Annie is one of the top certified therapy dogs in the United States, one of the first to earn an AKC Distinguished Therapy Dog Title.  She works tirelessly in various forms of Animal-Assisted Therapy with children, families, and special needs adults, while also often assisting her owner-handler, Jeannie Eagan (a professional dog trainer), in classes to teach skill sets to other handlers and their dogs.

Annie is also a retired Search & Rescue Dog, a HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response (AACR) volunteer, having worked on various assignments such as the devastating mud slides in Washington State,  providing comfort to victim-survivors of school shootings, and solace in the aftermath of the horrible wildfires last summer.  While her speciality is focusing on children and families in crisis,  Annie also thoroughly enjoys "regular" assignments such as being a Paws for Tales reading dog at several local libraries or attending community and corporate events to represent HOPE AACR or the Peninsula Humane Society.  And of course she is the beloved family pet of Jeannie & Sam Eagan of Redwood City, California.

A sweet, beautiful Newfoundland with many advanced obedience and working titles to her credit, Annie has been "working" as a volunteer for 20 or more hours a week for over 7 years. On May 8th she celebrated her 11th birthday.  Although she's getting to be quite an old girl, if Annie hasn't worked in a day or two Jeannie finds her waiting patiently by the front door ready to go with one of her working vests at her feet.

Annie has given so much of herself to so many people for so many years (as has Jeannie)-- now it's our chance to help her.  Annie has a complete tear in her knee ligament for which her orthopedic surgeon recommends TPLO surgery at $8,000 for the surgery, $3,000 for two knee braces, and a minimum of 12 weeks of physical therapy at approximately $100 per week, There is also a 50-50 chance that the other knee will give out during her long recovery and require similar surgery. While Annie is currently taking Meloxicam as a pain killer while Jeannie explores all available options for restoring her to good mobility, Annie insists on continuing to work at local libraries and school activities even if she's hobbllng about. She is, however, now retired from active search & rescue functions.

The cost of the knee surgery(ies) and the attendant medical care is particularly difficult for her human family right now since they recently bought Annie a van with low entry and a ramp once it became too difficult for this gentle giant to load/unload into either Jeannie's SUV or Sam's car to tranport her to her volunteer assignments. They have also been taking her to physical therapy and accupuncture treatment at Scout's House in Menlo Park for several months already, hoping unsuccessfully to resolve her knee pain without need for surgery.

This request for funding assistance is to cover the $8,000 cost of the initial surgery plus $3,000 for knee braces and $1,200 in physical therapy.  Added to that is an additional $8,000 for a likely second operation or alternately toward additional medical care, prescriptions, and physical therapy.  Whatever funds are raised will be genuinely appreciated -- the family will do whatever it takes to restore Annie to good health -- but it would be a blessing to help ease their financial burden.

I'm submitting this request on Annie's behalf and with Jeannie's consent as a close friend and co-worker -- most importantly, my own amazing therapy dog Sara is Annie's best friend.