Help Mina get bilateral TPLO surgery & walk again
Donation protected
Mina is currently a three year old Newfoundland who was rescued from a puppy mill when she was just a few months old. She was originally adopted to become a therapy dog but little did I know that I was going to become her therapy human. The two litters of puppies she was found with were kept in a small 6x5 pen where they spent the first few months of their lives, 24/7. When I adopted her she was completely stained with feces and urine, and had bad rashes all over her abdomen and paws. She also had a 2 inch open wound on her head, had an emaciated body, and was terrified of humans.
The entire 6 hour drive home with her was spent soothing her with compliments to calm her down while hoping she would like her new home. I promised her more friends even though it was just the two of us for now. Upon her first veterinary visits we found out that she had roundworms, tape worms, hookworms, giardia, and a UTI. So now we knew why she was so skinny and wasn’t gaining her much needed puppy pudge. It was becoming more and more apparent that this was about to be a steep road to recovery but one that was worth it. I just wanted her to be happy and comfortable. This was a huge challenge as she was terrified of everything and everyone around her, quick movements or direct eye contact would make her pee herself. It took a few months for her to begin to feel comfortable with me. During this time her tail never wagged and I started to think that maybe she wasn’t happy with me. I went to a behavioral therapist who prescribed her some anxiety medications, but after a few weeks of taking them, I knew something was wrong when she would randomly whine as if she was in pain. At this point, she had lost interest in a lot of things. Getting her to play was difficult and she was still struggling with Giardia but now hardly had an appetite. I took her off the meds and started her on CBD oil and EVERYTHING changed. She was suddenly more relaxed and playful and her tail started wagging for the first time! It took another 6 months to fully rid of her Giardia and she finally started putting on weight, and with the weight came comfort, and personality!
At just over 3 years old now she is still a work in progress with socialization but has reached a healthy build and demeanor. She is 120 pounds of lazy, fluffy, silly, attention demanding, irritatingly smart, loving dog. She was finally living a comfortable happy life like I always knew she deserved. When I adopted her I didn’t realize what a light she would be in my life.
A year ago she got a partial tear in one of her CCL’s. Happily though, she recovered after months of physical therapy. However, the good news of her recovery came with a black cloud on the horizon. That cloud being that Mina was now at a high risk of tearing her other CCL from the natural compensations her body made. I knew what that risk entailed, but couldn’t be prepared for what ended up being her reality. This past week, people were lighting extremely loud fireworks nearby in the alley. Mina and I had avoided the situation successfully on her evening walk and were almost in the clear when disaster struck. An alarmingly loud firework went off on our walk up the stairs to the apartment, scaring Mina so badly it caused her to fall down a half flight. She couldn’t make it up the rest of the stairs and had to be carried the remainder of the way and into the apartment. When we got inside, she was bleeding from the mouth from biting her cheek, and she wouldn’t put any weight on her back right leg while shaking on the supporting leg. After she collapsed a few times from the injuries I immediately called the vet’s office, hoping to get a call back and appointment quickly. The vet confirmed a terrible scenario. Mina had completely torn the CCL she had previously injured and the other leg was literally hanging on by a single tendon. This allows her to put a little weight on it to limpa few feet at a time, but still leaves her immobilized from the pain.
As mentioned she is currently due for a Bilateral TPLO Surgery. This surgery involves cutting open both knees, remove a chunk of the bone and repositioning it in the joint with a metal support to make sure the muscles and tendons sit at a sustainable angle with less tension/friction. An injury this big is something I couldn't have prepared for and definitely never imagined needing to happen, especially during a pandemic!
Having been laid off has already put a financial strain on us however I am still determined. The surgeon has quoted me around $9,000 USD. Any help is greatly appreciated! Other ways to help is that I started a business making and selling Indigenous art with my partner who is Ojibwe on Instagram at Heronhilldesigns. All the natural materials are harvested and prepared by us. We also take commissions for custom jewelry work as well as paintings/portraiture both digital and traditional (oil, watercolor, pen and ink).
