Spoony the Street Dog Needs a Big Surgery

Hannah Cassidy is organizing this fundraiser.

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Last October, a little dog limped through a busy Echo Park intersection while I was at a stoplight. Instinct kicked in and I jumped out of the car to get him to safety. I was able to corner him and get scanned for a microchip (he sadly didn’t have one) and took him home temporarily while I searched for his owners. After 2 weeks without luck, my husband and I came to the sad conclusion that he had likely been dumped (as strays don’t typically make it to senior years on the street).

However, we had completely fallen in love as he became part of our family. Temporary became permanent as we watched this crochety old dog (now named Spoony) with a limp transform in our care. Over the course of a few months with some TLC, Spoony’s energy returned, droopy face healed, and bald spots grew back lush. His limp was initially diagnosed as a luxating patella that could be managed.

Unfortunately his limp never improved and one morning I woke up to him yelping in pain. Terrified, I whisked him to the vet and $1200 in labs and x-rays and medication later, we were told he needed surgery. Spoony has a completely torn cruciate ligament and a mouth full of broken teeth that were likely the result of being hit by a car before I found him. And (as vet bills are) it is an astronomical cost for us.

Here’s the good news: Other than this, he is in great shape. His bones are good and his vitals are great. We fully believe that he has many years of happy life left in him. And I fully believe he deserves to know a happy, pain-free life.

It feels weird to ask for help—there is a mix of shame and embarrassment and helplessness. But the reality is that after scraping by through a long stretch of strike-related unemployment, this surgery will set us back financially more than we’re comfortable with. So through the encouragement of friends, I’m asking…

If you’re able to spare a few bucks for Spoony’s medical bills, my gratitude will know no bounds. Cliché, but any amount helps! And if we are lucky enough to surpass our goal, all excess funds will be donated to Wags & Walks —the nonprofit animal rescue that graciously helped us navigate Spoony’s adoption and initial medical needs.

For transparency, the cost breakdown: