Our sweet boy Lotus has torn his CCL (Canine Cruciate Ligament) while running at top speed after a ball at his favourite park. His back foot got stuck in a hole, causing him to crash to the ground and yelp in pain. It was immediately clear that he couldn't put any weight on it. We were told by our incredible vet that there was a chance he might only have a partial tear, meaning it may heal on its own, but after six diligent weeks of house rest, medication and supplements he has not shown any signs of improvement. Our vet then confirmed that it is a full tear, meaning he's dealing with significant pain on a daily basis, and risks developing chronic pain, arthritis and a severe impact on his quality of life the longer it goes untreated. His walking is extremely impacted, he can't weight bear, so he is already experiencing significant muscle loss. Despite all this, he is still so positive and loves life, and we just want to get him pain-free and able to have full use of his leg again.

The good news is that Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy (TPLO) is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in dogs, with an extremely high long-term success rate. The tough news is that the cost for this surgery is $8000! The recovery time from a surgery of this nature is 18 weeks, so we hope to have him fully healed by the middle of summer.

Lotus is our whole world. He is the most loving, gentle soul, ready to make friends with everyone he meets. All we want for him is to run, play and explore nature with his friends again. Seeing him unable to do the things he loves breaks our hearts. He'll be 3 years old this April, and all we want for him is to have a long and healthy life with the full mobility an Australian Shepherd needs to thrive.

If you're able to help, even the smallest donation makes a difference, and if you can't donate, a simple share would mean the world to us.

Thank you for your kindness and support. Lotus sends you all the tail wags and love!

Tané, Amanda, and Lotus