Help Leia get new hips

 Leia is our beautiful year and a half old shepherd mix puppy that we were lucky enough to bring into our family just over a year ago. As many of you know, Leia did not have an easy start to life and because of abandonment, abuse and lack of socializing she was a scared and timid puppy when we first received her, but that didn’t stop us from seeing all her potential and planning a happy, healthy, and safe life for her. It took her some time, but after she finally started trusting us, she opened up and became the energetic, loving puppy we knew she was all along. She will spend her days playing with her sister, running circles in the back yard, and playing in the snow for hours, before taking a long nap on our laps where she finally feels safe. Just when she started to enjoy life and live it to its fullest, it threw her another curveball. After we noticed a slight limp in her back leg that quickly became worse, we took her to the vet to make sure it was nothing serious. After some x-rays the veterinarian discovered she had severe hip dysplasia and arthritis in both her hips. There was so much damage the veterinarian was surprised she had been able to move around as much as she had. We were informed that her ONLY option for a functional, pain free life with any chance of quality would be to do a full hip replacement surgery on both her hips which comes with a beyond large price tag. We have looked at every option possible to give her the best chance in life, even if it meant we had to lose our sweet baby and give her up so she would be able to get her surgery. But because of her background, being given up and abandoned once again will break her spirit and heart beyond repair, and she would be left in a system with limited veterinary care and close to no chance of ever getting adopted again. After much heart breaks, tears, and phone calls we are fighting to get enough money together to give Leia her surgeries and still be able to keep her. She is learning to trust people more and more every day and we know what an incredible, loving, family dog she will be if she only had a little more time. We are therefore reaching out to you and ask you to consider helping Leia at one last chance at a life she has always deserved.