Odin is a 5-year-old German Shephard in Southport, CT, who needs $2,000 for emergency heart surgery.

When Odin didn't make it as a police dog, he ended up as a firefighter's pooch. He came into Robert V.'s life just when he and his wife, Barbara, needed some happiness.

"We had a series of tragedies happen," Barbara tells Waggle. Robert's parents died within months of one another. Then their family dog passed away unexpectedly due to an aggressive form of cancer. "There was so much sadness," Barbara says.

While all this was taking place, Odin was, well... flunking out of police dog training. When Robert, a firefighter, heard about Odin, he picked him up and brought him home. It was like it was meant to be. "He brought life back to the house. It was such a sad place before we got him," Barbara says.

Odin fit in perfectly. He's now five years old, and their family could not be happier. Recently Barbara brought Odin to the vet for a routine appointment and got terrible news: he has a heart murmur and needs surgery to correct it. Without the surgery, Odin could die from cardiac arrest.

> "We were horrified. We were terrified," Barbara adds. "He had a very serious condition we would not have known about if he didn't go in for a routine appointment."

The medical team at Garden State Veterinary Specialists say Odin is projected to do well with surgery. But right now is a tough time financially for Barbara and Robert. Barbara's business is down due to the pandemic, and they can't afford the operation. "We must save Odin," she says. "We cannot have any more tragedy in our family."

Barbara and Robert are hoping Waggle and the organization's generous donors can help. The couple says Odin may not have made it a police dog, but he's the perfect dog for them. He's exactly where he is supposed to be.