Bridget is a 5-year-old Australian Shepherd in Elizabeth, IN, who needs $2,000 for Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy.

Bridget was given to me as a Christmas gift from my husband and two daughters . I got her when she was just six weeks old, right after Christmas in January 2018. Bridget is more than just a pet to me. She's my companion. She is a trained service dog who helps me with stability. She goes everywhere with me. My family and I consider her a part of the family, she stole our hearts the moment we net her

Bridget when not working is high energy. Prior to her injury she loved playing fetch and chasing her ball all around the yard. She now enjoys play tug with a little ball or her throw stick inside. She loves when my husband gets home from work. She gets her little nub wagging and goes into a full butt wiggle the closer he gets to the front door. She does the same with my daughters and son in laws.

Bridget loves to be pet and loved on. She never gets enough. When you stop she bumps your hand to let you know she wants more. She loves to give kisses when we are trying to buckle her into the car. One of the funniest thing that she does involves her little buddy, our cat Willow. She chases her through the house and the next minute the cat chases her back through the other way. They're fun to watch

In August of 2022 we noticed Bridget having trouble with mobility. After several trips to the animal clinic she was diagnosed with a partial CCL tear. I ordered a custom brace in Oct. She's been wearing it since then in hopes it would stabilize her leg and give it a chance to heal. On May 3 she was seen by a surgeon at Hillside and it was determined that the leg isn't healing, so she needs surgery

I'm disabled so we depend mostly on my husband's income. Recently we've had several things break down back to back so we've had a lot of extra expenses. I hate that she has so much pain I depend on her help with stability. She hasn't been able to do her job since being injured