The money from all the sales is going to her cost of surgery!
with immense gratitude and love,
- Danny and Mina
The entire 6 hour drive home with her was spent soothing her with compliments to calm her down while hoping she would like her new home. I promised her more friends even though it was just the two of us for now. Upon her first veterinary visits we found out that she had roundworms, tape worms, hookworms, giardia, and a UTI. So now we knew why she was so skinny and wasn’t gaining her much needed puppy pudge. It was becoming more and more apparent that this was about to be a steep road to recovery but one that was worth it. I just wanted her to be happy and comfortable. This was a huge challenge as she was terrified of everything and everyone around her, quick movements or direct eye contact would make her pee herself. It took a few months for her to begin to feel comfortable with me. During this time her tail never wagged and I started to think that maybe she wasn’t happy with me. I went to a behavioral therapist who prescribed her some anxiety medications, but after a few weeks of taking them, I knew something was wrong when she would randomly whine as if she was in pain. At this point, she had lost interest in a lot of things. Getting her to play was difficult and she was still struggling with Giardia but now hardly had an appetite. I took her off the meds and started her on CBD oil and EVERYTHING changed. She was suddenly more relaxed and playful and her tail started wagging for the first time! It took another 6 months to fully rid of her Giardia and she finally started putting on weight, and with the weight came comfort, and personality!
At just over 3 years old now she is still a work in progress with socialization but has reached a healthy build and demeanor. She is 120 pounds of lazy, fluffy, silly, attention demanding, irritatingly smart, loving dog. She was finally living a comfortable happy life like I always knew she deserved. When I adopted her I didn’t realize what a light she would be in my life.
A year ago she got a partial tear in one of her CCL’s. Happily though, she recovered after months of physical therapy. However, the good news of her recovery came with a black cloud on the horizon. That cloud being that Mina was now at a high risk of tearing her other CCL from the natural compensations her body made. I knew what that risk entailed, but couldn’t be prepared for what ended up being her reality. This past week, people were lighting extremely loud fireworks nearby in the alley. Mina and I had avoided the situation successfully on her evening walk and were almost in the clear when disaster struck. An alarmingly loud firework went off on our walk up the stairs to the apartment, scaring Mina so badly it caused her to fall down a half flight. She couldn’t make it up the rest of the stairs and had to be carried the remainder of the way and into the apartment. When we got inside, she was bleeding from the mouth from biting her cheek, and she wouldn’t put any weight on her back right leg while shaking on the supporting leg. After she collapsed a few times from the injuries I immediately called the vet’s office, hoping to get a call back and appointment quickly. The vet confirmed a terrible scenario. Mina had completely torn the CCL she had previously injured and the other leg was literally hanging on by a single tendon. This allows her to put a little weight on it to limpa few feet at a time, but still leaves her immobilized from the pain.
As mentioned she is currently due for a Bilateral TPLO Surgery. This surgery involves cutting open both knees, remove a chunk of the bone and repositioning it in the joint with a metal support to make sure the muscles and tendons sit at a sustainable angle with less tension/friction. An injury this big is something I couldn't have prepared for and definitely never imagined needing to happen, especially during a pandemic!
Having been laid off has already put a financial strain on us however I am still determined. The surgeon has quoted me around $9,000 USD. Any help is greatly appreciated! Other ways to help is that I started a business making and selling Indigenous art with my partner who is Ojibwe on Instagram at Heronhilldesigns. All the natural materials are harvested and prepared by us. We also take commissions for custom jewelry work as well as paintings/portraiture both digital and traditional (oil, watercolor, pen and ink).
The money from all the sales is going to her cost of surgery!
with immense gratitude and love,
- Danny and Mina
Organizer and beneficiary
Chelsea Chin
Organizer
Orinda, CA
Daniel Collazos
Beneficiary