Amazon Smiles Is Ending/ Our 25th Small Paws® Rescue Anniversary Bash Will Be In Pinellas Park, FL. On Sunday, March 11, 2023!/ New Bichons!/ “Pup” Is Running Up Stairs Video!/ From Robin: Prayers Needed For My Reagan

Sadly, Amazon Smiles is ending as of Feb 20, 2023.

We are very grateful for Amazon and all they did for us through Amazon Smiles.

 
I know that many of you are angry at Amazon for this decision, but, they didn’t owe this to us. They are a private company.
 
And yet we got to benefit from Amazon Smiles for many years. Many Bichons were helped through Amazon Smiles.
 
We got this letter from them, so I want to share it with all of you. 
 

Dear charitable organization,

In 2013, we launched AmazonSmile to make it easier for customers to support their favorite charities. We were excited about the potential for the program and the impact it could have for many charitable organizations. We want to thank you for your partnership during all these years.

After almost a decade of running AmazonSmile, we learned that with so many eligible organizations—more than 1 million globally—our ability to have an impact was often spread too thin.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen that Amazon can have a more significant and lasting impact if we invest in specific areas and focus our philanthropic efforts in the communities where our employees live and work. We’ve started to see the benefits of a more focused approach with our investments in programs like Amazon Future Engineer and our $2 billion investment in building affordable housing in our hometown communities through the Amazon Housing Equity Fund—and we will continue to pursue and invest in other areas where we’ve seen we can make meaningful change.

We are writing to let you know that we have made plans to wind down AmazonSmile by February 20, 2023. Until this date, customer purchases made via AmazonSmile will continue to accrue funds for your charity as normal. To help nonprofits like you plan ahead, we will also provide you with a one-time payment equivalent to three months of payments based on what you accrued in 2022 through this program. The timing of this final payment will be approximately 60 to 90 days after February 20, 2023. We hope that this will help minimize the impact that this decision might have.

You will be able to continue asking for the support from Amazon customers in other ways, like creating your product lists.

We will keep supporting thousands of charities across the U.S. in many ways, and focus on the areas we believe can help create an even greater impact. Our long-term commitment to our communities remains the same: We are determined to help create a better world for our customers, our employees, and the communities we serve across the country.

Thank you,
AmazonSmile Team

To date, Amazon Smiles has donated a total of: $31,009.47 to Small Paws® Rescue Inc. as of November 22, 2022 and $400,026,236.70 to all charities as of December 2022.
 
Many thanks to all of our supporters who shopped through the Amazon Smiles program for all of these years, in order to help Small Paws® Rescue. 

 

We have added our Text-to-Donate feature! It’s simple and secure. You can use any major credit card as well as Google Pay and PAYPAL! Text the number 44321 (how easy is THAT number to remember?!) and type the letters SPR ( all capitals) in the message area. A secure link will come up with simple instructions. After that, you can text a donation of any amount to Small Paws anytime without filling out your information again! We hope you enjoy the ease and security of Text-to-Donate, to help the Bichons!

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Early Thursday Morning January 26, 2023

Gem of the Day: Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.

“Rose Kennedy”

Dear Small Pawsers,

I want to tell you about our 25th Anniversary Florida Bash, coming up on Sunday, March 11, 2023, at Freedom Park, located at 9990 46th St N, Pinellas Park, FL 33782-3711.

Save The Date!

Exact Times and the restaurant where we will all have dinner on the Saturday evening before, will be announced soon!

25 years ago this coming May, our magnificent obsession began, so we are celebrating in Florida, under the direction of our Florida Team Leader, extraordinare, Vickie Inglee at vette99@tampabay.rr.com. Thank you so much to Vickie and her team!

Next, we recently got two, 1 year old male Bichons, who are extremely bonded. 

We got an owner surrender form in Ohio, for two boys. Their mom has five children and was completely overwhelmed with two Bichons, and their expenses. She made it clear that she wanted them to stay together because they are so bonded.

 

“Casey”

Well, when our Ohio Team Leader and Charter Small Pawser, Sharon King, went to pick them up, we were so disappointed.  The husband had decided he wanted to give Charlie to a relative and split the pair up. Oh no! We were only able to take Casey! The pair was separated. I was heartbroken for them both. This was Casey, matted to the skin. He howled for Charlie. He was missing his brother so much. He lost his home, family and his best friend, all at once and he couldn’t figure out what had happened.

