GiveBig 2022
Posted on: May 2nd, 2022 @ 7:13 pm, By
Kim Leary
This Give Big month, we are focusing on the medically fragile animals that need us the most.
Thanks to your support, we are one of the few shelters in our area that have been able to continue to take in animals with more severe medical needs during these stressful years.
Oscar is one of those animals.
Oscar, a 5-year-old dachshund, walked into Homeward Pet with a small limp, a wagging tail, and a heart full of love.
After an initial medical check, we discovered Oscar had a long list of medical challenges, and would need multiple surgeries to improve his quality of life. Some things could be helped right away, like his rashy, sore skin, painful teeth, and nutritional deficiencies. Other things would take more time and several surgeries.
Knowing he’d be with us for a while, the clinic secured him a foster home experienced in recovery care to keep him comfortable between procedures.
Oscar is healing from his first few rounds of treatments, but has to undergo a more invasive surgery to give him a permanent fix for his chronic and painful ear infections. Oscar has continued to be sweet and gentle despite the discomfort and pain of all of the invasive procedures. We all believe that he knows we are trying to help him. When our own Dr. Tina was not able to relieve his suffering by resectioning his right ear canal, we knew we had to seek additional care for our happy little man. Our veterinarians don’t have the equipment to conduct the surgery ourselves, we are thankful to our partners who are capable.
Oscar’s next surgery is estimated to cost up to $15,000. He will be undergoing a Total Ear Canal Ablation (TECA) on his left and right ear. This intensive procedure requires a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon trained in specialty surgeries. Thankfully, there is one local to the shelter, otherwise the surgery couldn’t happen. With the help of our Whoopi’s Fund for Animals with Special Needs, funded by generous donors like you, we are able to afford help for Oscar.
Oscar is a rarity in the severity of his needs. We do not give up just because we have a challenging case. Your gifts ensure that more dogs and cats with special medical requirements will receive whatever level of treatment they need now and in the future. 345 animals benefited from essential and life altering medical care because of Whoopi’s Fund in 2021 alone! These medical interventions were made possible by generous supporters like you, and have ensured that each animal could live the rest of their life with less pain, less worry and in a loving and warm home.
We are grateful for the donors that have allowed us to say yes to helping Oscar.
Please donate today so that Oscar, and other sick and medically challenged animals, can continue to get the help they need; so that they are gifted with the time and resources to heal before being adopted.