No, this isn't some sort of joke. My good friend Erik has run into a bad string of luck, the most severe being that his dog Roxy has just been diagnosed with cancer. It's possible she'll pull through, but only if she gets a $4000 operation. Sadly, there's no way he can afford this and he's appealing to the kindness of strangers to help him out. The entire story is over at the site he's set up for the cause, saveroxy.net.
Now, I've known Erik for years as both a friend and co-worker. He's one of the strongest, most independent people I've known. He's the last person I know that'd ask for a handout, but he loves his dog and is desperate to try and keep her with him. I can easily place myself in the same situation and I know I'd want to do everything possible to help my cats if they were in the same situation, which is why I'm trying to appeal to those that read this little site to give a little assistance. He's a good guy, with a good dog that could really use your help.