Happy is a 13-year-old Beagle in Asheville, NC, who needs $400 for Surgery for Cyst.

After our other beagle, KC passed away in 2010, we were heart broken and began to look for another beagle to adopt. We found Happy at Brother Wolf animal rescue around Christmas. We adopted him in January 2011. He has a torn ear lobe and chain scars on his legs from the cruelty he suffered from his original owner in Madison County. He lives alone with us in our apartment and loves us very much.

Happy has been brother to two Shih Tzus over time. Majik was a black female who had belonged to Patricia's sister who passed away. Buttons was a white male we rescued from the curb outside our apartment building about three years ago. Happy is very friendly and has become a fixture in the apartment community, baying at everyone so they will pet him. Strangers call out to him by name on our walks.

Happy has learned to smile but is still very timid around large dogs. Once he and Majik pulled down the blinds and tried to escape, but the cord caught on Happy's leg and he panicked, causing us to laugh as we imagined Majik calling, "Run Happy, Run!" Happy won't play with toys, but has fun pretending to growl with me as we tussle.

Happy needs surgery to remove a cyst that has grown too large to ignore. It ruptured this week and he has been very uncomfortable. We put a bandage on it and keep him on heavy sedation with benadryl, aspirin, vallerian root, and gabapentin. He is scheduled to have the surgery today and the Vet has agreed to let us pay part of the cost later. We also are behind on his vaccinations.

After the pandemic hit, Patricia lost her job and we have been living on our fixed income Social Security and a few odd jobs working from home. Happy is like our child and we wish for him to live out his natural life with us.