From My Heart. Please Read. Bichon Hit By A Car. Five New Small Paws® Dogs Need Help. $200 Matching Challenge.

                           
 
 
 

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Wednesday Morning, September 29, 2021

Gem of the Day: “If you’re lucky, a dog will come into your life, steal your heart, and change everything.” ~Unknown~

Dear Small Pawsers,

First, I want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers during my cardiac ablation on Sept 9. It was a complete success and I feel great! No more a-fib! I walked 6000 steps the other day and could not have done that before. Thank you for praying for me!

I wish I could tell you that all was as well with our world of animal rescue as it is with me.

Today, we have five new rescues from all over the place. From Chicago, IL. Austin TX., New Jersey, Detroit MI. and Ohio.

So many things have changed since March of 2020. 

I’ve been thinking for a couple of days now, how I could come and tell about what’s happening.

On Monday morning, I had brunch with my sister friend of 30 years, Barbe Von Nezter, who lives in Oklahoma City. She had come up to Tulsa for a routine check up for Maddie Mae, her 11 year old Small Paws Bichon, to see Dr. Hodges, our fabulous Internal Medicine Vet. Maddie has only one kidney, but she’s doing so well under his care.

Barbe brought Chloey, her other Small Paws Bichon, with her for the ride. So we sat outside having a late breakfast with her two fluffy cuties, my neices.

She held one and I held the other.

I told her about the situation and asked what she would do if she were me.

Barbe told me to just come and tell it to you all. Tell the people who love these dogs and the organization who rescues them.

So here it is. I’m tellin’.

Since the pandemic started, our world has changed in so many ways.

One of them is that there has become a real shortage of Veterinarians.

When the supply is low, and the demand is high, the price goes up. And we are caught in the middle.

Veterinarian shortage being felt in Northeast Ohio and nationwide

Have you noticed a shortage of vets? You aren’t alone.

When we take a dog into rescue, we have to be prepared to spend anywhere from $1500.00 to $2000.00 just to get them vetted. That’s IF we can find a veterinarian to take them and no I’m not kidding.

Rescue work is discounted, and in today’s climate, that’s not good for a veterinarian who may be struggling to keep his employees. Yes, there is a Vet Tech shortage, too, so he has to pay them more just to keep them.

Last Friday evening, one of our fabulous volunteers, John Friedlander, picked up a TINY Bichon-toy poodle mix for us from the Austin, Texas shelter. He was one solid mat and covered in feces. (The dog, not John.)

Meet 5 pound “Smidgen”. Estimated at 2 years old. I almost hesitate to tell you about him because everyone will want to adopt him, when what we really need is someone to help him with veterinary bills and to foster him, near Austin. He will need a foster home by next Tuesday. 

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

For the first time in 23 years, we couldn’t find a vet to accept him.

I made calls. Jody Ferraro, our South Texas Team Leader, made calls. John, our volunteer, made calls. I wrote letters. We tried… only to be told that vets weren’t accepting new clients and especially not rescue clients.

It was time to pick Smidge up from the shelter and we had no where to take him.

We were fortunate that a Boarding facility called A Crate Escape was able to take him for three nights until we found a vet to take him in.

The cost? $60.00 per night for Boarding and $65.00 for him to be shaved. This is the cost of doing business these days. It is what it is.

This is little Smidgen after a shave down and he feels so much better.

This is little Smidgen being loved on at A Crate Escape.

You may be wondering why we don’t just send these dogs home with a volunteer.

I’ll tell you why.

When we first started, that’s what we did. I was as green as grass in Kentucky.

We sent a shelter dog home to a Foster home near Dallas where he broke with DISTEMPER in 5 days, infecting one of the volunteer’s senior dogs. We pulled them both through but it was thousands of dollars and that was 22 years ago.

I may be blonde but I know how to learn a lesson. That’s why we quarantine all shelter rescues. To protect our own dogs from shelter diseases if they should pop. Our own dogs must come first.

So we moved Smidge to a nearby veterinary practice who told us they would do this for us on a one time basis, because they aren’t accepting any new rescue clients. They already have 40 rescues and can’t take on any more. That was a direct quote. They did offer a 10% rescue discount to us and we are grateful.

And I get it, because it is really stressing me, both how much the costs of veterinary medicine has gone up and how much harder it is to raise funds.

I think that everyone probably thinks that someone else will help and then they put it out of their minds.

So when I told Barbe at Forest0000@aol.com, about what was bothering me that morning, she wants to issue a matching challenge donation for $200.00 for little Smidgen. Is there anyone who can match her? What is a matching donation challenge?

