Hi everyone, and thank you for taking the time to read this.

My name’s Mark and I’m fundraising for Sox — our 4-year-old Boxer who I like to call my dog, even though we all know he’s chosen my wife and I’m really just “the guy who pays the vet.”

Sox isn’t just any Boxer. He’s the first Boxer in the UK ever diagnosed with lens luxation — not exactly the kind of record we were hoping he’d break. When we got the news, it hit us like a freight train full of vet bills. Since then, we’ve made what feels like a hundred trips to our local vet and to specialists in Edinburgh. Through it all, Sox has handled everything with his usual charm: as long as someone is scratching his chest, the vets could probably recite tax law to him and he’d still wag his tail.

He’s the softest, sweetest soul. It breaks our hearts that his condition means he can’t pass on his lovely (if slightly chaotic) genes. His sight is now gone in both eyes, and even though he’s blind, the eyes themselves still cause pain, headaches, and pressure — despite three different eye drops a day. Yet Sox remains Sox: he still tries to play, still does his “blind zoomies” (which are both adorable and mildly terrifying), and still greets the world with joy.

Our vet has agreed with our decision to have his eyes removed. They’re no longer helping him see — only hurting him. This surgery is the best chance he has at a pain-free, happy life.

We know it’s a long road ahead, and we’re doing everything we can for him. Your donation, no matter the size, will make a huge difference toward his surgery, his comfort, and his recovery. From the bottom of our hearts — and from Sox, who is definitely trying to lick you right now — thank you for anything you can give. ❤️