Skipper is a 7-year-old Mix in Lusby, MD, who needs $1,900 for Mass Removal and Biopsy.

My husband (Nathaniel), son (Noah) and I adopted Skipper through Petco adoptions in September 2016 when he was about 14 weeks old. They had named him and we liked it, so we decided to keep it. However, he does have several nicknames, such as "Skip", "Skipper D" and "puppers".

Skipper lives with his hooman Mom, Dad, Brother and Grandma. He loves playing with Dad and Brother, getting tons of treats from Grandma and getting back scratches and belly rubs from Mom. Skipper has grown up with my son and at times, has been his only friend. They have a special bond.

Skipper is a fantastic guard dog, who barks at everyone outside, especially the delivery people. After meals, he likes to wipe his face on the rug or blankets (hey, he doesn't have hands to use a napkin)! He makes really funny noises when he hears Grandma doing pretty much anything downstairs. He will also howl to opera or the "A-OO-Wa" from Angry Birds.

At Skipper's most recent check-up at Solomon's Veterinary Hospital, we alerted Dr. Gary Holmes to a growth under his left front armpit and the fact that he was starting to limp a little bit. After exam, he diagnosed a SQ soft tissue mass in the left axilla. Given the location and that it's grown enough to start causing ambulatory issues, Dr. Holmes recommends removal and biopsy.

Unfortunately, my family and I live paycheck to paycheck. We're now in a situation where we have to pay several thousand dollars to have the transmission fixed in my car, as well as Skipper's surgery. There just isn't enough money or credit to pay for both.