Then we got word of a Bichon in a Chicago shelter who was seen being hit by a car.

Meet 3 year old Ziggy. He must have been rolled as no bones were broken. He has a slight limp that gets better each day.

His vetting will be around $2000.00 with all of the imaging we had to do along with his regular vetting.

The shelter shaved his face. Ziggy is still in the hospital and is still too sore to be bathed yet, but we have a white Bichon under there somewhere, I’m willing to betcha.

Next, we have little Toby in New Jersey. He was an owner surrender and is a Teddy Bear. Half Bichon and half Shih Tzu. Cute, huh? Well…this is from his Foster Mom. I think I know why he was surrendered by his owner.

“Toby is 15 months old. He is neutered and up to date on all shots. Toby knows his name and answers to it. Toby needs to wear a harness, no flat collar, because he is an escape artist. He needs an owner that will work with him and give him undivided attention which he yearns for.  He is very good with dogs and cats. He is adorable and very cute and follows me everywhere.  Toby loves playing and carrying squeaky toys around the house. He  is a good eater and he loves people. He has to be given time to warm up.  He needs to have a fenced in yard no exceptions as he is a car chaser and gets extremely anxious when he sees cars almost to the point you can’t handle him. He is not house trained yet and currently wears a belly band indoors. He will do best in an adult only household.

He barks and tries to chase cars. I currently walk him on a double leash, using a harness. He is very strong and I don’t advise anyone walking him on the street or where there is any kind of traffic. He barks at all cars and and tries to chase them.  He needs an adult only home. According to his medical records he was hit by a car when he when he was 5 months old. ”

Toby the Car Chaser Escape Artist, is located in New Jersey. Is there anyone who is willing to put in the training and give him a forever home?

Next, we were alerted about a Bichon in a shelter near Detroit MI.

Meet “Finley” and he is a big smiling boy! Our Michigan Team Leader, Dawn Mead near Detroit MI., sprung him from a shelter yesterday morning. 

He came in with burrs, hot spots, and covered in fleas. He is now at the vet and his vetting will be about $1500.00. If nothing else is wrong.

Next, in Ohio, meet Flash! 

From his Foster Mom:
 
Meet Flash! He is an 18 month old Bichon who is is playful and sweet!

He loves playing with his foster dog sisters, throwing and chasing his toys and taking walks. He does very well on a leash and loves to meet new friends outside.

Flash is a loving dog with a very sweet demeanor. He is great around my nieces (ages 11 and 13) and wants to play and sit with them.

He would do best in a home with another playful dog who is close to his size as he does bark at large dogs outside.

Is yours his next forever home?!

Flash needs a playful small dog already living in the forever home chosen for him. There are no exceptions to this. Children in the home need to be at least 10 years old. He is located in OH.”

 
So just with these five, between $6,000 and $8500.00 is needed for their vetting.
 
I know that you know how expensive veterinary care has become. Multiply that by hundreds.
 
I think that you all know that we don’t ask for help unless we need it. We need help.
 
I’m here and will issue all matching donation challenges. Thanks for listening to this blonde crazy woman from Oklahoma who has a burden on her heart for Bichons and the people who love them. 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.

 

 

 

Support Small Paws Rescue Inc. with every order from Amazon!

Donations from AmazonSmile to Small Paws Rescue received to date $24,53576.82 as of August 2021.

Most Recently:

Dear Charity Administrator,

This email is to notify you that Small Paws Rescue Inc (EIN: 73-1576021) has been issued a $1264.94 donation from the AmazonSmile Foundation as a result of AmazonSmile program activity between April 1 and June 30, 2021.

The donation was deposited to your organization’s bank account on or before August 20, 2021.

Thank you,
Your AmazonSmile Team

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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

South Texas, North Texas, and Chicago are most in need! 

Dear New Small Pawsers,

Welcome to the Small Paws®  Rescue Online Newsletter, especially to those of you who may have seen us over the years on our guest appearances on Fox and Friends in New York City, or on Animal Planet on “Dogs 101.”, or you may have read about us in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Find Your Happiness, 101 Stories about Finding Your Purpose, Passion and Joy . You also may have seen us on “Inside Edition” with Deborah Norville! (To see backstage photos of one of our trips to NYC and Fox & Friends, click here.)

Also, Small Paws Was Featured on a “The Chicken Soup for the Soul Podcast”. It’s was an interview of how Small Paws Rescue was born, over 22 years ago! 2020 was our 22st Anniversary! We are so happy to have you join us! Robin

 

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.

We have links up here to our SPR Cafe Press Store for SPR Logo Items.

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.)