On Thanksgiving, our family’s world turned upside down. While playing our daily game of fetch, our beloved dog Zelda landed wrong on her right leg and snapped her elbow. The pain was immediate and intense—she was immobilized and crying out, and we rushed her to the emergency vet. The x-rays showed catastrophic damage, and we were told she would need surgery as soon as possible.

We are a small, close-knit family. My father is a retired, disabled Navy Veteran, my mother is a dedicated stay-at-home mom, and my brother is currently in college while also helping cover the daily costs of our household. The little money we do have is barely keeping us afloat, and this surgery will send us into crippling debt, especially around the holidays. With my father’s fixed retirement income and the minimum we have coming in, we are already struggling to make ends meet. This unexpected crisis is more than we can handle on our own.

The funds raised will go directly toward Zelda’s surgery, her rehabilitation—which could take up to several months—and any at-home care she’ll need to recover. We’ve never asked for help like this before, but we are reaching out to our community in hopes of giving Zelda the chance to heal and return to the joyful, loving dog she’s always been. Any support, no matter the amount, would mean the world to us and to Zelda. Thank you for reading our story and for considering a donation to help our family through this difficult time.