My name is Dena and I'm the proud owner of this goofy Rottweiler named Jaxson. Those of you that know me know I went through all sorts of hoops trying to adopt Jaxson. It was very emotional and stressful, but with the help of so many friends in rescue, we were able to bring him home. Note...I didn't want a big dog and I didn't want a puppy. We quickly realized he was ALL THAT - HA!

From the moment I saw his little face on Facebook, I knew I needed him in my life. Of course, at that time nobody thought he was a Rottweiler. He was 13 lbs and 6 months old. He had adult teeth that were stained and missing enamel. His eyes bounced back and forth, he was skin and bones, weak, malnourished, and limping due to weak tendons in his front legs. He had all of the signs of a Distemper survivor. He really was a hot mess.

DNA results showed he is 100% Rottweiler and once he was finally fed good food, he grew...and fast. Unfortunately, he grew all wrong. Shortly after his first birthday, he started arching his back and limping. X-rays confirmed bad hips. Jaxson had his first hip replacement in September. He recovered well, but it was clear we would have to do the other hip quickly because it was causing him too much pain. And this is why we are here right now.

Hip replacements for dogs have skyrocketed. Most owners would choose euthanasia rather than spend $10,000 per hip. We take dog ownership seriously and will do what we can for all of our pets because they are our family. Jaxson's first hip, with all of the diagnostics and multiple specialists, totaled about $15,000. His second hip replacement is December 17th. As much as I wanted to wait until after the holidays, he needs relief now.

I know many of you adore this little man and we would be grateful for any support we can get right now...even if it's just prayers for a smooth recovery! We, and especially Jaxson, thank you so much for all the love you have given this little man already.