Help Harley Run Again!

hello,

my name is Maitreya, my family adopted Harley two and a half years ago. she was brought into the shelter emaciated, with huge paws she tripped over when she ran. a shelter volunteer assured me she'd stay small, but i knew she would grow into those paws.

sure enough, Harley got huge, broad, strong and friendly. so completely unaware of her own might that she'd bowl you over to say hello. i begged my mom to let me get a dog even with her not being a pet person. she agreed to let me adopt Harley, my own dog and companion. she made it clear that it was my responsibility to feed and walk her, which is a significant undertaking for such a large and energetic dog, weighing in at 80 pounds. Harley is sociable, curious and gentle despite how large she is.

more than anything Harley loves to run and play. she's had more than enough space to explore and sprint through the trees on our ten acre property with me, sometimes escaping into a neighbor's property or staunchly refusing to come when called. after all, she's just over three years old, still young. in early march of this year, harley returned from one of her signature romps nursing her back left leg, hobbling back to the house instead of her usual free running. though a vet visit was not in our budget, i couldn't stand to see my dog in pain. at the vet, they told us she had broken her knee, and is in constant pain, even while resting. Harley will still attempt to run and play as she used to, albeit slower and with no less spirit than she once had, but this leads to her re-injuring her knee every time. in the nights following a session of play, she limps in pain, often becoming lethargic and despondent.

Harley is an extremely active dog, she needs to run to be happy and healthy. if this continues she will begin to deteriorate. the pain is causing isolation and depression.

we were informed at the vet that the suggested corrective surgery. due to Harley's size, the surgery to repair the damaged knee totals at $5000, which we absolutely cannot afford.

she needs this surgery.

Harley is still affectionate and playful, but you can tell how much discomfort and pain she's in. all the money we would receive from this campaign would go directly to her surgery and recovery.

please help Harley run again.