An ailing dog, goal and 'inappropriate' celebration: MLS player's wild week

Seth Vertelney, USA TODAY Thu, April 9, 2026 at 4:08 PM UTC

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An ailing dog, goal and 'inappropriate' celebration: MLS player's wild week

Before last Saturday's game against San Diego FC, San Jose Earthquakes forward Preston Judd had a premonition.

"I told my girlfriend, my family that there's no way I don't score in this game," Judd tells USA TODAY Sports.

Just before halftime, Judd's vision came to fruition. Beau Leroux played an outstanding low cross from the left flank and Judd, as any good striker does, timed his run to perfection and finished unerringly.

There was still one more act before Judd's full plan could be completed. The striker went to the corner flag, got on his knees, lifted his leg and — like any dog owner would recognize — marked his territory.

A little impolite? Maybe. But there was a deeper meaning behind Judd's antics.

Just days before the game, Judd started a GoFundMe for his dog Poppy, who had been admitted to the ICU in critical condition after visits to several vets.

Poppy was diagnosed with a mesenteric torsion, a "rare and life threatening condition where the intestines twist and cut off their own blood supply," the GoFundMe said.

Judd was prepared to do whatever it took to save Poppy, a three-year-old English Sheepdog/Poodle mix (aka a Sheepadoodle).

"She's really good dog," he said. "She's always around me, she's there for me. She's helped me in multiple situations like dogs do — they're always there for you. They can tell when you're down, when you're happy, when you need somebody, when they just need to be there.

"She's really family to me, and I love her like I love my family."

For Judd, scoring that goal was vital, not just because it helped the upstart Quakes move into third place in the Western Conference.

"I had to use a celebration that would honor Poppy and be sort of fun and get recognized," he said.

"I think some people took it in the wrong aspect, where it was disrespectful, but it was meant to honor my dog and other dogs and create awareness for situations like I was just in."

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Some of those who found the celebration to be disrespectful apparently reside in the MLS Disciplinary Committee, which fined Judd an undisclosed amount this week for his "inappropriate gesture" after his goal.

Judd admitted that he found the fine to be "a little surprising."

"After MLS posted the celebration on their Twitter, I thought maybe I wasn't going to [get fined]," he said.

The fine slightly depleted Judd's savings but not nearly as much as Poppy's medical bills, which he said set him back more than $30,000.

That led to the creation of the GoFundMe, which may be seen as a surprise move coming from a professional athlete.

Judd got some financial support from his family but the bill, which was all due upfront, was a shock to his financial system.

"The reality is, not all professional athletes are millionaires. Just like anyone else, an unexpected emergency —especially something as serious as this — can put you in a very difficult financial position," he said in his GoFundMe posting.

As of Thursday, April 9, Judd is nearly at his $13,000 goal, but the response he's received has led him to widen his scope. Judd is launching a nonprofit called Poppy's Promise, which is designed to provide financial assistance to owners making costly life-or-death decisions over their pet's health.

"My love for dogs is just so great and if I can use my platform to help other dogs and other families, I'm going to do it," Judd said.

Thankfully for Judd, he'll get to continue building his foundation — and his burgeoning MLS career — with Poppy by his side.

"She's doing a lot better now, she's improved a lot," he said.

"Her life will change just a little bit with diet restrictions and how she uses the potty. But other than that, she's doing really good. She's making a full recovery. So I'm very happy and relieved."

1 / 0MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 seasonMarch 22: San Diego FC's Marcus Ingvartsen celebrates after scoring a goal against Real Salt Lake at Snapdragon Stadium. San Diego FC and RSL played to a 2-2 draw.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SJ Earthquakes' Preston Judd explains 'inappropriate' dog celebration

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