Joker is a one-year-old English Pointer mix in Livingston, TX, who needs $1,500 for emergency leg surgery.

When Alexandra D. saw a social media post about a litter of puppies abandoned under a house who needed help, she stopped in her tracks. She immediately fell in love with one of the pups. He was light-colored with darling black spots. "He was cute and so adorable," Alexandra tells Waggle.

She contacted the person who posted and picked up the puppy who was so young he had to be bottle-fed. "He was super sweet, quiet, and very loving. He took to my four-year-old daughter immediately,"  Alexandra says. They named the puppy Joker. He went from being a malnourished, discarded dog and blossomed into a wonderful, healthy family member.

But just recently, a terrible accident happened-- Joker was hit by a car. Alexandra raced him to the animal emergency room, and X-rays revealed his leg was fractured. He needs immediate surgery at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists. "They need to put in plates and pins," Alexandra says. "Joker can't run or play until he has the operation to mend the bone and recovers. He's liming around a lot. He can't walk very well. He's so little; he is a puppy and wants to play so bad."

Alexandra and her family are currently in dire straights financially. They were hit with many unexpected bills. Alexandra can't work right now because she has health issues that make her high-risk if she contracts COVID-19. The family is living off her husband's $11 an hour income. They can't afford Joker's emergency surgery and are asking for help. Think of it like paying it forward; tough times can hit anyone.

"We really appreciate it; things are so hard right now. Joker means so much to us. He keeps us happy," Alexandra adds. "He makes everyone around him smile. He is our life companion."