Hello, my name is Maribel, and I am the mother of a wonderful 8-year-old son named Leo. I didn’t have the blessing of having more children, but I did have the blessing of having two dog children who are my family: Molly, 14 years old, and Chase, 4 years old. Chase is a beagle with beautiful honey-colored eyes, a true gentleman—noble and playful.

It breaks my heart to see him unable to move, not even to eat, knowing that if we don’t act quickly, he will lose mobility in his hind legs and the damage will be irreversible. He needs spinal surgery to relieve a herniated disc. Right now, he’s on treatment to manage his pain and reduce inflammation, but this will not fix the problem. It’s only a matter of time before surgery becomes the only way for him to regain mobility. The alternative is putting him to sleep.

How can I look into the eyes of my little Leo and tell him that we cannot afford the surgery for his dog brother, when he begs me not to let him die? My heart is broken, and I want to try to do something. Please, if it’s within your power, help me not lose my dog child and not break my son’s heart.

The surgery is very expensive, and we need to do X-rays first to see the damage to his spine—and even this costs $7,000. Seeing Chase like this is something I never expected; he’s always been a healthy dog, and he’s so young. Please help me give him a chance.