We do ACL surgeries at my clinic all the time. We are not a specialty practice, but will do it for smaller dogs and/or clients who don't have the finances to go to the specialist. Our success rate i would guesstimate to be around 90% with strict owner compliance with post-op exercise restrictions. I have seen soo soo many success stories following the procedure versus the unsuccessful stories usually is because owners did not follow through with post-op restrictions. It sounds like you're already good with keeping her restricted at your moms.

A torn ACL does not get better. I know first hand that it is not a cheap procedure, but check around your area for different vets or practices that may do it a little cheaper. I have only seen one knee repair fail that wasn't the fault of the owner, and we re-repaired it for free.

I wish you lived closer to come to my clinic