Chica is a 12-year-old Chihuahua in Ballwin, MO, who needs $1,200 for dislocated knee.

Twelve years ago I had to put my puppy down that was only 12 weeks old. I received Chica as a gift about 6 months later. I made a promise that I would take care of her and not let anything happen to her. In the past year she had emergency surgery and now she will need surgery for her knee. I have fallen on hard times due to the pandemic and can not afford her vet bills.

Chica is the most loving Chihuahua. Once you start petting her she refuses to let you stop. Heaven forbid if you start scratching her belly, she will lay on her back for hours just for that belly rub. The vet wanted to know where we got her because if she were to have a dog bite her it would be from a Chihuahua. The vet was in love with her.

I have my own business making crafts from wood. My business has suffered catastrophic losses due to the pandemic and the inflation cost of lumber. I am barely making it myself and any “extra” costs would throw us in an even bigger down hill spiral.

Chica had to have emergency surgery in April of 2020. She had an infected uterus. That surgery alone cost us $1200. While at the vets office the vet said her knee was dislocated but she popped it back into place. She said eventually Chica would have to have surgery and that surgery would cost anywhere from $1200 to $1400. The vet treating her has since left County Animal Hospital.

Chica has helped me through some very difficult times. She notices when I am feeling down and cuddles right up next to me and demands to be scratched. She is always standing next to my husband while he is cooking supper just in case a piece of something would fall. Chica has been a godsend for both of us. She has been a true support dog.