Hi there! My name is Tina. The cute buttercup in the photo is my girl, Coco.

And yes...she's just as happy as the photo suggests. She has my heart and is who I'm raising these funds for.

Coco was already 7 years old when I rescued her from Lab Rescue Inc. I was still healing from losing my dog, Anna, only a couple of months earlier. Coco was grieving from being bounced around, never really having a permanent place to call home.

That was December 28, 2019, about 3 months before the pandemic lockdown.

So together, through the isolation and lockdown, Coco and I healed together.

She was shy and very overweight when we met. I wanted to share my favourite trails and lookouts with her.

Over time, Coco realized that she had found her forever home with me. As she became more comfortable and enjoyed lots of fun hikes on the trails, Coco found her 'voice.' She became quite a talker, especially in the car. I call her my backseat driver, imagining that all of her strange sounds and carrying on was her way of criticizing my driving as we would drive to one of our favourite trails.

And on those trails, this girl could RUN!!! She would take off like a bullet!!

I can't describe it in any other way. She can jump and swim and fetch and chase with endless enthusiasm. It broke my heart to think she missed out on this for her first 7 years.

But it changed unexpectedly at the beginning of October 2022.

It was a day like most others. Coco and I drove to a local leash-free dog park at a time of day I knew it would be empty.

We ran around, chased each other, and we played fetch.

"One last throw," I thought. Then we would head home. I gave her ball a good toss across the enclosure. She took off and, in a few seconds, stopped abruptly, holding up her back left leg and immediately hobbled back toward me.

While I had hoped she'd be able to walk it off, my gut told me it was something more.

It was confirmed by the emergency vet later that night she had ruptured the ligament in her knee (the cranial cruciate ligament). Surgery was her only option if she could have any quality of life again. I was told it was expensive and invasive - TPLO (Tibial plateau levelling osteotomy).

Due to the pandemic, pet healthcare has been short-staffed and overloaded. I couldn't even get a surgical consult for over a month. It's been tough on her and I. We found ourselves isolated once again. This time I was nursing my sweet girl as we awaited the consult.

This beautiful soul brought me back to life after I had grieved. She has brought me so much joy. I believe that I've given that to her as well.

I can't bear the idea of her living out the rest of her life in pain and partially immobile, unable to run through the trees and tall grass again. She deserves so much more than that. She had already been served a raw deal in her first seven years.

The funds raised for Coco will be used for her surgery and the associated costs: the hospital stay, pre and post-operative x-rays, pain medication, follow-up appointments, and home care.

The pandemic's impact on me has been more pronounced now than during the lockdown. Saving up for her surgery has proven difficult, so I knew I had to reach out for help.

I know so many are struggling with the increased cost of living, the idea of the holiday season approaching and just trying to make ends meet. Everyone is thinking twice about how and where to spend their money. It's feeling scary for so many. It's why it's taken me so long to reach out for help. I'm not certain how or when I'd be able to manage all of this without your kind consideration.

Know that there isn't any amount that is too small. Any help is appreciated and will be put to helping Coco repair and recover so that she can run again.

If you're unable to help, please consider sharing this page with family, friends, colleagues and anyone you believe could be of help. I'll be sharing Coco's Surgery and Recovery Journey on my Instagram page: @theholisticsleepcoach. I'll share in my Instagram stories which will automatically be posted to my Facebook page (which has the same handle: @theholisticsleepcoach) I'll be posting updates on this Go Fund Me Page if you're not on social media.

Thank you for caring about my girl and for considering supporting her.

Your generosity, time and kindess means the world to me. During a time in the world when everything feels precarious, knowing there are people out there who are willing to help brings me so much hope.

Thank you again for being here.

With Lots of Love and Dreams of running through the fields again,

Coco and Tina