Nero

About the Campaign

Good boy with a bad knee.

Nero is an 11-year-old male Shepherd mix who has torn the CCL in his other knee and now needs a second TPLO surgery to stabilize the joint and relieve his pain. He already had his first TPLO in 2021, and his vets warned there was a high risk the second knee could eventually tear. Sadly, that day has come.

Sara recognized the limp immediately because it looked just like the first time. This past Saturday, Nero got up funny and started limping badly. She brought him to the vet on Monday, and the diagnosis was confirmed: a torn CCL. Since then, Sara has been trying to keep him on strict activity restriction, but without surgery, his knee will remain unstable and painful.

Nero has been Sara’s dog since he was an 8-week-old puppy, adopted at a rescue event. Sara had looked at a few dogs online, but when she met Nero, he crawled into her lap, fell asleep, and made the choice easy. She paid about $300 in adoption fees and has been his person ever since. Over the years, she also adopted another dog, Zed, so Nero would have a friend, and later added Poppy, a Corgi—so Nero is part of a small pack that depends on Sara.

The financial timing could not be worse. Sara was laid off in February from her job as Head of Creative and UX at an ad tech consulting firm after the company cut a third of its staff. She’s been applying everywhere, but hasn’t found new work yet. She’s covering bills with savings and unemployment and has even sold personal items just to stay afloat.

Because of the layoff, Sara had to cancel Nero’s pet insurance—about $180/month—because she could no longer afford it. Then, almost immediately after canceling, Nero tore his CCL! Sara also applied for CareCredit and was declined. She’s already in debt mediation from paying off debts related to the first TPLO surgery, so there’s no financial way left for another major orthopedic procedure. She’s not asking because she hasn’t tried—she’s asking because she truly can’t do this one on her own, even though Nero’s need is urgent and clear.

Donations will help cover Nero’s second TPLO surgery and related veterinary care so he can get back on his feet and out of pain. All donations are paid only to the veterinarian. Estimate below, click to enlarge: