Hi, my name is Rachel and I thank you for taking the time to read this. I am asking for help in making this GoFundMe in order to take care of my dog, Conrad or Connie for short. I found Connie two years ago, abandoned, and tied up in an alley in the middle February. Nobody claimed him, so I chose to take him in.

For the last two years, he has been one of the kindest, happiest dogs that I have ever owned, who loves to cuddle with his brother Gulliver, run through the snow, play with his kitty siblings, and be a great protector of his human brother, Lee.

Unfortunately, things took a turn with Conrad around 2 months ago. After what seemed to just be a tumble up the stairs, Connie started to decline rapidly in his ability to walk. He collapsed in the backyard and I rushed him to the Emergency Vet instantly, where I was told he was dealing with some severe swelling in his knees. After this visit, Connie took medication for almost a month with not much improvement, and I took him for another evaluation at his normal vet, where he was officially diagnosed with Bilateral Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL), and he requires surgery in both of his knees to ever get rid of it.

Connie's expenses for surgery have been quoted as 20 thousand dollars, 10 thousand per each knee. He will have to have one knee done at a time, go through the healing process, and then have it done on the other knee.

Of course, I am doing everything I can to make sure he gets taken care of. I have been working extra hours, looking into pet insurance, and using all of my savings to help him. Even with that, I do not know how I can come up with such a hefty price.

This surgery would give Connie his quality of life back. He is only three years old, and due to this injury has not been able to do much of anything that a normal dog loves- he can't tolerate walks due to the pain, and he was unable to run through the snow (as he loves to do.) He wants to play and have fun- not sit in pain in the house anymore. He is loved by so many, his grandma and grandpa, his older doggy brother and cousins, and his human brother Lee who he has known his whole life, and protects dearly. Please, if you are able to help in any way, it would be so greatly appreciated that there are no words.