PLEASE HELP GIVE ARLO LIFE-CHANGING SURGERY!!

Hi friends, family, neighbors, and supporters,

My name is Amy Gonzalez and I am Arlo's human. Arlo is a 4-year-old German Shepard/Pitbull Mix who rescued me in 2019. He now requires a surgery that will change his life and I need your help to give it to him. But before I tell you about that, let me share with you our story.

In December 2019, Arlo was found wandering the streets of Fresno, California. A Good Samaritan brought him to the shelter where he eventually landed at Santa Barbara Humane. He was given the name "Lucas" and placed in a kennel until his person came to find him. *Spoiler, she did ;)*

Around this time, I was finishing up my first semester of my third and final year of law school. I was on the board of the Latinx Law Students Association, externing at the California Attorney General's Office, and volunteering at the Front Street Animal Shelter; I was so close to the finish line! Everyone around me was talking about finals, about the CA bar exam and what prep course to take, and about their life after graduation - but all I was doing was asking myself how I was going to make it through this day. I didn't have the energy to get out of bed, to go to class, to take a shower or eat a decent meal. Waking up for the day didn't seem worth it to me. Sleeping became my favorite past time, and crying became second nature. I couldn't tell you why, but I hated myself. I struggled with feelings of inadequacy, believed I was a burden to those around me, and thought of myself as a fraud (how did I even get into law school?) *I still couldn't tell you.* But through the dark clouds, I was able to see that this wasn't sustainable, and I had to do something, ANYTHING. I knew I needed something in my life to give it meaning, to give me a reason to want to get out of bed, to go take that shower, and to go make myself some darn frijoles (con queso fresco, cebolla, jitomate, y chile serrano)! 

After much thought, and with the unconditional support of my parents, and my brother, and to the absolute horror of my first fur baby, Dexter, I knew it could only be a dog. But only one Dexter approved of. So the search for a female dog, who was small to medium size, and had NO German Shepherd began (he's a breed[race]ist). But when I walked into the Santa Barbara Humane on December 26, 2019, and locked eyes with Lucas, a male, 65lb, German Shepard mix, staring up at me with his amber eyes, sitting in his kennel with his tail wagging so fast he was sweeping his kennel floor, I couldn't ever guess what he would become.

To all of our surprises, and after a good run, snif, and wrestle in the shelter yard, Dexter gave his seal of approval. On December 31, 2019, I signed the adoption papers and Lucas became Arlo, and the dog who made my life worth living. With him by my side, I was not only able to graduate law school, but pass the California bar exam on the first try. Take a peek at our life together, here .

On May 3, 2023, Arlo was diagnosed with moderate to severe hip dysplasia on both hip joints, with osteoarthritis and bone spurs as secondary conditions. Due to his young age, and his love of fetch and squirrel chasing, Arlo will be getting a Total Hip Replacement (THR) surgery at UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Because the surgery is incredibly niche and requires a specific set of skills, the cost for this procedure is around $15,000. As a Jr. attorney in public interest law, and with student loan debt to last a lifetime, I humbly ask that you help me help Arlo get the life-changing surgery he deserves for bringing so much love and light into my life and to those who have the pleasure of meeting him.

Please! We need your help. No donation is too small and every donation is appreciated. ❤️

If you made it this far, thank you for reading and keeping us in your thoughts.

Amy and Arlo

Other donation platforms: 

• Venmo: ARLOS_FUND
• CashApp: $4ARLO
• Zelle: