Hi friends, family, and kind strangers,

We’re reaching out during a really difficult time for our family. Our beloved 7-year-old Australian Shepherd, Troightheach (pronounced Tra-ha), but lovingly known as Troi, needs a $5,000 surgery — a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) — to repair a painful knee injury he got while doing what he loves most: playing fetch at the dog park.

Troi isn’t just a pet. He’s Beks’ first baby, our goofy best friend, our Velcro dog, and our shadow. He lights up every room with his dorky smile and endless enthusiasm, always ready to offer a paw or cuddle. But now, Troi can barely move. He can’t sit normally anymore, often won’t get up to hang out, and has to hop around on three legs because he’s unable to bear weight on his injured leg. Watching him struggle like this has been absolutely heartbreaking — and it’s especially tough on his dog sister, Hazy, who wants to play but can’t.

We’ve explored every other option — rest, medication, supplements, physical therapy — but nothing has helped him heal. His pain has only worsened, and our vet referred us to a specialist who can perform the TPLO surgery by the end of this month. Without it, Troi may never walk or play normally again, and the pain will continue to worsen.

Both of our dogs are rescues, and Hazy came to us through a conditional adoption — she needed a companion dog to thrive. Troi was that companion, instantly. He’s always been the heart of our little pack. We imagined him growing old alongside Hazy and sharing snuggles, backyard adventures, and unspoken comfort. We still hold onto that hope, but we need help to give Troi the care he needs to live pain-free and continue being the dog he’s always been.

The surgery cost is overwhelming: $5,000 remaining beyond the deposit we’ve already paid. And while we’re doing everything we can, we’re not in a place to take that on right now. We don’t want to put it all on a credit card, but we can’t bear to see Troi suffer.

If you can donate anything — truly anything — it would mean the world to us. Every single dollar gets us closer to seeing our sweet boy run pain-free again.

If you can’t donate, sharing this story means more than you know. Thank you for loving animals like Troi, and thank you for giving our little family hope.

With gratitude,

Troi’s family