“Pup’s” Surgery Has Been Postponed Until Next Monday, December 5, 2022. See Below.

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!

 

 

 

To make a one time donation, or a monthly donation to Small Paws Rescue, you may use your major credit card securely, at this site. Enjoy our user friendly, secure site to make your credit card donations. 

 

If you’ve made a past donation by credit card, you may e-mail Louie Bertolino at louieb@smallpawsrescue.org to let him know the amount of your donation. If we already have your credit card on file, please e-mail Louie and let him know the amount of your donation. Or give him to a call at 337-324-2466 to make a donation. Louie is in MA. on Eastern Time.

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Dear Small Pawsers,

Thanks to all of you, we were able to schedule little Pup’s surgery for Tuesday, November 29, 2022.

We would have done this sooner but her surgeon was out all of this week for the Thanksgiving Holiday. They have been keeping her free of pain, in the mean time. 

I will let you all know after she is out of surgery and has been awake for a while.

It may be early Tuesday evening, so don’t worry if you don’t hear anything any earlier. Like the surgeons always tell me, “No news is good news.”

We have one last challenge to issue from  Judy DeAngelis at judyadea@gmail.com. Thank you Judy! 

Hi Robin ,

I also want to remind you guys what NOT to feed to your dog on this Thanksgiving weekend! They can get bones stuck or pancreatitis. Emergency Rooms are full after Holiday dinners. Here’s the do and don’t list!

From AKC. Which Thanksgiving Foods CAN I Give My Dog.

Ok. That’s all for now.

I’m putting up a Thanksgiving Auto Responder, but I will still be checking for emergencies.

Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving! Love You All, Robin 

A Thanksgiving Poem

I give pause to my paws on this day of Thanksgiving,

Whether wide-eyed, or doe-eyed, or with eyes that seem hidden,

They’re focused on you,

As I watch for a clue

Just a wink or a touch,

Says I’m important to you.

But my words sound like woof

My voice kind of gruff,

So I know that

My thanks may seem never enough,

But this secret I share

With you on a whim

All dogs speak best with what’s farthest from them,

Whether fluffy or skinny, full-sized or “a la carte”

Always watch for our tail,

It’s attached to our heart.

(Author unknown)

_______________________________________________________________________

Later Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Dear Small Pawsers,

We have five new matching donations for little “Pup” to have spinal surgery.

First, from Jackie Kolb, at jskolb225@gmail.com, we have this very generous matching challenge for $1000.00 for Pup’s surgery, Thank you Jackie, so very much for issuing this. I hope someone is blessed enough to match it!

“Dear Robin—

And from Dawn Bove at d.bovefcpmllc.com,  we have this challenge for $200.00! Thank you so much Dawn! Is there anyone who can match Dawn?

And from our Texas Team Leader, Michelle Morgan, at mrmorgan@kw.com, we have this challenge for $200.00! Michelle, thank you for all that you do! I hope that someone is home and can match your challenge for little Pup!

“Robin, I’d like issue a challenge of $200 to help little Pup get her surgery so that she can live her best life!, Michelle”

And next, from Deborah Berger at normenski@aol.com, we have this challenge for $100.00! Thank you Deborah! Is there anyone who can match Deborah?

I’ll do a $100 challenge. Deborah 🌺

And from Mary Jo Coc at maryjocox@me.com, we have this challenge for $100.00! Thank you Mary Jo! Is there anyone who can match Mary Jo?

I will issue a $100 challenge to help Pup have a pain free Holiday Season.

_______________________________________________________________________

Gem of the Day: “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.”

~Martin Luther King, Jr .~

Dear Small Pawsers,

First of all, thanks to all of you who participated in our recent online Holiday Auction, which raised $10,533.00! Thank you to Jody Ferraro for being our great Webmistress!

So for those of you who have been following the auctions for years, you know it takes a while to get the funds into our Small Paws Rescue account.

Second of all, it’s Thanksgiving week and many of our people are already leaving to visit friends and family.

That’s why I’m trying to get the word our about this while we still have people who are home and can help.  I’m praying there is someone home who can help.

We have a situation and her name is “Pup”. She was already named “Pup” and we didn’t want to take that from her. She’s being fostered with Mike and Sally Montgomery at jmikemontgomery@gmail.com.

I first told you about Pup, who weighs only 9 pounds, when she was surrendered to a shelter in Texas for extreme pain, back in the summer.

We raised funds for her to have a CT scan to see if we could find out what was causing constant pain in her back.

It was inconclusive. Boo-Hiss.

So we have had her on major pain meds, including compounded pain meds due to her small size, just to keep her comfortable, until we could get a certain diagnosis.

We did an MRI which was around $2,400.00 and there it was.

Pup has a large mass extending the length of three discs L4, 5, and 6.

But here’s the thing.

There is a 99% chance it is BENIGN. YES!

The surgeon, Dr. Michael Orencole, DVM, DACVS-SA at the The Dallas Veterinary Surgery Center, says he does up to four of these types of spinal surgeries a week and he that feels he can get it, without paralysis. He feels she can be a normal dog without pain.

He said if it was malignant, with as large as it is, she would be dead already.

And she is very much alive, but in pain. The estimate for the surgery is for $4361.92 -$4999.14.

This is a video of Pup, shuffling along in pain. She cries out. The mass is growing and will continue to grow until she is paralyzed, but in too much pain to keep her going.

We HAVE to do this surgery to relieve her pain, or we would need to be having a serious discussion about her quality of life.

I can’t tell you how many times over the last 24 1/2 years that I’ve asked you all to climb the invisible staircase with me, building a step at a time, until we can all walk to the top.

This time, with little Pup walking up with us.

I don’t know how many times I’ve asked, but by climbing that staircase with me, we have accomplished many beautiful and wonder filled things, over the years.

With God’s help, we’ve put dogs back together, when no one else would have even tried. But you tried. And no, many of you are loving and living with those dogs, today.

She deserves a chance to be out of misery and live her best life. Will you walk up that staircase one more time, so that we can give her that chance? I’m here and will issue all matching donation challenges.

 Florida Charity Registration # CH37698