Valentina is a nine-month-old Rhodesian Ridgeback mix in San Antonio, TX, who needs $2,000 for urgent leg surgery.

Patricia C. first spotted Valentina in a Texas animal shelter that euthanizes pets for space.

"In November 2021, her litter was abandoned. She walked up to me with a pep in her step, wagging her tail. She was a tiny, skinny, sweet, bright girl, and I was in love. Since then, she has been my best furry friend and my support during tough times," Patricia tells Waggle.

But now Patricia is heartbroken; Valentina fractured her leg playing in a dog park and needed urgent surgery.

Then Patricia got more devastating news: Valentina's bone did not fuse back together. Now she needs a second surgery!

This time she is seeing a specialist at BluePearl Pet Hospital.

"They gave me so much hope that she would be OK with another surgery. They treated her with so much kindness and said that with the proper care, she would recover soon," Patricia says.

Patricia is trying to raise the money for Valentina's second operation.

"This is an unexpected major expense," Patricia says. "A lot of my financial cushion went toward her first surgery. It would mean the world to me to have my sweet girl back on four legs, running, hiking, and playing again."