In 2013, Dara and Nate Johnson welcomed Baxter into their home as a Christmas rescue, and he quickly became the heart of their family, enjoying nothing more than a good scratch and peaceful walks around their hometown of Longmont. Described by his family as calm and with an Eeyore-like demeanor, he was the kind of dog who made everyone feel at ease.
“He’s always been a sweetheart,” Nate Johnson says. “He looks powerful, but he’s the gentlest dog you’ll ever meet.”
However, in late 2021, the Johnsons noticed a concerning change in their beloved canine family member. After a walk near some fresh landscaping, Baxter emerged with blood on his nose. At first, they thought he’d been poked by a twig. But the bleeding returned sporadically, then more frequently, and soon Baxter struggled to drink water and breathe comfortably. He would rest his head, then lift it abruptly to catch a breath — his nose increasingly blocked by something unseen but ominous…