Meet Atlas. He was adopted from No Dog Left Behind Rescue in May 2022 with my then partner. The rescue told us he was found on the side of the road in Texas with his sister next to their deceased mother. After everything he had already been through in his first few months of life, we gave him the name Atlas, a name strong enough to carry the weight of the world.

A few months after we adopted him, we learned Atlas had a heart murmur. At the time it was considered moderate to severe, and we didn’t know what it would mean for his lifespan. Thankfully, once he started beta blockers, the symptoms that had been affecting him, sudden fatigue and shortness of breath, completely disappeared.

Unfortunately, my relationship with my then partner ended. It's a long story, but Atlas eventually ended up solely in my care. I never meant to have a dog, and certainly didn't think I could manage caring for one all on my own, but he needed me and I needed him.

In December 2024, Atlas suffered a full CCL tear (similar to an ACL tear in humans), possibly from slipping on icy streets. Before he could have surgery, he needed another echocardiogram, each one costing about $1,000, to make sure anesthesia would be safe with his heart condition. The good news was that the beta blocker medication had worked so well that his heart murmur had improved to minor, and the cardiologist told me it should not shorten his lifespan.

Atlas then underwent TPLO surgery, a procedure that changes how the leg functions since the torn ligament cannot be repaired. Recovery from this surgery is difficult, about 12 weeks in total, and Atlas was such a good boy through the whole thing. By late summer 2025, he was fully recovered and was even able to complete a 10mile hike with me at Lake Itasca State Park!

Last fall brought more bad news. It’s actually common for dogs to rupture the meniscus in the same leg after TPLO surgery. In November 2025, Atlas was batting a tennis ball around the yard like a cat, nothing too rambunctious, when he suddenly experienced a sudden onset of acute pain in the same leg and began holding it up again and hopping around on 3 legs. X-rays showed fluid buildup, and his symptoms are consistent with a torn meniscus.

My resilient boy, who has already been through so much in his barely four years of life, now needs a second surgery on the same leg. The surgeon will remove the damaged pieces of meniscus that are causing pain with every step, essentially like having sharp gravel in his knee. They will also remove the metal plates from his previous surgery, which are no longer needed now that the bone has healed and could otherwise create a future infection risk. Thankfully, recovery should be shorter this time, about four weeks.

Atlas is scheduled for surgery on March 26, 2026, which is my last day of teaching before spring break. I’ll be able to mostly stay home with him for the first 10 days of recovery to help keep him calm and immobile while he heals.

The estimated cost of the surgery is $3830. That might not sound like much to some, but it’s a huge amount to me. I can put it on a credit card or use CareCredit, but I’m already working multiple jobs and doing everything I can to keep up with the rising cost of living. I’m concerned about incurring a level of debt that can become unmanageable. I had to drop my own health care plan this year because the slashing of federal ACA funds priced me out of the premiums. On top of that, I recently learned I will likely have to move this summer because my landlord is selling the property I rent. My car is also holding steady, but it’s more than 20 years old so that could change at any time. Taking on this additional debt has me feeling incredibly anxious.

I know many of us in Minnesota are already stretched thin right now, especially with so many urgent needs in our community. My dog’s surgery hardly compares to what many of our friends and neighbors are facing. For all those reasons, asking for help does not come easily. However, if you’re able to contribute, even a small amount would make a meaningful difference. Even raising part of the cost would ease the burden as I work to pay off this vet bill and keep things afloat.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for caring about Atlas.

With love and gratitude,

Teresa & Atlas