Gigi's Gems Chihuahua Rescue

03/20/2026

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-noelle-friends-get-lifesaving-surgery

We need help to get lifesaving medical care for three of our rescue Chihua… Shannon Heggem needs your support for Help Noelle & Friends Get Lifesaving Surgery

03/20/2026

We need $13,000 to get Noelle's urgent surgery and the others taken care of.

Here is exactly where every dollar goes:

Noelle’s dental surgery$3,500
Ainní’s dental surgery$2,500
Yvette’s dental surgery$2,500
Five nights lodging in Bozeman$2,000
Gas (vehicle pulling enclosed trailer with dog gear)$310
Meals for three people (Dennis, Shannon, and a volunteer), five days$1,575
Specialty transport gear$500
Post-op medications and unexpected costs TBD

Total Goal$13,000

Link to help https://gofund.me/63f2dad14 and also in comments.

03/20/2026

Noelle had seizures yesterday. And today. And again tonight while I was typing a post asking for help.

She is 19 years old. Six pounds. And her mouth is so infected it is now affecting her heart and triggering seizures.

She needs emergency dental surgery with a specialist in Bozeman. All of her remaining teeth have to come out. She has a heart condition, which makes this extremely risky...but without it, we lose her to the infection.

Three of our girls need this surgery. I have three weeks and need $13,000.

Dennis and I have spent more than $20,000 of our own money on these babies in the last three months. We are at the end of what we can do alone.

Please help us get them there. https://gofund.me/63f2dad14

And please share this. It costs nothing and could save her life.

02/23/2026

When you’re this handsome, you get warm baths and soft towels. Buddy didn’t flinch. Didn’t fuss. Just sat there like a king in his tiny tub. 9 pounds of unbothered perfection.

02/20/2026

Please say hello to Lucy, a sweet 12-year-old who came to us awhile back after losing the person she loved most.

She’s still working through her grief and figuring out this new chapter, but every day she opens up a little more. We follow her lead. She sets the pace, and we just keep showing up with love and patience.❤️🐾

02/12/2026

We have a home now. GigisGemsRescue.org. Come see what we’ve been building for our gems. And if you feel called to help, there’s a place for you there too.❤️🐾❤️

Senior and special needs Chihuahuas rescued, loved, and spoiled for life. Meet our gems and be part of the mission. Havre, Montana.

02/09/2026

Our little girl is resting, eating well, alert, and tolerating her liver medication after her 72-hour vet hospital stay. The three-day IV flush really made a difference getting her stabilized. Thank goodness.

We are not out of the woods yet. On Thursday, she goes back for another ultrasound and more bloodwork to check progress. This is going to be an ongoing journey for our little girl, and we are committed to seeing it through for as long as she needs.

It’s really been something to watch her since she’s been home. She is just so thankful to be back and so glad to be with her family again. It’s so obvious!

I’m always in awe of her energy level because she’s clearly quite elderly, and yet she is just fired up and ready to go! I asked the vet what he thought her age might be. I said, like, 17? He said, “Oh, at least. I would say late teens.”😱😱😱

He also told us something that’s been hard to sit with. He does not believe Noelle was born with her foot deformed. Rather, he believes it was an injury that was just… left. 😡

I’m still processing that one. Deep breath. How do you just leave an injury like that and let a dog walk around on its wrist bone? Can you imagine the pain level?

We are in the process of having her fitted with a boot or a splint to make walking less painful for her.

Here’s the part of this whole thing that’s really difficult for me to say. Noelle’s vet bills have already reached $2,500 and climbing. She’s worth every single penny and then some. But the reality of senior rescue is that, unfortunately, love doesn’t cover the invoices.

Our official donation page will be live later today, and we’ll have some unique ways for people to support Noelle and our other gems. I’ll drop the link here as soon as it’s ready.

We are on a journey with this little soul, and with each of these remarkable lives that come through our doors, we just have to take it day by day. We are committed to doing what we can to make each of those days count and make sure their lives are filled with joy, adventure, and love.

We’ll keep you posted on Noelle’s journey every step of the way. If this little girl has found a place in your heart, follow along. She’s just getting started. 🩷

02/04/2026

She had an ultrasound this morning and her gallbladder is full of sludge...I had to leave my baby girl there overnight...as I am sobbing in the middle if the vet's office.😭😭😭 I know they will take great care of her, and I know I had no choice.... But she finally settled after seven weeks and knew she was home. Now she thinks she has been abandoned AGAIN, which just breaks my heart right in half...

These are the times I am SO thankful to live in this community full of amazing people. Knowing that friends are caring for her and watching over her means more than words.❤️

Please pray for the precious littls soul who deserves every beautiful thing in this life.❤️

02/04/2026

Noelle update: bloodwork and chest xray look good, thank goodness. Her ALT is elevated, 220. It might be her gallbladder giving her some trouble, so we return in the morning for an ultrasound.

She was SUCH a good girl for them💕. The vet estimated her age to be...LATE TEENS😱😱😱 He also thinks her front foot was normal at some point, and she was badly injured and it was never treated properly. She is actually walking on her wrist bone😢.

She took a treat when we got home but she is still not interested in food.

I asked if this could be a delayed shelter crash, though she has been here six weeks. It has just been within the last couple of days that she has relaxed and not barked through the night. And the vet agreed, that this most certainly could be part of the issue. She has been in fight or flight mode likely for a very long time, so her nervous system is going to take some time once she realizes she's home for good.

Thank you so very much for all of the prayers, messages, and concern for our little girl. She has endured so much.... I just want her to be happy and healthy🐾❤️. I will update everyone tomorrow after our appointment.❤️❤️❤️

02/03/2026

Please send up a prayer and some healing energy for sweet Noelle...heading to the vet soon. Not really sure what is going on, but she is just...off. She is listless and losing her appetite. Small changes can mean big things in these fragile elders so time is of the essence.

And yes, behind her, that is Yvette. Doing her best to comfort her sissy.😢❤️❤️😢 Will report back when we know something.❤️

01/24/2026

Every senior rescue who comes through our door gets their own bodyguard. And Yvette takes her job very seriously!😳 🤭🤣