Success Stories
These campaigns reached their goal. Thank you for making it happen.
YODA
Yoda is a three-year-old Pit Bull mix in Tickfaw, LA, who needs $1500 for urgent care.
Tickfaw, LA
Yoda waited alone, injured, sick, and in pain in the Louisana woods, hoping someone would find him. He had lived through years of being a bait dog and then likely got dumped in the woods when Hurricane Ida hit; if he made it this far, his luck just had to change. And that's when Sarah M. unexpectedly found him. "I was walking my dogs," she tells Waggle. "My dogs stopped and started pointing toward this place in the woods. I saw him. He was really sweet and submissive. Then I saw he was injured." Sarah called animal control, but they could not respond because they were overwhelmed after the hurricane. They told her no one reported a dog fitting his description missing. So she got some food and water, and the dog came right toward her. "He was covered in bite marks," Sarah says. "He had deep, bloody puncture wounds all over. But he was still the nicest, sweetest dog." She named him Yoda based on the swamp scene in *The Empire Strikes Back*. "The wooded, swampy area I found him in reminded me of Yoda in the movie," Sarah says. "Yoda looked like this craggily, beaten-down old man, but he was so resilient and had so much strength." The next stop for Yoda was Companion Animal Hospital. The veterinary team went to work right away, and the poor dog was a medical mess. Yoda had a 102 fever, abscesses, a fractured jaw, and teeth that needed to be removed. He was emaciated. He has severe heartworm and a massive ear infection. He's missing nails in some of his paws and walks flat-footed. "I'm like, 'Oh my god.' I was so upset. It's so upsetting people do this to an animal and watch them suffer and get pleasure from it," Sarah says. Yoda was hospitalized, put on antibiotics and pain medication. The veterinary staff also scanned him for a microchip, and he did not have one. Sarah is now committed to fixing up Yoda! It will be a long road, but with your help, she knows he will pull through. He is now home with her and fits in perfectly with her family. "My kids love him," she says. "It's like he doesn't have a mean bone on him. He's grateful. He's at peace right now." She wants the Waggle community to know Yoda is worth every penny! "Amazingly, this dog is so happy," Sarah says. "He's been almost beaten to death. I think his message is a good lesson for us all; no matter how much we're beaten, we keep going."
Jake
Jake is a 12-year-old Aussie in Greenville, TX, who needs $725 for mass removal.
Greenville, TX
We adopted Jake on the same day we adopted his “sister”, Bella. He was reportedly 2 yrs old and she was just 10 weeks. When we we first laid eyes on Jake, he seemed to be smiling. It was love at first sight. We couldn’t fathom how his owners could part with him. He adopted us immediately. He surprisingly was well trained and house-broken. We have been a family for over 10 years. Jake prefers male human friends. He adored his human dad and grieved terribly when he passed away in 2013. Jake has been my faithful companion ever since. No matter what room I’m in, Jake is at my side. He happily greets all visitors and enjoys playing with children. He always seems to be smiling, except lately he has been ill. Jake is naturally a happy, friendly pup. He is very sensitive to my condition. When I’m sad or worried, he puts his head in my lap and looks up with those expressive eyes as if to say, “It’s going to be all right, mom.” He always is at the door to greet me whenever I’ve been out. I really don’t know how I’d get along without him. Jake has developed a huge cyst on his abdomen. He has had it before and it responded fairly well to antibiotics. A few weeks ago, I noticed during his bath that it was back. Before I could make a vet appointment, I came down with Covid 19. By the time I was no longer contagious, the cyst had gotten so large it ruptured. His wound is open and raw. The vet said he needs surgery to repair it. I am retired and have recently had a total knee replacement and more recently Covid. I am on a fixed income that doesn’t afford savings. I still have a balance on an account covering Jake’s sister Bella’s surgery a year or so ago. I have no other resources at this time.
Van Morrison
Van Morrison is a 5-year-old Orange & White Short Hair in Raleigh, NC, who needs $825 for Tooth Extraction and Dermatitis.
Raleigh, NC • Carolina Cat Rescue
Van Morrison is a special boy. He is outgoing, loving, playful and happy. But that was not always the case. Van Morrison was saved from high-kill rural shelter in North Carolina. He arrived very sick, underweight, and malnourished. He had a large wound on the side of his neck and he received months of medical care to get him stable. Van Morrison is the life of the party. He loves to play and loves human companionship. He is very affectionate and loving. So after a long medical illness, it was very unfortunate that he developed ringworm (a fungal infection) at the site of the wound on his neck. The ringworm rapidly spread and Van lost most of his hair. He was itchy and miserable and the worst part was he was in a quarantine room at the vets office. With little human interaction. After 60 days in the vets office, he went into a room by himself at a foster home. There he received topical treatments, regular baths and love. He was close to getting the home he was promised when he left the shelter. After 8 long months of battling ringworm, he was very close to being ready for adoption. But luck again was not on his side, at his final vet check for his skin, the vet noticed he had a really bad dental issue that needed addressed right away. He was in pain with a broken tooth. He had to wait once again for his furever home until after an expensive dental procedure. Van Morrison was lucky to leave the shelter alive, by August most cat rescues are completely full. We could not leave him behind and committed to helping him. Helping him cost quite a bit more than we expected and we could use monetary help to pay his medical bills.
