Ari is a 9-year-old Labradoodle in Pasadena, MD, who needs $2,000 for Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy.

After the death of my last dog, a beautiful Black Labrador named Bentley, I was pretty depressed. Then Ari came into my life and she rescued me from my sadness and sorrow. I named her after Bentley's astrological sign, Aries. I never knew an animal could be so loving and gentle. Her joyfulness is contagious. Even with a torn ACL (CCL) she still looks as happy as ever but I know she is hurting.

Ari is one of our two family dogs. We live in a small house with my Mom and Dad (who love her to death), both retired, and I am semi-retired. Ari is just the happiest dog all the time and we can't help but to feel happy when we are around her. She sleeps in my bedroom with me and I get to wake up every morning to her smiling face. She loves people and gets very excited when folks come over.

As I said we are all pretty much on fixed incomes and all told the cost for her treatments and rehab will run in excess of $4000. It would mean the world to us to have our baby back healthy again and I promised Ari I will do everything I can to make her whole again.

Ari was out playing in the yard one day and I heard her yelp really loudly. She came into the house limping badly. We got her to the vet for x-rays and the doctor told us she had torn the CCL in her left hind leg. We were informed that she needed an operation and that it would cost $3,450 for the surgery at Maryland Veterinary Surgical Services with Dr. Honor Ame Walesby in Catonsville, MD.

Ari loves to run and play in the yard. Her favorite game is fetch. She'll go and get the ball and drop it right at my feet, having never been trained to do it. She loves people and will run up to the fence to say hello when any of our neighbors comes near. Inside the house she spends most of her time begging for treats and sleeping. We also play fetch in the house with a treat dispensing ball.