Hello!
My name is Michelle and I am an emergency veterinarian in Austin, Texas. I have started a 501c3 non profit called FLUTD Fighters that provides funding to under privileged owners of cats experiencing urethral obstruction. Our mission is to allow the owner to obtain the emergency, life-saving treatment their cat needs to prevent euthanasia or surrender of the cat and keep their family together. We pay for unblocking, hospitalization, cystotomy and perineal urethrostomy surgery if needed. We initially received a large one time donation and have raised some other funds, but after saving 50 cats since May 2025, we need funding to be able to continue at this rate through the upcoming years. We see 4-5 blocked cats a day at our EC and can literally have 2-3 a week that need FLUTD Fighters assistance. We have gotten cats referred from San Antonio and surrounding areas and I foresee word getting out even further as this is such a needed service.
Most of the donations have come from veterinarians and vet staff. It has taken such a pressure off of all of us to not have to euthanize an otherwise healthy cat, that we all pitch in money to be able to continue to save these cat. While this is great, it obviously is not a long term solution for all of us to keep funding.
Does anyone have any ideas on grants-get a grant writer? Is it worth it?
How to tap into the local veterinary and client community-does putting up jars with pictures asking for donations work? I tried a donation hot chocolate bar with stuff we had leftover from an event with pics of our FLUTD Fighters and it was NOT a hit.
I figure to be able to continue to save cats at the rate we have been, we need to raise $150,000 or so a year. This is very daunting! But I HATE euthanizing blocked cats!!
Right now we are only servicing the Austin area, I would like to branch out, but for now need to focus on saving cats here.
We are on social media-@flutdfighters, Facebook, website, etc... and I am really focusing a lot on that-should I pay for a social media group to help?
Any ideas, suggestions, etc... are much appreciated! Thank you!
#AccesstoCare------------------------------
Michelle Stange, DVM
Veterinarian
FLUTD Fighters Foundation
Austin, TX
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