Bertha
Bertha is a seven-year-old Beagle mix in Geneva, OH, who needs $1,601 for surgery and rehab.
Geneva, OH • NE Ohio Greyhound Rescue
Poor Bertha! This sweet girl was picked up as a stray and sat in a hot, humid animal shelter, struggling to breathe. No one came to claim her, and not a single person expressed interest in adopting her; she was too old, too obese, and had too many lumps and tumors. But when NE Ohio Greyhound Rescue saw Bertha's photo, they knew they had to save the dog. "Her eyes just said to us, 'I need help.' To a lot of people, that may sound corny, but to us, it didn't," Duane J. with the nonprofit group tells Waggle. The organization raced Bertha to Madison Veterinary Hospital, where they found out she needs a considerable amount of medical care and surgery. "She has extremely high blood pressure, arthritis, several broken teeth, mammary gland tumors, cysts on the back of her neck, and is extremely overweight," Duane says. "She's a little chunky monkey. She should weigh about 17 pounds, but she weighs 31 pounds." Bertha is on a strict weight loss program and can't have the surgery she needs to remove her tumors, cysts, and broken teeth until she is in better shape and her blood pressure comes down. She is also receiving chiropractic care to help with her mobility. "Bertha is a sweet as can be. She loves the other little Beagles at the sanctuary, and although she cannot run and play because of her weight, she does sit quietly and watch over the other dogs," Duane says. Kim K. from the rescue says she hopes Bertha's case helps other pet owners realize the dangers of animal obesity. "It's not cool to let your dog get this fat," Kim tells Waggle. "Owners need to be careful about how much they feed and the quality of food they feed their dog, or they could end up like Bertha." NE Ohio Greyhound Rescue provides lifetime care for animals with medical needs. They rely on donations to pay for animals' veterinary bills and day-to-day care. They take in dogs, like Bertha, who have little chance of being adopted. Bertha is beginning to feel better with her new diet and her tail wags more and more each day. She seems to know that the rescue is trying to assist her. She was neglected for so long; please help Bertha get the care and surgery she needs!
Ruby
Ruby is an 8-year-old Pit/Lab mix in Glen Allen, VA, who needs $1,500 for tibial tuberosity advancement surgery.
Glen Allen, VA
I adopted Ruby when she was just a puppy. She was so small, she rode home on my lap. 8 years later, she still thinks she is a lap dog, but at 60 lbs she settles for being a partial lap dog! It's just her and I in our 2 story home but she has tons of friends! She likes to stretch out on mom's bed at night and steal all the covers! Ruby enjoys going to our local dog park and hanging out with her friends, but she goes there mostly for the people! She loves people and anyone who gives her attention. She likes to go to the pet stores and stare at each customer until they give her pets! She has a "cousin" (my brother's boxer puppy) that she tolerates, but sometimes is a bit too much energy for her. Had I known at that time the problems she would have, I definitely would have taken care of her first instead of using all my savings to buy a house! Even though Ruby is 8, she has many years left and I don't want her to be in pain the rest of her life. Ruby started having problems after we moved into a 2 story townhouse. She couldn't get up easily from laying down and had a constant limp while walking. She can no longer get into the car without assistance and has a very hard time going upstairs. After seeing Dr. Taylor Scott at Locke A Taylor, he diagnosed her with bilateral cruciate ligament tears in her back legs. Ruby hates the water, so she is never happy during bath time but tolerates it! She also is my personal emotional support animal. Prior to COVID, she was training to become a therapy dog to visit patients in the hospital since she loves people so much, and we plan on continuing our training after her surgery to help brighten peoples day!
Morgan
Morgan is a 5-year-old Domestic Shorthair in Fayetteville, NC, who needs $1,410 for full-mouth extraction due to stomatitis.
