Liam is a one-year-old Labrador mix in Hickory, NC, who needs $1,200 for life-changing knee surgery.

Adopting Liam was a dream come true for Arika W. and her young son.

"About two years ago, I had promised my son that if we together could get him potty-trained, he could have a puppy," Arika tells Waggle. "We contacted the local humane society about adopting Liam a few months later."

And once Liam came home, he was the perfect fit! "Liam would stay on my son's bed until he knew he was asleep for the night and then would come to my side and protect me," Arika says. "Words don't have to be verbal when it comes to best friends like Liam."

But recently, Liam started having trouble walking, so Arika raced him to the Catawba Valley Animal Hospital. "During the first visit, his doctor decided to continue watching his walking and see if it would worsen. Recently, I had brought him back and had X-rays taken. The diagnosis was that he would need surgery due to a severe patella (knee cap) luxation," Arika adds.

Liam needs immediate surgery to fix his knee, so he's not suffering in pain, but Arika is stressed out because she doesn't have the money to pay for it.

"I am a single mother with restricted work hours," Arika says. "Rent recently went up $150 a month, and I had not planned on this surgery. My son felt guilty the other day, thinking he had hurt Liam, wondering why they couldn't run around together."

Now Arika is doing everything she can to save and raise the money Liam needs for his operation. She hopes you can help their family get Liam back on all four paws. He means the world to them.

"Liam is friends with everyone he comes into contact with," Arika says. "Although, his favorite is his immediate family. Liam is a fierce protector even if a leaf falls at the wrong speed outside. He is always around for a literal hug at the moment you need one. No words need to be said, but he feels others' emotions."