Here is our follow up and original post:
Whisper's Heart is now Mended and FULL!
In February, we reached out to you to help us with the expense of surgically healing little Whisper's heart. Her corrective heart surgery went perfectly… she was the ideal "patient" pup! She then spent her recovery with her loving foster family who finally became her loving "foster failures." Whisper found her forever home with the family that brought her through the healing process, and we couldn't be happier for her! She has a lifetime of wags, wiggles, and woofs ahead … thanks to your generosity!
Who will be the next "Whisper?" The truth is, we treat every animal that comes in to HSCC with love, compassion, and top of the line veterinary care. A cat with almost no hair due to a flea allergy, rescued from another shelter? Got her. Heartworm positive dogs? Treated! Day after day, we don't know who will come through our door and what it will cost to heal this new shelter resident. Please donate today for the next animal in need. There is always another heart ready to be made whole. Please give as your heart dictates.
Original post:
Can you help us mend Whisper's "Broken Heart?"
Whisper, a tiny chihuahua mix, was surrendered to us at six weeks of age by a family who knew there was "something wrong," but could not afford to take her to the vet. As she grew, our staff noticed that her tiny body vibrated with every heartbeat. We reached out to a specialist, and took Whisper in for a consultation. The Diagnosis: A congenital heart defect that would result in heart failure without immediate surgical correction...Whisper would never grow up and would never see her first birthday. Now at three months old, Whisper has had her corrective heart surgery THIS WEEK, and is doing great! However, her consultation fees alone were $1,500, and with surgery and after care, the cost will total approximately $6,000.
When animals come into our care with medical needs, like Whisper's, we immediately step in. Offering them a chance at a better life, often not knowing where the funding to provide this kind of care will come from. Can you help us with this extraordinary expense? Please give as you feel led. No amount is too small, when given out of love for this tiny dog with a big heart.
(PDA. Patent Ductus Arteriosus).
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Erin Hooks
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-25-2022 07:17 PM
From: Kelsey Quinn
Subject: Resources for raising funds quickly for medical cases
Thank you, Erin. We do have a local newspaper that may be able to help. Do you have an example press release you used when contacting the newspaper? I have tried contacting the newspaper before but they never reply.
Best,
Kelsey
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Kelsey Quinn
Volunteer
Lending Paws a Hand
Original Message:
Sent: 11-21-2022 09:35 AM
From: Erin Hooks
Subject: Resources for raising funds quickly for medical cases
We had a very similar situation earlier this year with a young chihuahua puppy born with a heart condition that had to be surgically repaired. We used Facebook and were able to raise the funds, fortunately, using a VERY adorable picture of the puppy. As you said, nothing looked "off" with her. We titled the fundraiser "Can you help mend a broken heart?" I think that helped. Have you also run an email blast? As you have 4000 "followers," perhaps phrasing it as "If everyone gives $1.00, we can mend a broken heart." Do you have any "high-end" donors on your list that might be approached individually? Even perhaps to do a matching donation program? Do you have a local newspaper? At this time of year, they are often looking for stories about people helping others (people AND animals!).
Have you looked at the Banfield Foundation HOPE funds program? https://www.banfieldfoundation.org/Banfield-Foundation-Grant-Programs
I hope some of these ideas can help! Good luck, and I hope little Jack gets the surgery he needs. Thank you!
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Erin Hooks
Original Message:
Sent: 11-19-2022 07:12 PM
From: Kelsey Quinn
Subject: Resources for raising funds quickly for medical cases
Hi Everyone,
Our rescue recently saved a puppy (named Jack) that was emaciated and covered in fleas. We took him to our veterinarian and he was diagnosed with a 5/6 heart murmur. We then scheduled an appointment with a cardiologist and he was diagnosed with severe pulmonic stenosis. The veterinarian recommended we perform surgery as soon as possible to increase his quality of life, which is scheduled for December 13th. The veterinarian estimated the cost for the surgery will be $5,000 and this does not even include follow-up care. The vet also requires everything be paid up-front. Our network of supporters (4,000 followers on facebook and about 600 on instagram) and volunteers (about 5 consistent volunteers) is still very small. With the holidays coming up, donations are often slower. I'm looking for resources/ideas for potential ways to quickly come up with $5,000 and fund this puppy's surgery. Here is what we have done so far:
-We had a Santa photo session fundraising event today and raised $500
-I recently contacted Cuddly to setup a campaign for him. The problem is that most often supporters donate more when a "sad, bloody, or horrific" photo is shown. This is not the case for Jack since everything is internal, so I don't know how successful it will be
-I have tried researching grants to apply to but most are already closed for the year. Does anyone have suggestions for grant opportunities specific to medical needs?
-We have asked for donations on Facebook from our supporters and raised about $1,000 so far, but again, our network is smaller so I don't know how many donations we will actually get in through the avenue.
Thank you all for suggestions and feedback!
Best,
Kelsey
Volunteer
Lending Paws a Hand
#FundraisingandDevelopment
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Kelsey Quinn
Volunteer
Lending Paws a Hand
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