 

Sharon had Casey groomed. But I wasn’t going to give up on Charlie. those who know me know that I’m like a dog with a bone. I let the owner know that Casey was wailing and pining for his brother. But, it was all up to her husband.

I corresponded with her daily. It seemed that Charlie was crying non stop too.

Yes! The husband agreed to let us take Charlie, too!

Click here to see the happy reunion in MP4! 

Click here To See it in a MOV File

   

Here they are getting ready to go to foster car in Illinois. Together!

Charlie’s mats. Many thanks to Davis Rann for grooming Charlie!

Meet this darling bonded pair, Charlie and Casey Small Paws!

Next, we have another amazing update on “Pup” who survived having a mass removed from inside of her spinal cord. 

Remember Pup? She was in constant back pain. She had a mass inside of her spinal cord! A neuro-surgeon removed it. This is an update from her foster parent, Mike Montgomery at jmikemontgomery@gmail.com. Mike and Sally have failed fostering 101 and have adopted Pup as their very own!

“Hi Robin!
 
Sally mentioned you’d left a message about how Pup is doing.  Here’s a quick update…
 
Pup has regained all of her prior mobility and then some, and is moving around easily.  Actually does run some which is nice, and her back is very straight.  I recall when you did the fund raiser someone expressed a wish she’d be able to run up stairs again at some point.  As the attached video shows, she hit that milestone. 
 
 
One day, she just decided to run like the other dogs, and there she went.  Hasn’t quite got going down stairs figured out yet, but she keeps up with the rest of the pack nicely and is just a happy squirmy little bundle of fur.
 
She does all the normal dog things like sniffing around and all.
 
Pup is no longer on any medications, and her incision has healed almost completely.  She still has a very small scab at one place, and the incision is a bit inward but I’m confident that’ll resolve itself as her hair continues to grow in.  She looks like a miniature sheep from the back with all of her hair on the sides and back.  
 
FWIW, at this point we can move ahead with the adoption if that sounds good to you.  If you want to send us the forms, we can get them completed and back to you.  Thanks again for all of your support through this process, we know Pup is definitely much happier than she was before.
 
Thx!
Mike”

Pup is one that most rescues wouldn’t have been able to help.

With your help, and a great Neuro Surgeon, Dr. Michael Orencole, DVM, DACVS, we put this one back together after finding a mass INSIDE of her spinal cord! Miracles, I tell you! Miracles!

Lastly, and this is personal from Robin. (Ya don’t have-ta read this part, but please do.)

I was almost done with this newsletter, yesterday on Wednesday afternoon.

Earlier that Morning, I noticed that my heart dog, and my Registered Service Animal, 12 year old Reagan Pressnall, hadn’t eaten his breakfast and was lethargic. Then he threw up.

Ok. Dogs throw up. We gave him a Cerenia tablet for nausea.

But then I noticed he was ADR. (Veterinary term for Ain’t Doing Right) Then he threw up again. Then he started hunching his back and walking funny.

He was FINE on Tuesday. Bouncy! Happy to go for a walk! Fine!

Then he wasn’t fine on Wednesday.

He and I are so in tune with each other.

His Dad, Dale and I, scooped him up and off we went to the ER owned by our fabulous Internist, Dr. Steven Hodges, Oklahoma Veterinary Specialists.

Well Reagan’s gums were pale and a quick ultrasound showed his gall bladder was enlarged and full of something.

They think it will need to come out tomorrow. Surgery.

I was texting with Dr. Hodges at home while we were there.

He’s coming in and first thing in the morning he will give him an extensive ultrasound and work up. I’m praying that it IS his gall bladder since that is fixable with surgery. I believe it is.

Six years ago a pink lump came up overnight on his nostril. I knew. I knew it was cancer.

Dale told me that I didn’t know that. (He says that so much that I have learned to tune it out. What do I do for almost 25 years now? He’s been married to me 37 years! Wouldn’t he know to listen to me by now? Oh nooooo.)

