Thank you, its defiantly a little learning curve and i am so thankful I found this forum which so much information; truly helpful and inspirational.
Original Message:
Sent: 12-18-2025 02:38 PM
From: Carol Bridges
Subject: December 2025 + January 2026 Giveaway: What's a win you're celebrating from this past year?
Vanessa, bless you for taking on such an enormous challenge. What a sweetheart she is. Thank you and keep up the faith. Have you done a gofundme campaign?
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Carol Bridges
President
Winding River Paws for a Cause
NC
Original Message:
Sent: 12-18-2025 01:22 PM
From: Vanessa Robertson
Subject: December 2025 + January 2026 Giveaway: What's a win you're celebrating from this past year?
In September 2025, Wrinkles & Wigglebutts Rescue stopped being a dream and became a little family with paperwork: our 501(c)(3) was approved, we seated our board, and we confirmed a veterinary partner here in Bullhead City, AZ.
In October we pulled our first rescue, Arlove (Short for Our Love Bug), a French Bulldog Mix from a California shelter. She looked so miserable and infected that we sprang into action. About six years old, found as a stray with three pups and pregnant, she clearly had been bred too many times. She also arrived with bilateral cherry eye, severe allergies and a skin infection, major ear damage and infections in both ears, spine discomfort, and cage sores. The shelter had just aborted her pregnancy, and she was in rough shape.
We paid $383.96 that day to stabilize her. Most recently, we put $506.69 on CareCredit to finally get her skin under control-and it gave her something small that felt enormous: an itch-free morning. If you've watched a dog wake up scratching herself raw, you know what that means.
The road ahead-for our rescue and for Arlove-is real. Pre-op diagnostics are $615–$676.50; cherry-eye repair and medications are $1,690–$1,859 (total $2,305–$2,535.50). After surgery, the everyday work continues: daily ear medication and cleaning, monthly allergy injections, long-term skin management, and possibly future ear surgery if her canals don't stay healthy. We'll say the quiet part out loud to people who understand: dogs like Arlove are hard to place. She's sweet as sugar, a total love bug, but most adopters don't sign up for daily care and forever allergies.
We have raised some funds, not much but it a start and participated with a vendor in a fundraiser selling coffee. A $1,000 gift to a brand-new rescue with a high-cost case would mean so very much. To to clear the $506.69 visit so her meds don't skip a beat, and then to pre-op testing so we can schedule her cherry-eye repair.
Our win this year isn't flashy; it's standing up a tiny rescue that can turn paperwork and persistence into one dog's comfort-and, if we keep showing up, a repeatable path for every bulldog who comes after her in 2026.
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Vanessa Robertson
President
Wrinkles & Wigglebutts Rescue Inc
AZ
Original Message:
Sent: 12-01-2025 09:51 AM
From: Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Subject: December 2025 + January 2026 Giveaway: What's a win you're celebrating from this past year?
As we wrap up 2025 and look ahead to a new year, it's a natural moment to pause and reflect on the progress we've made, both the milestones we planned for and the unexpected victories that showed up along the way.
Back at the beginning of January 2025, many of you shared your goals for the year in our 2025 Goals Giveaway thread. Community members shared goals aimed at growing your foster network, strengthening community partnerships, expanding pet support services, improving shelter medicine protocols, or building a healthier team culture.
Now, almost twelve months later, we'd love to hear:
What's one win (big or small) you're proud of from this past year?
Your win could be:
• Something you achieved from your January goals
• A goal that evolved into something better
• A new partnership, improved process, or reduced barrier
• A small shift that made a big difference
• A story of a pet or family you'll never forget
Whether you hit your goals, adapted them, or discovered new priorities along the way, your progress is worth celebrating. These reflections help all of us learn, grow, and recognize the impact this community makes every day.
Share your win on this thread in December 2025 or January 2026 and you'll be entered in a giveaway to receive $1,000 in unrestricted funds for your organization to use in whatever way will make the biggest difference.
We're so glad you're part of this community, and we can't wait to celebrate your 2025 wins, no matter how big, small, or unexpected they turned out to be. Here's to ending the year on a high note and carrying that energy into 2026!
#Maddie'sFund30Years
#FundraisingandDevelopment
#OrganizationalManagement
#PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)
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Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
Maddie's Fund
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