This week marks Hemi's 2nd birthday and we cannot believe how much he has changed our lives since we adopted him in May of 2012. Joe and I picked Hemi out from all the dogs at the rescue because he seemed so happy and sweet. Plus, he was possibly the most adorable puppy I'd ever seen!Hemi has the most personality out of any dog I've ever met. He is full of energy and a zest for life. Sometimes this energy gets him into trouble (he had a rough patch with mom's shoes) but mostly it just means a lot of fun. He loves cuddling and playing with people, whether he's known them 5 minutes or 5 months. Hemi has also never met another dog or cat he didn't want to or try to play with (cats somehow never seem to return his attempts). He loves when we go for long hikes and when we take him to run at the parks near our house.Besides being our playmate, Hemi is a huge part of our family. He made the cross country journey with us to our new home in August and has truly been our biggest support during this transition. He has a sixth sense when his humans are sad and has always climbed right into snuggle me when I've been homesick. The last time I had the flu, he laid with me for an entire day, using his body heat to fight off the chills. His silly antics, like his cat-like obsession with chasing lights around the house, make us laugh everyday. The best part of our days are the mornings before class when he climbs under the covers for a last snooze and when he meets us at the door when we come home, tail wagging and wiggling.Unfortunately, Hemi hasn't been doing much chasing or running around the last few weeks. During one of our runs around the high school fields chasing lacrosse balls, Hemi tore his back left ACL. He's been confined to the house for the last few weeks while we treat him with anti-inflammatories and pain medicine. Furthermore, the surgery that Hemi needs is out of our budget as full-time law school and Ph.D. students. We have considered all options to try and come up with the funds, but our financial situation as full-time graduate students is extremely limited. Both of us work part time as much as we can, but would not be able to pay for the surgery in time to prevent irreparable damage to his knee. We are reaching out to anyone who can possibly help heal our furry son. We hope that in the future we will be able to return the favor to a dog and family in need. Any contribution, no matter how big or small, would be most greatly appreciated by all three of us.From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!Marti, Joe, and Hemi