Cuddles to the vet clinic, where the pup underwent a battery of tests, including X-rays, and was sent home with antibiotics. The extensive diagnostics were expensive — more than $1,000 — and drained the struggling family’s meager savings.

A month has passed and Cuddles’ symptoms have worsened. He’s become lethargic and whimpers in pain. The worst part is that the family still doesn’t know exactly what’s wrong with their beloved dog. Further tests are needed to properly diagnosis the problem, but the family simply can’t afford it.

“It’s killing me to see Cuddles suffer,and my son is beside himself,” Crowe says. “I keep telling the kids not to panic. We’ll figure this out somehow.”

That’s when Crowe turned to All for Animals for help. For the past 14 years, the Santa Barbara nonprofit organization has worked to alleviate animal suffering and bring people and pets together to celebrate the human-animal bond.

“We’re a small organization with an equally small budget, but we wanted to help,” said AFA founder and president Karen Lee Stevens, who received Crowe’s urgent request on Valentine’s Day. “This family has been through so much already, and we wanted them to have one less thing to worry about.”

All for Animals has established the Cuddles Fund to help raise money for the pet’s diagnostic tests and treatment. To make a donation, mail a check made payable to Bonnie Crowe to c/o All for Animals, P.O. Box 3534, Santa Barbara, CA 93130.

— Karen Lee Stevens is the founder and president of All for Animals.