To be honest, I don’t really know where to start – perhaps I’ll just jump straight in. I’m terribly ashamed that, at the moment, I can’t see any other way forward than to ask for mercy and help. You see, I have a dog who, just over a week ago, suffered an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee. Apparently, she needs an operation, which is expected to cost around 2,000 euros, but I haven’t seen that sort of money for years. You see, I am on disability pension; I live with my mum, who is also on disability pension, and with my dad, who has advanced dementia (I can send proof of all disabilities and medical conditions later, if needed).We cannot afford a care home; we try our best to look after him ourselves, though I rarely feel we are succeeding. Watching her suffer fills me with a constant sense of guilt, helplessness, and remorse... you see, that is also why I am writing. I would like to emphasise that I do not wish to cause anyone a guilty conscience with my life’s turmoil, but merely to ask for help. If it is not possible, I understand; one cannot save the whole world, but a word is not a horse.