Off we went to emergency where the lump was removed that very night.

It was Epithlial Lymphoma, the rarest form of canine cancer.

Reagan was only six years old. We turned to prayer and asked all of you to pray.

He and I moved to Dallas for a month where he got radiation on the week days and we came home on weekends, They told us that radiation was a cure and it was. Thank you Jesus.

Then in September of 2021, the UPS guy rang the bell. It was a free for all and one of my 3 Bichons, Romance Pressnall, jumped on Reagan’s back.

Right in front of us. I head the scream. I saw him go down, paralyzed. Dragging himself, screaming.

I knew what it was, though Dale told me that I didn’t know that for sure. (Same song, 100th verse.. who am I, chopped liver?)

Off we went to the ER and the next morning, Reagan had TWO discs removed. His surgeon hadn’t see that in 21 years, even with a hit by car situation.

Again, we asked for prayer.

Post op, he regained about 98% of his abilities. He still does his little show walk prance!

Watching it unfold in front of me haunted me. I prayed. I couldn’t stop seeing and hearing it. So someone suggested I have him trained as a Service Animal, so that he could go with us everywhere, and I did! 120 hours of training, via Zoom, with a Service Dog trainer, and this dog is just amazing. He took to it like this was what he was meant to be.

Every restaurant in town knows him and his Government ID number. He lays on his bed and doesn’t make a sound.

People are surprised to learn he is even there, he is so good. He’s trained to ignore another dog, in case there is another Service Animal in a restaurant. He’s coming with us to the Florida Bash in six weeks and you can meet him.

It’s 1:51 A.M. now on Thursday morning. I’m about to call ICU and get an update.

Again, I covet your prayers for Reagan and for us. He is such a great dog, living his best life, even after all of the curve balls.

I will forever be grateful that I get to be his Mom. He is just something else.

Thank you for praying, All My Love, Robin

 

We have also now added Text-to-Donate feature! It’s simple and secure. You can use any major credit card as well as Google Pay and PAYPAL! Text the number 44321 (how easy is THAT number to remember?!) and type the letters SPR ( all capitals) in the message area. A secure link will come up with simple instructions. After that, you can text a donation of any amount to Small Paws anytime without filling out your information again! We hope you enjoy the ease and security of Text-to-Donate, to help the Bichons!

 
 
 
 

If we already have your credit card on file, please e-mail Louie and let him know the amount of your donation.

(This is IF and only IF you can afford to help! Please take care of you and your own dogs first.)

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Companies Who Match Employees Donations

 

If you are going to shop at great stores anyway, why not help SPR at the same time and use Igive.com? Join now for free and select Small Paws Rescue Inc. as your cause!

This is the link to sign up for Small Paws Rescue!

The iGive Support Team

P.S. If you want to track how your cause is doing, please visit http://www.iGive.com//html/causestats.cfm.

Try GoodSearch.com as your search engine and as your online shopping portal!
Small Paws is signed up and each time you use it, either to search or to go to an online seller, funds are sent to Small Paws for the Bichons! You can buy those shoes at Zappos and those books at Amazon *AND* donate to Small Paws Rescue! Try it out! So far, Small Pawsers have done over 100,000 searches and have shopped to raise $$2,641.38 for Small Paws Rescue!

How to Become a Much Needed Small Paws Rescue Foster Parent!

See how we REALLY feel about our volunteers!

Florida Charity Registration # CH37698

Humphrey Sisco

Dec 26, 1993~ Aug 30, 2006 Pet Loss Link

When I first saw this beautiful picture of Cheri Sisco’s “Humphrey”, I thought it was truly the epitome of what we do, and why we do it. I wanted to use this black and white picture of Humphrey, taken only days before his death due to congestive heart failure, to let those who may be new to Small Paws, know what we do and why we do it. Without Small Paws, Humphrey would have never known love. He would have died in a kill shelter, sick and alone. Because of Small Paws, and Cheri Sisco, he lived, he loved, and he smiled.

(All recipients of the Small Paws Rescue newsletter receive it voluntarily. Small Paws never gleans e-mail addresses from other e-mail lists. Small Paws never solicits e-mail addresses or shares them with other “lists” or organizations.)