Moses is a 12-year-old Terrier Mix in North Hollywood, CA, who needs $1,999 for an amputation.

He had me at hello. All hero’s need a good origin story, this is his. I spotted him at a work/adoption event dangling over the shoulder of a colleague, bug-eyed and ears pert. I whisked him off and adopted him. It was the start of the recession when so many pets were being abandoned. I named him Moses and told folks I found him floating down the LA River in a cardboard box—He is legend.

Moses is the baby and likes it that way. I adopted him for my border collie who loved little dogs. She would hold him down and groom him till he looked like a wet pencil troll and smelled like the inside of her mouth. He interacts with nearly everyone as the little brother—sandwiching himself between anyone sitting close together. He desperately wants you to preen him, fluff and fold him.

I am 82 years old, and on social security and the cost nearly prohibitive. He is my sole companion during the pandemic and losing him would be intolerable. Any help would be tremendous. Mo injured his front left paw while mucking around in the back yard. It’s a mystery how it happened. The injury is a laceration on his toe exposing the bone. His vet did everything possible but it's not healing and a second opinion from a surgeon at Metropolitan Animal Specialty Hospital (MASH) has confirmed that the only option left is to amputate his toe with in the next week to prevent infection.

Moses is under the watchful eye of my camera constantly. I project upon his gentle demeanor a mischievous dog stalking a kitten through a door-him wearing my wigs when I’m not around-the specter in my closet-or playing possum in my comforter. His secret power is his ability to stay still while I frame him as something other than the patient and gentle beast he is. Also, his giant expressive 😍