We’d like to introduce you to our dog, Toro. Toro is 5 years old and has been with our family for the last 4 years at which time he’s quickly become our best friend and a very important part of our lives. Toro came into our family when a friend posted the photo you see above, asking if anyone would be willing to take in a puppy. The photo of Toro as a pup immediately swayed my family into adopting him and bringing him home to stay with us. Throughout the years, he’s brought us so much love, joy, and excitement. After losing our last dog so suddenly, Toro really has helped us feel the love and bond that we all look for in our pets. Recently: Toro has not been doing well. About a month or so ago, we noticed that he was having trouble getting up from laying or sitting down. His hind legs didn’t seem to be working like they normally would and he eventually developed a limp once he was finally able to get up to stand or walk. It got worse after a couple of days so we immediately decided to take him to his vet where they ran various tests and took various images of his hip and legs. After the doctors evaluation, they discovered that Toro had a cruciate tear in his right hind leg. This is equivalent to a person tearing their ACL which is incredibly dangerous and painful. We’re still unsure about when or how this happened, unfortunately. As the days progressed, so did Toro’s limp and the pain in his leg. He continued to struggle getting up off the floor. My family decided to research the surgery and other treatment options, but the only reasonable and effective option is to operate on his leg. In doing research, we came into contact with several possible veterinarian surgeons and quickly learned how tedious and expensive a surgery like this can be (recovery time alone is about 4 months). After a few days of research, we were able to find an affordable doctor in San Diego who has agreed to operate on Toro in mid-April. Although this is the most affordable doctor we’ve found, it’s still incredibly difficult for us to raise within a month. The longer we wait to operate, the higher the chances of Toro developing arthritis are. Toro is a young and relatively healthy dog who deserves to live a long comfortable life. We understand that times are more difficult now than ever, but any donations would be greatly appreciated! These donations would go entirely towards surgery and post-surgery costs which include blood work and medication. You can learn more about soft tissue surgery online if you search “cruciate tear surgery” or you can reach out to us for more information. We are confident that this surgery will put Toro on the right track towards the life he deserves. Our family is incredibly appreciative of your help and generosity. Thank you!