Hi beloved community, my name is Beth Whalley. I am raising funds on behalf of my dear friend and comrade Deb and her 11 month old puppy, Freedom, to make sure they can be healthy and stay together! Deb adopted Freedom in January and she is just the best dog and emotional support animal. Deb chose the name Freedom in honor of coming home after years of incarceration. The two are inseparable.

Unfortunately, Freedom started running into medical issues recently. She was having trouble walking, lifting her leg when she walked, and yelping in pain. We took her to the vet who determined she has luxating patellas, in which her kneecap (patella) slips out of its groove in the femur. The doctor suggested to try PT exercises before going the surgical route, which unfortunately have not been helping. Freedom's pain has been getting worse. She now needs to have surgery to fix the issue, so she can run and play and go with Deb wherever she roams.

Because Freedom is a bigger breed dog and the issue is significant, the doctor estimated the surgery would cost about $4,000, however, Freedom would need another consultation with MSPCA Angell Boston before the surgery, and funds for the medical equipment, follow-up appointments and prescriptions needed post-op, so we are hoping to raise $6,000 to cover the pre- and post-op appointments.

But, we know the strength of our community and how we show up for each other, and our babies. We know how important Freedom is to Deb and how important Deb is to Freedom. And, we know the structural inequalities that make it impossible for Deb to be able to afford expensive surgeries on her own. I know we can come together to support these two as they work towards building a beautiful and long life together.

Thank you for considering donating and please pass this along to anyone who cares about formerly incarcerated women, community support, really cute puppies, or stable kneecaps. Thank you :)