** Please see "Updates" tab for important July 11th Update **
Our rescue organization is in a difficult situation, and we have had to evaluate whether or not we can continue our mission of helping the most vulnerable animals in need. Our work is vital in the communities we serve, and we feel that the animal population would suffer immensely without us.
We have 560+ dogs and 300 cats across our 20 partner shelters in 5 countries, and 1,000 more animals on the streets who rely on us daily for support. Our expenses grow every month, but our funding unfortunately does not. We have been struggling for months now to stay afloat, with our debt for food, veterinary bills and general operational expenses hovering in the $15k deficit range. (See "Updates" tab regarding goal increase to 22k)
The animals we take in all come from areas where there are very few resources, and an unfortunately high statistic for animal neglect, abuse, abandonment and general disregard. The dogs and cats under our care mostly come from traumatic backgrounds, and we rehabilitate them into happy, healthy and loving pets.
Many of the animals we rescue spend their entire lives with us due to their special needs and the general lack of adoptions for adult dogs in the areas we work.
Every day there is another animal who needs us, and we take in approximately 300 medical cases per year. Most of these dogs and cats would not survive without the critical veterinary care, surgeries, and ongoing medical care that we fund if we did not take them under our wing.
Today, we are asking for your help. We have an extensive list of open medical cases, spay and neuters, food bills and additional expenses that need to be paid in full by the end of this month. We feel that if we cannot get a hold of our current deficit, we will not be able to continue rescuing.
Our open debt (left to raise) sits at $15,950 (please see Updates tab regarding goal increase to 22k) and includes the following:
DOG/CAT FOOD FOR JUNE - $3,197
This includes our general monthly Food Fund, plus our special campaign for our partner Jeniree's shelter while she is recovering from surgery.
ACTIVE MEDICAL CASES - $3,016
Donald ($20) - Donald is a puppy who was rescued from a sewer drain by firefighters. He was showing neurological deficits, but after exams, it was found that his state was due to malnourishment.
Betty ($103) - Betty was found on the side of the road with crusty eyes and neurological symptoms. We brought her to the vet to test for Distemper, which was thankfully negative. She is malnourished and positive for tick disease, and needs several weeks of antibiotics.
Mano ($110) - Sadly, we lost Mano last week. He is a long-time resident, and has dealt with urinary issues for many years. After a recent relapse of his urinary symptoms, his kidneys sadly gave out.
Jack ($136) - Jack was found on the street, covered in blood. His eye was torn apart and he had bite wounds on his neck. He has been in treatment for the last few weeks because his eye was badly infected. He should be cleared for surgery soon to close the eye and neuter him. He has made a wonderful recovery so far.
Four sick puppies ($145) - These puppies were found without a mother, shaking and vomiting. It was suspected they had parvo or Distemper, so they were brought to the vet. Thankfully they have neither, but they're just extremely malnourised and full of parasites. These babies need medicine, vaccines and food.
Chuchita ($153) - Chuchita was rescued with a rectal prolapse. She has had a temporary fix performed, but is waiting for surgery to permanently address the issue.
Sisi ($229) - Sisi is a resident pup at one of our shelters, and she became lethargic last week. When she was rescued, she had a previously broken jaw that never set properly. She recently began having problems with her teeth, and the angle of her jaw caused one of her canines to pierce through her upper palate. She needed dental work and a tooth extraction.
Negrito ($245) - Negrito is a street dog who had a massive tumor quickly spread throughout his entire hind right leg. The only option was to amputate the leg to prevent the spread of the tumor. Negrito has had his surgery this past week, but we have not raised enough yet to cover his expense.
Peluchin ($365) - Peluchin was found on the street with a giant hole in his snout. He has a tumor that became infected, and worms ate through his upper palate and through the top of his snout. He is currently undergoing treatment for the open wound, and he will soon begin chemotherapy for the tumor.
Toby ($395) - Toby was seized from a neglectful home with welts and cigarette burn marks all over his body. He has to be completely shaved down, and has been undergoing weeks of treatment to bring him back to a state of health.
Lulu ($395) - Lulu was rescued this past week and has 6 mammary tumors that need to be removed. We are hoping we can get her into surgery next week, as the tumors are beginning to rupture.
Simba ($720) - Simba was rescued this week after being found stumbling in the middle of the road, suffering from heat stroke. He has been at the veterinary clinic for the past few days receiving IV fluids and medicine to help stabilize him. Aside from his initial critical state, he had open wounds in his groin filled with worms, and was ultimately diagnosed with TVT cancer. He will need to undergo chemotherapy once he is strong enough to withstand the treatment.
Reed (TBD) - Reed is our most critical patient, having been abandoned after someone performed a makeshift amputation surgery on his hind leg. Thankfully we have raised enough to cover his current expenses, but we do expect him to be hospitalized for quite some time and his budget will increase.
INCOMING CASES - $3,919
Lupito ($729) - Lupito was stabbed in the chest by a man who was having an altercation with his girlfriend while she was trying to break up with him. The wound is deep and requires careful surgery. He also needs several medications for his poor general health, food and additional supplies. (Lupito is safe with us, and will not go back to the owner.)
Becher ($938) - Becher was run over by a car. His hind right leg is severely fractured and requires surgery with a metal plate to stabilize the bone. His tail is also broken and will need to be amputated about halfway up.
Manchas ($840) - Manchas has a badly infected tumor over his eye. He is currently on antibiotics to control the infection, and will need to start chemotherapy. He will have at least 3 doses of chemo, followed by surgery to remove the tumor.
Empanada ($1,412) - Empanada was found with a broken hind leg, a wound filled with worms, a terrible case of mange, and she was covered in purple antiseptic spray. People often apply the antiseptic spray to suffering street dogs without realizing how toxic it can actually be. Empanada is in rough shape, and she requires surgery to address her hind leg injuries. She also needs treatment for her skin, parasites, and general poor health.
STERILIZATIONS - $1,680
We currently have 56 sterilization surgeries scheduled for recently rescued dogs and cats, as well as street animals. We generally spay and neuter over 1,000 animals per year. This is extremely important to help control the animal population, as well as prevent the spread of disease.
SUPPLIES - $4,138
Nexgard ($108) - Our current deficit for this month's dogs who needed flea and tick prevention
Building supplies ($4,030) - We are currently working to build a large 6-kennel expansion (houses up to 30 dogs) at one of our shelters in Venezuela so we can move dogs who are in contracted boarding until July 1. We are not renewing our leased space due to the high expense.
>>>> TOTAL: $15,950 (See "Updates" tab regarding fundraiser increase to 22k)
Please consider donating today to help us support all the animals who are depending on us. We must get these current expenses squared away by the end of the month.
Thank you in advance for your support.