Five years ago, Vancouver’s Drug Treatment Court gave Glenn Baker a second chance. Instead of going to jail, he could opt into a program that would help him break free of his addictions.

He’s been clean ever since but the shadows that lurk behind his every thought — the shadows he tried to escape with drugs and alcohol — are still very much a presence in his life.

Enter Tona, a rambunctious 90-pound golden Labrador/retriever mix.

“He pulls me out of depression many times a day,” Baker said, sitting under a tree in a park near the supportive housing complex where he lives near Jericho Beach. “Tona is happy all of the time and that happiness rubs off on me…. I just look into his eyes and see magic and love and honesty.”

Tona literally pulls Baker out of his dark places. “When I take him out for a walk, I’m not thinking about my past or all the things I’ve lost.”

But now Tona needs Baker’s help. In early summer, the 16-month-old dog tore a ligament in one of his legs. Hundreds of dollars of vet bills later, Baker was trying to help Tona’s recovery by restricting Tona’s playfulness and enforcing a strict diet. It helped but then, in late August, Tona tore the ligament again, this time with more serious consequences.  

If nothing is done, Tona is facing a lifetime of crippling pain.

“It’s debilitating,” Dr. Michael Orser of Alouette Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge said of the injury’s impact. “The ligament is a crucial structure in the knee. If you tear one, the knee is quite unstable and the two bones slide on one another.”

Dr. Orser examined Tona after each injury and now recommends orthopedic surgery to rebuild Tona’s leg. “It works very well and they’re given a stable knee,” he said. “Tona will be able to walk without pain.”

The surgery can cost upwards of $5,000 but, knowing Baker’s situation, Dr. Orser has offered to perform the procedure at a reduced rate.  Baker is also getting ongoing support from

The Journey Home Dog Rescue, an organization that helps people care for their dogs.

A crowdfunding campaign has been set up on Tona’s behalf. The goal is $2,700, which will pay for the surgery as well as some of Tona’s needs during recovery. Baker is committed to paying a regular monthly amount, as well.

Because you can’t perform half a surgery, the campaign is what’s called All Or Nothing. Donors pledge money but that money does not come out of their bank account until the $2,700 goal has been reached. Then the money will flow to the Alouette Animal Hospital to pay for the surgery.

“I didn’t bear Tona but he’s like my child,” said Baker, whose eyes tear up every time he contemplates a future without his beloved companion. “When I got him, I wasn’t expecting the payoff would be so great.”

With Tona helping him cope with depression, Baker’s next goal is to get a part-time job to give purpose to his days and provide for a better life for himself and Tona.

“Now I get a second chance,” he said. “I put alcohol and drugs behind me and maybe life will turn out good. I consider myself to be the unluckiest luckiest person. There’s a reason I’m here and I want to figure out why.”

To contribute to Tona’s crowdfunding campaign, go to FundAid.ca and search for Help Tona Live a Pain-Free Life.

Dogs make people more social:

In his book The Modern Dog: A Joyful Exploration of How We Live With Dogs Today, UBC professor Dr. Stanley Coren looks at how dogs can help people with depression.

One of the important factors in depression is social isolation. In a study of people who were 60 and older, four times as many people who didn’t have a pet were depressed compared to those who owned a pet.

• owning a dog brings you into more contact with people.  We’re much more prone to talking to a stranger with a dog than we are a stranger just out for a walk.
• dogs provide uncritical and always available social support.
• dogs can provide the same emotional benefits of having caring humans in your life.