One year ago, I made the difficult decision to leave my dog, Leo, in the care of my mother when I moved to Los Angeles. Six long, dog-free months later, I returned to North Carolina to retrieve my best friend and bring him out west .

It's meant the world to me to have him by my side through the whirlwind of 2020, and he's thrilled every day to be a California dog. The stellar weather and abundance of four legged friends in my neighborhood have him living a charmed life. 

Unfortunately, last week I noticed something was off. Leo was barely able to hold any weight on one of his hind legs and he cried through the night more than once. If you know Leo, he never cries. Usually too busy smiling or chasing squirrel shadows.

After a diagnostic visit I was informed by the pros at ACCESS Animal Hospital of California that he has torn his right CCL and will need an invasive reconstructive surgery to repair his leg. The surgery will incur a total cost of $5,000 which is unfortunately beyond what my immediate resources can cover.

This is where you come in. If you have any extra cash this month, I would hugely appreciate if you'd donate some to blunt some of this procedure's currently prohibitive cost. I've set the campaign goal at $1,500. If this goal is met, would provide a speedy recovery for Leo and a decent financial cushion for me.  Leo is the most loving, gentle, and friendliest dog I know and if you've ever met him, I know you would agree (he would certainly be a contender at the very least)! It pains me to see him limping, stoically pretending nothing's wrong, and I want to get him back on his feet (all four of them) as soon as I can.