Help Katie Walk Again: Support Her Surgery

Co-organized

Tommy Baughman and Kimberly Merrill are organizing this fundraiser.

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Katie came into my life on November 10th, 2017. She seemed to be a year old at the time. She was picked up as a stray in Fresno, CA with a missing front leg and a shortened tail. From that shelter, she was transferred to Santa Barbara, CA, and again for the last time to the Bay Area where we found each other.

She was a very scared dog with an obviously troubled puppyhood, and it took a long time for us to get as close as we are today. During the beginning of the pandemic, I went through several changes in my life, which included finding my delivery job with The Running Shop and Hops.

Katie was always left home with my old jobs, but I started taking her with me on delivery routes and learned that she actually really loves car rides and having her head out the window any chance she can get. This new job really strengthened our bond even further as we got to spend even more time together.

At this point making my deliveries, it was a known fact that wherever I was, I always had Katie at my side, always smiling and happy to be there with me and seeing all her friends at every single bar and brewery we'd visit.

For the past few years, she has been having more difficulty getting around on her own as she has arthritis in her sole front elbow. Unfortunately, on July 26th, 2024, she had fallen while getting out of the car before we could assist her, and that began a new issue with her being unable to bear weight on her rear right hind leg, forcing her to hop along as a bipod. As the week went on, she could not bear weight on both of her hind legs, saving her remaining strength to use the bathroom.

Once we got in to see our vet, it was discovered that she ruptured her cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) in both of her knees. This injury does not heal on its own so she requires a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). After that operation is done, along with physical rehabilitation and eight weeks of recovery, Katie will be better than new and chasing squirrels again!

Due to the cost of surgery, physical rehabilitation, and further exams, we would greatly appreciate a monetary donation towards these expenses, or/and donation of one's time if you would like to help Katie with her recovery process. We would also like to look into the possibility of a prosthetic to help reduce the load she is putting on her one front leg.