Who Loves You?

http://www.elliesrainydayfund.org
Volume 5, January, 2016

From Ellie's Friends:

Thank you for being on this journey
with us!

This is a month of benchmarks for us. Ellie turned four this week. When she was diagnosed with ciliary dyskinesia as a pup, it was unknown whether she would last the year. But thanks to her amazing team of medical professionals and caregivers, here we are three and a half years later and she's still at the door shaking a toy at us every time we come home and still taking up 80% of the kingsize bed each night! It's hard to believe Ellie's Rainy Day Fund is a year old this month as well. Ellie loves having been the inspiration for this non-profit that is helping so many dogs and cats to regain their health and stay in their families. We're excited this month to share a letter from one of our clients... what could be better than hearing a "love story" to celebrate the traditional month of love? We're proud too to tell you of a new way one of our partner vet practices is reducing stress for the pets who are coming to see them. And finally, we'll give you a sneak peek of a way that another of our partners is inviting their clients to "share their hearts". Enjoy, and give your fur-faces a little love from us!

We'd love for you to help us help more pets. Use the buttons way at the end to share this newsletter on Facebook or to email it to a friend. We could also use some volunteer help on our facebook page and website if anyone has those skills. Thanks for getting the word out!

Love Stories:

Buster is finally back!

A letter from Buster's Mom..

Buster joined our family when he was a kitten, just 8 weeks old. He instantly won our hearts, riding around draped over my son’s shoulders, playing in the toilet and busying himself with the kinds of things kittens do.

Two years ago we lost Buster. During my divorce, we sold our bigger house and moved to a place a mile away. Buster wasn't happy with the move and kept getting out and going back "home". An old neighbor back there took him in and refused to give Buster back, leaving my two kids and me devastated. Every week, we drove the old neighborhood, hoping to "steal" him back. After almost exactly two years had passed, we saw a post on Facebook from a vet saying that a cat had been hit by a car and brought to their office by a good Samaritan, The picture and location seemed right so we answered the plea to find his family and it was our boy! As I told the story of his being taken, my kids cried, I cried, and the vet tech cried. The vet x-rayed our boy and discovered his hip was badly broken, requiring a costly surgery to repair. I shared with her my circumstance of the divorce and the financial ruin it had placed me in. We discussed options of no surgery and how long he would have to be crated to let him heal. With that option though it was uncertain whether he would heal properly and be able to fully function.

Both of my children said to me, "Mommy please, if you can pay to have Buster back, we don't need any other Christmas gifts under the tree." That’s when the vet told me about her partnership with Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund. We all three contributed (me paying what I could, our wonderful vet, Dr. Gossett, discounting her services, & Ellie’s Fund picking up the rest) to make Buster’s surgery a reality. We couldn’t wait for Buster to come home that night after surgery. Here we are, three months later and he's running around, wrestling with his dog, and giving us nothing but pure love.

No words could express the overwhelming feeling inside of me when I found out Buster could get the surgery he needed. Tears are the only thing that would come out. I cannot thank you enough for your support in helping us to have Buster back with our family. I am a true believer in Karma. I always give and help in whatever ways I can. Now I’ve been helped in a time of need and there are no words that adequately express my appreciation.

Health and Well-Being:

Does your cat go under the bed when she sees the crate?
Does your dog leave scratch marks as you pull him across the parking lot to go to the vet?

Bigger Road Veterinary Center for Pet Health and Enrichment, one of our amazing partner practices, says going to the vet doesn't have to be scary.

They are one of about 50 practices across the US who have instituted a fear-free protocol, eliminating things from their office like harsh florescent lights and slippery, cold exam tables. Instead they've added things like soft music, Feliway (calming pheromones) for cats, thundershirts for anxious dogs and even exam rooms that look like individual cottages.

The Fear-Free initiative promotes the practices, methods, and tools that calm veterinary patients and create low-stress environments to encourage better health care and more satisfied clients. Mitigating stress and fear is important as both can lead animals to hide the symptoms that prompted their visit to the vet, and may even alter the results of their tests. By doing things like coaching us pet parents on how to get our fur kids to appointments in a less stressful manner, minimizing time in the waiting room after arrival, equipping exam rooms with things like calming pheromones, and using diet-appropriate treats, this form of practice can even help animals to look forward to visiting their vet.
To learn more about the fear-free movement, go to http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/top-10-ways-get-started-with-fear-free-veterinary-visits-sponsored-boehringer-ingelheim-vetmedica-in

On Friday February 12th our partner, Miami Valley Animal Hospital is inviting clients to participate in their "Share Your Heart" campaign to help to keep other clients and their pets together in their time of need. They hope that clients will "find it in their hearts to consider making a charitable donation, perhaps in memory or recognition of those incredible pets who make our lives a much happier experience." They ask that clients go to the "donate" page at http://www.elliesrainydayfund.org and click on Miami Valley Animal Hospital to support our partnership. In appreciation they will share their love by providing credits for free exams to be used in 2016.
THANK YOU MVAH! You are awesome!

Help improve the quality of life of pets and keep them with their families!

Rainy Day News