Help Finn Recover and Play Again

Hi! My name is Parker and my sunshine, Finn, is 7 years old. I first got Finn when I was 19 and we were living with my mom. He was at a local shelter and his sister had just gotten adopted the day before. When we got to his cage at the back of the shelter, he made no hesitation to lean into our pets and show his belly. When we brought him home, we still had my elderly childhood dog, Mia, around. Mia was a sassy, mean old lady and Finn absolutely loved her. She'd allow his overbearing love kisses only because he was so good at snuggles and keeping her warm. When Mia passed during COVID, Finn was inconsolable. He's always been a family man and would cry when the majority of us were out of the house. But when Mia was gone, he would cry endlessly even if we were all in the same room. I knew then that he needed a furry companion to keep him company. Within the following year, I got him his baby brother, Theo. Finn was so happy and loved to show his new little brother everything there was to being a dog. As Theo got bigger and my mom got a new dog, I decided to move back in with my dad. Finn is now the most active and happy he's been since we moved in. He's become an expert backyard explorer and has made up so many games to play with Theo in their new yard space.

In January 2025, this came to an abrupt stop when he tore his ACL ligament in his left leg. The boys were playing in the snow like any other day, and suddenly his joints seemed to be bothering him again. We visited the vet in January to get it inspected and came back in February for X-rays and bloodwork. In March, we finally saw a surgeon and found out that this was typical with his age, and that the procedure needed is common and non-urgent. With his history of heartworms and cancer, I've gotten all the screenings and tests done to prepare for this procedure. His heart is healthy and he's still as happy as ever. His limping hasn't even stopped him from exploring and pulling to find all the smells he can!

Not only would I appreciate helping my son get back to his silly active self, but Theo would love to have his older brother back to being his playmate. Any help to get my family dynamic back to normal would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading!