Restore Harley's Joy: Fund Her TPLO Surgery

Howdy y'all. My name is Sarah Carmichael, and my partner, Virgil Kistler, and I are here to try and raise funds for our dog Harley Quinn to get a second TPLO surgery.

Harley has been in our life since she was 3 months old. She's a rambunctious girl who loves to run around, hike, explore, dig very large holes, and belly flop in the mud. Recently though, she hasn't been able to partake in any of these activities.

On September 12th, 2024, Harley screamed and collapsed in the park while trying to initiate play with me. Immediately after, she ran away on 3 legs, frantically pulling me to the car and, eventually, the vet. She cried non-stop for hours. We had several radiographs done of her hind legs and hips, and the doctor determined she had torn her cruciate ligament in her right leg. For humans, that’s the equivalent of your ACL. She is also showing early onset signs of arthritis due to hip dysplasia. Without intervention, her injury will continue to grow more and more severe, and her pain will worsen. Given the prognosis and the pain and discomfort she is in, we have already made an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon for a consultation. She will need to have a TPLO surgery to repair the knee.

When she was 2 years old, Harley had her first TPLO surgery on her left leg. This was due to a freak accident and veterinary negligence. With TPLO surgeries, once one leg goes, the other tends to follow shortly after, and unfortunately, we have reached that point. We had hoped to put it off until the end of the year when we moved to a larger apartment, but the universe decided now was the time.

The surgery was quoted between $5,500 and $7,500, depending on several factors. Given her previous surgery experience, we’re pretty confident it will be closer to the high end, if not more. Factoring additional medications, follow-ups, physical therapy, mobility aids, and time off from work, we are hoping to raise $10,000 to cover the surgery and related expenses. Any additional funds raised will be put towards future veterinary procedures.

We hate asking for help, especially knowing how tough things are for everyone right now. If we could afford to pay this out of pocket, believe us, we would. However, most of my income is funneled into paying off my debts, most of which I accrued during the creative industry layoffs and strikes of 2023, during which I was unemployed for over 6 months. I’m still playing catch up today, and probably will be for years to come. Virgil's paycheck isn't enough to cover it either, and is also being funneled into debt relief. We simply do not have the funds to pay for this surgery, even with my full-time job and freelance contracts, and Virgil's fulltime job. We need help.

It kills us that Harley can’t be a dog right now and that we have to tell her no. Seeing her reluctance to come back inside and her sadness at being excluded from adventures is absolutely soul-crushing. The last few days have crushed her spirit in a way we cannot accurately describe. Please help us get her mobility and zest for life back if you can. This dog is our whole world and all we want is for her to be happy, healthy, and comfortable.

Thank you for reading. Tell your pets we said hi.