Laura Sokolovic has shed many tears since she learned that her puppy, Sebastian, would have to be euthanized unless she could raise $13,000 for two hip replacement surgeries.

She was in tears again last Saturday when hundreds of dog lovers came to a spaghetti dinner fundraiser to meet the therapy-puppy-in-training.

It looks as if the Help Sebastian campaign is at least at the halfway point. There's enough money for the big-boned dogue de Bordeaux (also known as a French mastiff) to have one hip replaced, perhaps as soon as next month.

Sebastian's owner and friends were hoping to sell 250 spaghetti dinners, at $10 each. A whopping 400 came for the pasta.

"One man walked up to me, looked at Sebastian and handed me a $100 bill. He said he couldn't stay for dinner," Ms. Sokolovic said. "He said, 'Just make sure that dog gets better.' That's when I started crying. I just don't know how to adequately thank everyone."

More than $5,000 was collected Saturday. That's all going toward Sebastian's veterinary expenses because sponsors donated most of the food, including Mariani Gourmet Foods, Bev's Bakery, Dave's Bakery and Jordan Banana Co. Bodybuilders from Lifeforce Fitness Center cooked the food and served it. One hundred T-shirts were sold, and more have been ordered.

Forty-four gift baskets and 25 door prizes were donated and auctioned off. More than $2,000 has been sent to the Help Sebastian fund at Brentwood Bank.

Sebastian was well enough to attend the Saturday fundraiser at St. Elizabeth of Hungary parish hall in Pleasant Hills. The wrinkly-faced mastiff wore the white boat captain's hat that he wears when he works with the Three Rivers Hospice and Family Homes Health Services Pet Therapy Program.

"People seemed so happy to meet him," Ms. Sokolovic said, "and he was happy to see them."

Sebastian's job, after all, is "bringing smiles to those who need it," according to his pet therapy fliers.

Ms Sokolovic is director of public relations and pet therapy at the hospice. The rest of her crew is Anastasia, her 3-year-old Rottweiler, and Kiwi, a 17-year-old African red-bellied parrot owned by Nancy Debb of Duquesne. The animals visit patients in hospice, hospitals and nursing homes. They also visit schools and programs for children. Their visits are free, but donations are always welcome.

In recent months Sebastian has clearly been in pain and sometimes has trouble walking because of his severe hip dysplasia. Standing and sitting are becoming increasingly difficult, and soon he won't be able to walk at all.

Prescription medications are controlling the pain for now. One of his many sponsors, veterinarian Steven Gross of Cheyenne Veterinary Services, regularly comes to Ms. Sokolovic's Whitehall home to do physical therapy on Sebastian's back, legs and joints. The goal is to make him more comfortable and keep his muscles from wasting away as he becomes less active.

At the crowded fundraiser, Sebastian took frequent rest breaks in a crate away from the crowd.

Just shy of his first birthday, Sebastian cannot undergo surgery until the growth plates on his bones have closed. X-rays are scheduled for May 28. The second hip will not be replaced until Sebastian has healed from the first operation.

So many people have already stepped up to help Sebastian. If a lot of people each give a little, the goal will be reached. Go to www.help-sebastian.org for more information.

The 2,400-mile journey of a man and two dogs is coming to an end. They've been walking from Austin, Texas, to Boston to raise awareness about canine cancer research.

They started in Texas in June 2008 and expect to end their march in Massachusetts on June 19. They stopped in Pittsburgh for three weeks last June.

The walkers are Luke Robinson, 39, and his great Pyrenees dogs -- Murphy, 9, and Hudson, 3. Mr. Robinson quit his job, sold his truck and started the two-year trek after his first great Pyrenees, Malcolm, died of bone cancer in 2006.

Go to www.2dogs2000miles.org for more information, including June 19 activities in Boston. There's also information about following "Luke and The Boys" on Facebook and Twitter.

The next step may include partnering with a research organization, said Ginger Morgan of Memphis, Tenn., who helps Mr. Robinson with scheduling and website updates. The research could include collecting blood samples from dogs that have cancer. The research could help both dogs and people, she said.