For anybody that has met Trooper, you were most likely greeted in a memorable way; by being nudged at your feet or maybe given a ball demanding to be thrown, possibly just a sweet kiss. Few have even been serenaded by his wolf-like howl.

He was gifted to me by a dear friend that knew I was in need of companionship. Trooper and I met in Northern California, we took our first outing as a weekend getaway near Mount Shasta. At a time in my life when I truly needed a creature like him to provide me with love; little did I know just how much joy this sparky cattle dog would give to me over the following years. We moved back home to Michigan because I needed reconstructive knee surgery. He, of course, was the “best boy” and laid by my side through my lengthy recovery. Living up to the true definition of a service animal.

Ironically, Trooper is now in need of my companionship while he must undergo knee surgery of his own. Last week, after limping around for a few days, I found out from his veterinarian that he will require cruciate ligament surgery (similar to our ACLs in humans), on his right rear knee with a lengthy recovery. The cost of surgery is estimated to be $5,000, not including post op exams, medications and therapies. As of now we have our consultation scheduled with the surgeon at the beginning of April. Though the procedure is considered routine, meeting the costs is sadly beyond my capabilities at this point.

He has so much life in him and deserves to run on all four feet once again. I want to be able to give him a high quality of life for the remainder of his years. There are many more balls to be thrown, frisbees to be caught, and lakes to swim. We would be forever grateful for any contribution made or a well wishing for Troopers recovery during his time of need. I will be posting updates as they unfold.

Love and Light !