Clara isn’t just my dog. She is my soul dog, my best friend, and the steady presence that has carried me through some of the darkest chapters of my life.
Clara recently tore her cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) in her back right knee. She is now completely lame in that leg and in constant discomfort. The only way for her to regain stability, mobility, and a pain-free life is through a TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) surgery. This procedure will stabilize her knee and give her the chance to walk, run, and use her leg again. The cost of this first surgery is approximately $6,000 (not including continued treatment and physical therapy costs).
Unfortunately, it’s very common for dogs with a CCL tear to eventually rupture the other knee as well. My vet disclosed that 50–75% of dogs will need a second TPLO within 1–2 years due to underlying genetic and anatomical factors. That reality weighs heavily on my heart, but Clara has always been more than worth it.
Clara has been my light, steady and unwavering, through every season of my life. She has stood beside me through profound loss and constant change, sitting patiently through more tears, breakups, and late-night spirals than she ever signed up for. And in return, what I got was unconditional love, warm cuddles, and perfectly timed wet-nose kisses. She has been my constant through so many firsts. First apartments, first moves, first times starting over in unfamiliar places. She’s been there through it all. When the world feels unbearably heavy, she is the reason I get out of bed. She doesn’t just remind me that joy exists, she is joy, in its purest, truest form.
She loves to run, jump, explore, and be outside experiencing the world with pure joy. Watching her unable to do the things she loves, unable to use her leg, has been devastating. All I want is for her to live the fullest life possible, at the greatest capacity she can, for as long as she can. I truly believe Clara helped save my life. Now I’m asking for help to save her quality of life.
If you’re able to donate, share, or keep Clara in your thoughts, it would mean more than I could ever express. Every contribution brings her one step closer to walking, running, and being the happy, adventurous dog she’s always been.
Please help me give Clara the life she deserves. The same life she helped make worth living for me.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here for us.