PLATTEVILLE, Wis. -- All Trisha and Tiana Faust want for Christmas is a healthy Trixie.

"If I lose her, I don't know what I'm going to do," said Trisha, 11.

Trisha was only about a year old when the family adopted Trixie as a puppy. The girls say their pooch, now a 10-year-old border collie-German shorthair mix, is well-behaved and does tricks.

Early this year, the girls noticed that when Trixie stretched and yawned, she cried. The right side of her face swelled and her eye protruded. Initially, the family thought the problem was caused by an abscessed tooth.

A referral by a Platteville veterinarian sent the family to Veterinary Emergency Services in Middleton. A biopsy revealed Trixie is suffering from Chondrosarcoma -- a tumor of the cartilage.

"My heart sank," said the girls' mother, Michelle, recalling the day she learned the biopsy result. The tumor's growth means Trixie can only open her mouth about a quarter- to a half-inch, and it's hard for her to get her required daily calories.

But the prognosis is good. The tumor is slow-growing

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If you would like to donate to the "Trixie" fund, send checks to Vernon and Michelle Faust and family, 715 Sickle St., Platteville, Wis., 53818.

and can be surgically removed.

The bad news: The surgery costs about $2,500 and the family has collected a little more than $800. Trisha and Tiana have collection jars located at five Platteville businesses: Party & More, Country Kitchen, Rountree Family Restaurant, Pizzeria Uno and Clare Bank.

If they come up with the money, the surgery -- estimated to take about four hours -- will be performed at the University of Wisconsin Veterinary School in Madison.

Michelle acknowledges there have been some questions about the effort to save an older dog.

"If Trixie had other health problems, I probably wouldn't try so hard and I'd let nature take its course," she said.

Veterinarians say Trixie is a relatively healthy dog and could live to be 15 or 16.

"(Trixie) is part of the family," Michelle said. "All my girls' names begin with T. I'll say, 'C'mon girls, let's go.' And she'll be the first one to the door. My husband (Vernon) won't admit it, but he has a soft spot for her, too."

The family isn't blessed with wealth. If it were, the surgery would have been done months ago. But Trixie's shots are all up to date, she's well fed and lives indoors with the family.

"You don't let kids go without medical attention," Michelle said. "You don't let an animal go without medical attention. If you have a pet, you have responsibilities."

Trixie likes to sleep with Trisha or on a beanbag chair in the girls' bedroom.

"She brings a lot to my life, everything," Trisha said.

Michelle said Trixie has a sixth sense when something is wrong, and comfort comes naturally. That might explain why the girls are so devoted to their four-legged friend.

"She's everything to me," said Tiana, 16. "When I'm, like, sad or down, I can always be with her and I feel better."