Fayetteville, NC
Morgan is a semi-feral stray. I can pet him. He started to come around looking for food when I moved into my apartment. I have been feeding him for 3 years. I named him Morgan because I live in Morganton Apartments. I also feed another stray that I cannot pet. And, I have 2 cats of my own inside. I have set up two heated cat houses and a shade tent on my porch. Both strays come every day to eat. Morgan will let me pet him, but since he has been having dental issues, he doesn't want to be petted as much. He will come into my apartment a few inches, but when I go to shut the door, he runs outside. I am hoping that after getting his dental surgery, he will become more friendly. I am hoping that he will want to come inside more. I have paid $880 for Morgan's vet bills and I have raised $825 to pay vet bills. Dr. Hoover estimated about $2,500 for the surgery. A charity organization has promised a $500 grant. So now, I need $2000 more. I am normally a teacher, but I did not work during the pandemic. I started to notice that Morgan would jump and meow in pain, especially when trying to eat. I began taking him to my regular vet in Jan. of 2021. He took x-rays, did a teeth cleaning, gave him antibiotics, etc. But, nothing was working. He referred him to a vet dental specialist, Dr. Hoover at Veterinary Dental Clinic of NC. Dr. Hoover said he had stomatitis and would need a full-mouth extraction. Morgan is a very nice cat for being a stray. I can tell that he has had a hard life. But, he has never tried to bite or scratch me, even when I have grabbed him to put him in a carrier. He has never bit or scratched the vet either. I am surprised that he allows me to pet him and that he will come into my apartment a little bit. He also has never fought with my 2 cats inside. They get along great.
Lucy
Lucy is a three-month-old Maltese mix in Dallas, TX, who needs $2000 for hospitalization due to Parvo.
Dallas, TX • Pooch Savers Rescue
Pooch Savers knew rescuing Lucy would be an expensive undertaking, but without their help, she would die. "A lady called us and said she bought a puppy from a backyard breeder," Scott B., with the rescue, tells Waggle. "The puppy came with Parvo. The woman could not afford the pup's care." Scott says the woman tried to call the breeder but could not get an answer. "She told me she thought long and hard about getting the dog from this breeder, and she did it against her better judgment," he says. "She knew the risks associated with a breeder who had no papers for the dog, and the pup didn't have any vaccinations. You're really taking a gamble." Pooch Savers raced the pup to Med Vet animal hospital, where Lucy is fighting for her life, receiving round-the-clock care and IV fluids. Parvo is a virus, so veterinarians can only offer supportive care and medications to treat her symptoms. "She's such a young, innocent life that almost didn't have a chance to live through no fault of her own, due to the dereliction of others," Scott adds. Pooch Savers wasn't planning on taking on this massive expense, but they could not say no to this sweet puppy. The group is hoping the Waggle community will also help come to Lucy's rescue. "It's given us tremendous confidence that we have Waggle as a strong ally," Scott says. "We are so thankful for you all. We know we aren't alone out there." Please donate to help Lucy live!
Amore’
Amore is an 11-year-old Dachshund-Terrier mix in North Ridgeville , OH, who needs $2,000 for urgent tumor removal surgery.
North Ridgeville, OH
It started as a tiny lump growing on Amore's chest, and in a flash, it turned into a tumor and then into multiple tumors. "The one that we are mainly focused on is the one excessively growing on her chest, pushing out her arm, making day-to-day tasks more difficult and painful," Allysen M., Amore's human mom, tells Waggle. Amore needs immediate surgery to remove the tumors at Animal Clinic Northview, but Allysen and her family can't afford the operation. "Due to my husband being disabled, I have been the main source of income for years," Allysen says. "After an unexpected move and multiple unexpected surgeries for my husband, we were left without savings and any extra money. I'd give anything not to see my Amore not suffer anymore." The sweet pooch has been the center of her family's love since they first adopted her. "People may see just another dog, but to me, she is another one of my children. She is just as nosey and curious as my kids. She always has to know what is going on around the house, sticking her head in bags to see what we bought when we come home from stores. I laugh because she competes with my husband on who can snore the loudest." Allysen adds that Amore brightens a dark day! Can you help make their day by helping Amore get the surgery she so desperately needs?
Ava Marie
Ava Marie is a one-year-old Pitbull-Husky mix in Thornton, CO, who needs $900 for leg surgery.
Thornton, CO
Bethany H. and her family have been through some of the most difficult moments of their lives over the last couple of years, and they really need your help! Bethany's nine-year-old son has cancer, and all he wanted was a puppy, so Bethany and her husband adopted Ava Marie. The adorable pup brightened all their lives. "When my son wakes up every morning, he walks and plays with her," Bethany tells Waggle. "She is a big emotional support for him and me. She is a protector, a sleep companion and she loves being with us." Sadly, Ava recently suffered a leg injury, and the only option to relieve her pain is to amputate the limb; unfortunately, Bethany's family can't afford the surgery. "We are absolutely heartbroken, but we know this is for the best," Bethany says. "We have fallen on hard times with my son's diagnosis, the loss of my husband's job, and my car is broken down." The medical team at Guardian Angel Vet is ready to take good care of Ava and perform her surgery. Bethany hopes Waggle's generous community of pet lovers might "pay it forward" and give to Ava's campaign. "It would mean everything to my family and me to have Ava be healthy, happy, and out of pain," Bethany adds. "She makes my family complete, and I wouldn't know what to do without her." Can you help Ava get the surgery she needs?