Jade is a Blue Heeler puppy in Delaware, OH, who needs $2,000 for orthopedic surgery.

When Ayrica M. saw a puppy with a heart-shaped patch of fur on her side, she knew that was the dog for her family. “I saw her in an online ad for a puppy needing a home,” Ayrica tells Waggle. “I responded to the ad, met her, fell in love, and adopted her. I brought her home as a surprise for my husband.”

Ayrica and her husband, Marcus M., have been through a lot of trauma in the last couple of years. Both say they are abuse survivors. “Marcus recently found out about some horrible situations of childhood abuse he suffered,” Ayrica says. "And two years ago, I fled with my children from a horribly abusive relationship."

So Ayrica was pretty sure when Marcus met Jade, she would help her family find hope, healing, and happiness. “Marcus just cried; he was so happy to have her. She’s super tiny, but she’s become a huge part of our family,” Ayrica says.

The puppy was adopted on Marcus’ birthday, and he tells Waggle Jade has given him new strength as an emotional support dog. “Jade has filled the hole in my heart from surviving childhood sexual abuse,” Marcus says. "In May of this year, I found out more information about what happened when I was a child and was struggling terribly. Jade has eased that pain for me.”

The puppy also loves playing with the kids, and recently a horrible accident happened. “Jade was chasing our son when he tripped and fell on Jade accidentally, letting out a terrible scream,” Marcus says. “Her wrist and part of her left leg were at an odd angle, and we knew it was broken.” The vet soon confirmed their suspicion; Jade has a fractured leg. The radiologist said the puppy needs surgery to fix it, or Jade will not be able to walk without pain, and it will gravely affect her quality of life.

The family has fallen on tough times and is just trying to start over after working through their painful pasts. Money is tight, and they say they spent part of their rent money to get Jade’s initial diagnosis. Ayrica says she feels like thank you isn’t enough to say to anyone who may consider donating to help Jade get her surgery. “I don’t even know if I have the words, Jade came in our lives with all the tools to help us, but now we are falling short to help her.”