A Leg Up for Lumi: Help Her Run & Play, the Life She Deserves
At the end of January, my beloved dog, Bear, became very ill and passed away suddenly. I was heartbroken and overwhelmed by grief. I was not ready to adopt another dog, but the silence in my home and the space he left behind felt unbearable. I decided to foste r at the end of April, not because I was ready to move on, but because helping a dog in need felt like one small way to keep putting love into the world.
That is how Lumi came into my life. She arrived emaciated and frightened, with mange, skin infections, parasites and only about one-third of her fur and all I knew was that she had been feral . She had every reason to be afraid of the world, yet beneath all that uncertainty was a gentle, joyful little soul who still wanted to trust. As I helped her body heal, she began healing something in me. She brought light back into my home, joy back into my days and warmth back into my grief-stricken heart.
When someone came along who seemed like a wonderful fit for Lumi, I welcomed her adoption. I believed that was her path, and I still felt it was too soon after losing Bear to open my heart fully to another dog. But 14 days later, Lumi was returned because of her leg. Her adopters’ veterinarian had recommended a surgical consultation . When she came back, something became clear: Lumi needed more than a safe place to land. She needed someone who would choose her, fight for answers and keep advocating until every possible path to the life she deserves had been explored.
At that moment, I knew Lumi was meant to be mine. I thought I had opened my home to help her heal, but she had already helped mend my broken heart. She changed me. I cannot help but believe that my Bear was guiding me toward her—that even when I did not think I was ready, he knew she needed me and that I needed her too. Lumi chose me when I was grieving, and I chose her when she needed someone to stand beside her. Despite her challenging start to life and the limitations of her leg, she has not met a human or dog she doesn’t want to befriend, she greets everyday with enthusiasm and determination to get the maximum number of licks , scritches and treats . Her spirit is infectious, she brings light and joy wherever she goes. Now it is her turn to heal, and I am asking for help giving this remarkable little dog the future she deserves.
Meet Lumi: Okay friends, while the rest of me was growing into the goodest girl, one of my legs decided to grow in its own creative direction
Lumi is just over a year old, but without urgent veterinary care, the simple joys of being a dog , running, playing and exploring—could become increasingly painful and difficult for her. A growth plate in her ulna stopped growing too soon while the radius beside it continues to grow. With nowhere to go, the radius has begun to bow, pulling her leg out of alignment and causing her paw and bones to twist. The deformity is also affecting her elbow, where the bones are no longer fitting together as they should.
This is a progressive orthopedic condition that is already limiting Lumi and will lead to worsening pain, joint damage, arthritis and lifelong mobility challenges. Her veterinary surgeon has recommended a two staged surgerical approach, with a total fundraising goal of approximately $14,000 .
Our first and most urgent milestone is $3,500 for surgery to remove a section of the shortened ulna and release the restriction on her still-growing radius. The sooner Lumi can have this procedure, the greater the opportunity to limit further bowing, twisting and joint damage while allowing her leg to continue growing with less restriction.
Once she has healed and finished growing (expected to be in approximately four to five months), she will need a second corrective surgery to straighten and stabilize her radius bone . Our second funding milestone is $10,500 . Reaching the first goal gets Lumi into surgery as soon as possible; reaching the full goal gives her the best chance to complete both stages of treatment and move toward a more comfortable, active life.
These surgeries are Lumi’s best chance to protect her leg from further damage and give her a future with less pain and greater freedom. I am asking for help so Lumi, who has already overcome so much, can have the chance to move comfortably, play freely and live the full, active life she deserves.
Hello hoomans , m y zoomies are buffering— help give me a leg up before the squirrels notice!
Before I adopted Lumi, the rescue organization, AARCS, was aware there was a concern with her leg. She had previously been adopted and returned after her condition was identified. AARCS consulted its veterinary team, but Lumi was not assessed by an orthopedic surgeon. The care plan presented for this young dog was lifelong medical management with multiple prescription medications, together with significant activity restrictions: short on-leash walks, no running, no off-leash time and no unrestricted play. Despite my requests for a surgical consultation, I was told that specialist assessment was not considered necessary. Because I was her foster caregiver rather than her legal owner, I could not independently authorize that consultation.
The barrier was not that Lumi lacked a path to a better outcome, it was that she could not access a surgical opinion until I adopted her and became responsible for her care. That is what I chose to do. Since then, three surgeons have reviewed Lumi’s case, including two formal surgical consultations. Their opinions have been consistent: Lumi is a strong candidate for corrective surgery, with a favourable prognosis. After surgery and recovery, she is expected to have the opportunity to run, play and enjoy off-leash freedom, instead of facing a lifetime defined by medication and restriction. Unfortunately, Lumi’s condition is considered pre-existing, so her pet insurance will not cover the costs of her diagnostics, surgeries, hospitalization, medications or recovery. The barrier now is financial: the two surgeries cost approximately $14,000. The full financial responsibility falls on me, and as much as I want to give Lumi everything she needs, this is more than I can manage on my own.
That is where you can make a life-changing difference for her.
Help me run toward the future I deserve, preferably at full zoomie speed!
Lumi has already endured a difficult start to life—surviving illness, mange, pain and uncertainty while learning what it means to feel safe and loved. Through it all, she has remained joyful, trusting and determined. She chose me to advocate for the care she needs, and in doing so, she changed my life. Now I am doing everything I can to change hers, but I cannot do it alone.
This is where you become part of Lumi’s story. Your support can
help turn a future of lifelong medication, pain and restriction into
one filled with movement, possibility and freedom.
You are helping her run.
You are helping her play.
You are helping her explore trails, chase toys, make new friends and simply be a dog.
Every contribution brings her closer to the surgeries that could allow her to simply experience the life every young dog deserves.
If you can donate, thank you . Y our generosity will help fund Lumi’s surgeries and recovery.
If you can share her story, thank you . Y ou may help it reach the person who can move her one step closer to healing.
If you can simply cheer her on, thank you . Y our kindness reminds us that we are not facing this journey alone.
However you support her, you are helping change what is possible for Lumi . You are helping give her the chance to heal, to leave painful limitations behind and, one day, to run freely on all four paws. She chose me, and I chose her. By joining us, you are choosing her too, and helping give this remarkable little dog the joyful, active future she has fought so hard to reach.
Join my pack : for pup-dates on every brave step, healing tail wag and long-awaited zoomie s
Your contribution is a gift toward Lumi’s veterinary care, but it comes with something meaningful: the opportunity to see the difference your kindness makes in this girl’s life . I will share her journey with her Dog Pack, including her surgeries, recovery, rehabilitation, challenges and milestones, so you can follow the progress you helped make possible.
The Dog Pack will become part of Lumi’s community—a group of people who chose hope and possibility for a young dog when she needed it most. You will share in every hard-won step: the day she comes home from surgery, the first signs of healing and, we hope, the moment she can finally run and play with greater comfort and freedom. Most of all, you will know that your compassion helped give Lumi a future that once felt out of reach. That impact will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
A Leg Up for Lumi : it is the hope that the little dog who helped mend my broken heart will finally have the chance to heal too. I promised her that when she needed someone to fight for her, she would never be alone again. Asking for help is part of keeping that promise.
If you donate, share her story or simply hold her in your heart, you become part of her future. One day, when Lumi is racing toward everything she loves on all four paws, I will know that she did not get there alone. She will be running because of her P ack, a community who chose to give her a leg up when she needed it most.
From the deepest part of my mended heart, thank you for choosing Lumi 🐶🐾❤️.
