Give Stella the Gift of Mobility

Hello, my name is Stella. I am a 39-pound, 7-year-old Boxer mix who lives in Arizona. I have had a rough period of life. I was a stray, picked up by the Arizona Humane Society, who attended to my injuries. My left hind leg was irreparable, so they amputated it. I needed a quiet, stress-free home to recover. My foster mom, Jennifer, saw my profile on the AZ Humane Society Foster website and asked to be my foster. We were matched up, and she provided me a loving foster home. She and I bonded and fell in love immediately. I needed her, and she needed me. She researched how best to take care of me as a tripod dog; however, I don’t think I only have 3 legs. I am a happy and vibrant girl! Well, two weeks later, when I was medically cleared, my foster mom became my real mom, and I her fur-baby.

Life has been great! My mom snuggles with me every morning. She takes me on short walks, and the hound in me loves to investigate smells on those walks. She takes me for rides in the car. I love to sit in the back seat and lean my head against the seat and smell the air. If we’re in the drive-thru, people comment on how cute I am. She helps me in and out of the car by using a ramp, or she picks me up since I can’t jump because of my amputation. I follow her wherever she goes. I have been trained, and I listen to her commands. I’m great at sitting, laying down, and shaking hands. I know when to stay and when to go. I’m very smart!

Well, something happened on my walk to the mailbox on Easter Day (2 months after I was adopted). All of a sudden, I just had to sit down and could not walk any further. I didn’t cry, but I knew something was wrong, and so did my mom. She picked me up and carried me home. She was worried but brave to carry me in her arms.

My mom took me to the dogtor. They took x-rays and did some physical tests and determined my cruciate ligament (like an ACL) on my ONLY leg was torn. The dogtor told my mom I likely needed surgery to repair my leg so I can walk freely again. We needed to consult an orthopedic dogtor to determine the next steps to get me better. We went to the orthopedic dogtor, where I got so much love and attention from the nurses. This attention made me feel better. I even got a pup-cup of whipped cream… yummy! My tail was wagging rapidly!!!

The dogtor tested and confirmed the cruciate ligament was torn. He explained surgery needed to be done so my knee will work again and I can walk freely. Then he said how much the surgery/post-op stay/meds/imaging/etc. would cost my mom. He said $8000.00 to $9000.00.

I know that was more than she expected as I could sense the anxiety of paying for it. She thought the cost would be around $5000.00. She has her own medical bills to pay.

If anyone can find it in their heart to help cover some of the additional cost of this surgery, it would be greatly appreciated. I know how kind people are, as I found the kindest mom I could ever ask for, so thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity, and I will let you know how my May 13th 2025 surgery goes!

All my best,

Stella