Peppercorn

About the Campaign

Damaged knee with painful bone-on-bone rubbing!

Pepper is a 3.5-year-old Rottweiler who’s suddenly struggling to move. Her right kneecap is popping out of place, and she’s having a harder and harder time walking and getting up stairs.

At the veterinary visit, Ayana learned Pepper’s issues aren’t minor. Pepper needs orthopedic surgery for both knees—treatment for a torn ACL (cranial cruciate ligament) and correction for a kneecap that won’t stay where it belongs (medial patellar luxation). One knee is described as “bone on bone,” and her mobility has gotten noticeably worse over the last three months.

Ayana has had Pepper for less than a year. When she first brought her home, Pepper was extremely active. Ayana assumed Pepper’s gait was normal—until the vet pointed out it was likely a longer-term issue that had been present before the adoption.

Pepper came into Ayana’s life right after heartbreak. Ayana had recently lost Havannah, her 15-year-old dog, and the grief was still heavy. Then she saw Pepper through a rescue connection, followed her posts for a while, and fell in love. Pepper’s original name was Peppercorn—now she’s simply “Pepper,” and she’s become the calm, sweet “big teddy bear” everyone wants to hug.

Pepper’s surgical estimates from Evergreen Animal Clinic range from $4,018.40 to $6,139.98 per leg, depending on the procedures and plan for repair and aftercare. Ayana is doing everything she can, but she can’t take on this cost alone.

Pepper is young. She has so much life left. With surgery and recovery care, she has a real chance to get back to comfortable walks, easier stairs, and the happy, sturdy life a dog her age should be living. All donations are paid only to the veterinarian. Estimate below, click to enlarge: