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Author Archives: fetchmin

  1. Louie and His Guardian Angel

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    With less than 24 hours to live at a shelter in Los Angeles and very serious, expensive medical needs, 4-year-old Louie needed a guardian angel. Luckily, his mom stumbled across his pictures on Instagram and dropped everything to go all the way from Maryland to LA to save him. Now she is helping him in his battle against squamous cell carcinoma with financial support from FETCH a Cure’s Companions in Crisis program.

    Read more about Louie’s incredible story from his mom:

    I stumbled upon Louie while on Instagram. He looks very similar to a female dog that my boyfriend owns, and we are very close. He is the male version of her and gorgeous. Louie’s previous owner neglected him so bad and made him an ‘outdoor only’ dog. I flew to LA to save him from euthanasia. But Louie’s doctor here in Maryland says that he has skin cancer due to being in the California sun his entire life. The oncologist says the best course of action is to completely remove Louie’s penis and any cancer surrounding that area. He is very lovable and sweet. He is so loyal and still a bit confused at my love and kindness to him. He was clearly never cared for, the vet says that he barely has any teeth because he was neglected outside and chewed on rocks and sticks out of boredom, hunger and neglect. I wanted to save Louie and show him that all humans are not bad. I am attaching two Instagram links that really tell Louie’s story.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B8iBSpup0XE/?igshid=1df5lkx26a4tz

    The doctor who diagnosed Louie’s skin cancer had this to share about Louie’s Story: “He is a sweet boy who was surrendered to a shelter in LA in February because of a large tumor along his prepuce that was due to sunning himself. His owner drove from MD to LA to rescue him and then the pandemic hit and her business was significantly affected. Louie is a wonderful dog and the owner is trying to give him a fair chance.”
     
    Louie is scheduled to have amputative and reconstructive surgery tomorrow to remove the affected area. With financial support from FETCH a Cure and the care of his amazing family, we’re hoping this sweetheart will start feeling better soon. Every pup deserves a second chance, and we’re so grateful we can be part of Louie’s journey to a healthier, happier life.

  2. Companions in Crisis Feature: Water Lily

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    FETCH a Cure’s Companions in Crisis program provides hope and options to families facing a cancer diagnosis with their cat or dog. On average, we fund 20 to 40 percent of lifesaving pet cancer treatments so pets like Water Lily can have a second chance at additional, quality time with the people that love them most. We’re so grateful to be part of Water Lily’s journey to overcome cancer through the Companions in Crisis program. Read more about this beautiful kitty below:

    Companions in Crisis Recipient, Water Lily

    In January 2016, I returned to an empty apartment in Chicago unprepared for my spring semester of college. My roommates had moved out for study abroad, my fall semester had been full of difficult classes and over-commitments to clubs, volunteer organizations and friends. When I returned to school at the start of the semester, I immediately put down my suitcase, locked the door and went out to adopt a cat. 

    I adopted Water Lily from a cat only shelter in Chicago called Treehouse Humane Society. Initially, I was looking for a young cat around the age of two. They introduced me to Water Lily along with approximately eight other cats. I think they only introduced us because when we came in the room, she stuck her head out of a wicker basket; she was ten at the time, far outside the age range I was looking for. When they left me alone with all the cats, it was Water Lily that crawled into my lap for a cuddle and I knew I had to take her home. 

    Water Lily quickly became my best friend. I would come home in between classes just so that we could cuddle on the couch. She was with me for college graduation, my transition into veterinary medicine from my previous career plans in law and human rights, and many more fundamental moments. 

    This year has been a tough one for this very special cat and while I am a veterinary professional as well as applying for veterinary school, I find it incredibly difficult not to get emotional when it comes to her health. I’ve cried to many veterinarians, in my car, and at work thinking about everything that she’s been through this year. When we found the lump in her armpit, it was fairly small. Since COVID-19 was at its peak and Water Lily was acting like herself, we did not rush her in. However, about a month later I became distressed with the size and insisted that we be seen. We decided to remove the mass in its entirety after the initial vet visit and unfortunately, the histopathology did not give us the news we had hoped for. 

    Since the mass has been removed, Water Lily has been acting like a normal, happy cat. She runs around the apartment, hops in and out of her cat tree, watches birds from her seat on the couch, and chats the day away. The prospect of losing my cat in a year due to the cost of radiation therapy is heartbreaking. Without radiation, it is my understanding that we will say goodbye in approximately a year. With it, we could have many more since she is in otherwise great health for a young adult cat.

    Water Lily is my best friend. She is incredibly sweet, talks a lot, and loves it when her butt is rubbed. I bought a bird feeder just so she could watch the birds on the patio when I’m gone and she gets whatever she wants. Water Lily has more toys than my parents’ five cats combined! This diagnosis has hit us very hard but I can’t imagine my life without her right now. My hope is that radiation therapy will extend my best friend’s life and allow us to continue giving her the best life possible.

  3. Hooligan (Noun): A Young Troublemaker

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    Hooligan has had her fair share of adventures. Now, she’s going through pet cancer treatments and her family is doing everything they can to help her through it. She’s being treated at the Advanced Radiation Treatment Center, which FETCH helped open in 2016 here in Richmond, and has received financial assistance from FETCH a Cure’s Companions in Crisis program to help give her more quality time with the people she loves most. Read more about Hooligan from her owner:

    Living Up to Her Name

    It’s hard to briefly describe Hooligan, but I suppose it’s fair to start with her name. As a puppy (and maybe some now too), she lived up to her name – earned it really. She is quite the escape artist, although the escapes are typically just the result of separation anxiety, and has managed to get out of metal crates without much evidence of how. She once busted herself out, then freed the other dog in the house and proceeded to eat all the Easter candy we left on the kitchen table. While my mother was watching her for the day, she even scaled a 6-foot wooden privacy fence and ended up shutting down I-64W running to try and find me. She was luckily unharmed but wasn’t allowed by herself in even a fenced yard for years afterwards. 

    Don’t get the wrong idea though. While she certainly is an active dog (we love to run 2-6 miles together even now that she is 11), there is so much more to her. She is one of the most loving, nurturing dogs I have ever seen. If someone cries, she is next to them in an instant to cuddle or kiss or simply be next to them, and I have regularly been told that she should be a therapy dog. She is gentle and sweet to not only people, but other animals as well. I once came home to find that, during a thunderstorm, she had pulled her dog bed from the living room across the house and next to the puppy’s crate, so she could comfort her. She has been such a loving role model to Sunny (the puppy), that I can safely say she has helped me to train Sunny!

    Honestly, I could go on forever, because Hooligan has been with me through every major up and down in my life. In the hardest of times she is there to remind me of why I should be happy and to give me the love and comfort I need. In the happiest moments she is there to share in the celebration with loud happy barks and a big smile. I may be biased, but I truly believe that she is the perfect dog.

    She had a soft tissue sarcoma removed from her elbow in 2018. It was a grade 1 so I thought it would have a low chance of returning. However, it came back in February 2020. I was hopeful if surgery was performed again, it would not return for another 2 years. I have since learned this is not typically the case. It again came back in May so I decided to undergo further preventative measures.

    To learn more about how FETCH a Cure provides funding for pet cancer treatments, please visit our Companions in Crisis FAQs page.

  4. “Everywhere I Go, Gordon Goes with Me”

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    This gray-haired cutie is Gordon, a nine-year-old Plott hound who is being treated by Dr. Angharad Waite at The Oncology Service – Dogwood for bladder cancer. Through our Companions in Crisis program, FETCH a Cure is providing pet cancer treatment funding to help give Gordon more time with his best friend, his human dad. Read more about Gordon below:

    Gordon’s Story

    Gordon was rescued from a kill shelter in North Carolina by a Virginia shelter, and I adopted him in December of 2013. I was hoping to find a dog that could be a true companion, and Gordon has been that to me since day one.

    Just about everywhere I go, Gordon goes with me. To say we have been through a lot together would be an understatement – he has been at my side through a serious illness, as my life was uprooted and we relocated to 

    California, through the death of both my parents, job loss, and most recently, as we returned to Richmond, to begin a fresh start. Gordon has always been devoted – friendly to everyone, but always with a watchful eye on me, making sure I’m never far from sight. He is truly my best friend, and loves me unconditionally just as I do him.

    His recent diagnosis of cancer was a devastating blow. Although he is not a young dog, he is still a young-spirited dog and aside from this diagnosis has always been healthy. Like all of us, he has slowed down somewhat – but when I take him to one of his favorite places, such as the beach, he runs and plays like a puppy. One of the reasons the diagnosis hit so hard is because aside from his troubles with urination, he shows no signs of feeling sick. Because of this, pursuing treatment was never in question… although I understand that chances are his life span will be shortened by the cancer, he still has a lot of happy life in him, and I want to do whatever I can to let him continue to have that as long as he can.

    Donate Today to Help Provide Pet Cancer Treatment Funding to Pets Like Gordon

    If you’re able, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to FETCH a Cure to help us continue our important work. With support from donors like you, FETCH is providing hope and options in the face of a scary cancer diagnosis. Providing pet cancer treatment funding gives families the chance to create more happy, healthy memories with their best friends. Thank you for making a difference in a companion’s life.

  5. Meet Lili, A Little Pup with a Big Personality

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    Our newest 2020 Companions in Crisis recipient, Lili, is being treated at The Oncology Service at Dogwood in Richmond, VA for a Grade 2 mammary carcinoma with lymphatic invasion. By providing lifesaving pet cancer treatment funding, it is our hope that Lili can enjoy more healthy, quality time with her doggie sisters and loving parents. After all, our dogs and cats are more than just pets. They’re family. Read Lili’s story below, written by her wonderful mom:

    “Our beautiful Westie girl, Lili Louise Lent-McLaughlin (a.k.a. Lili “Lou”) was born on June 15, 2005. She will be 15 years old in just 10 days! However, you would never guess her age because she is such a happy puppy dog with energy and sass.

    I have had Westies all my life in my family, since I was a baby. But, Lili is my first dog of my very own! She was given to me by my sister, Jennifer, in 2006. Jennifer could tell I was depressed and lonely at college by myself in Richmond, VA. Once she got Lili for me, my life was changed! I truly believe Lili was meant for me and is my soulmate. She never leaves a room without me. We are kindred spirits. Lili was named after the best character role I ever played in the musical theater production of “Carnival”.

    Lili’s best friend is Zoey. Zoey is 12 years old. We got her in 2007 so Lili would have a friend to play with. They are always together. We also have a third Westie girl, named Maysie. We rescued her last May. She was a stray in poor condition! We adopted her when she was never claimed. Our Westie girls are like 3 peas in a pod.

    Lili is a tough cookie! She had surgery for a knee injury a few years back. She also had her uterus removed in 2018. But, other than this new cancer diagnosis, Lili is a healthy girl!

    We are lucky we caught the tumors early while they were still small. She had 3 tiny mammary gland tumors removed, as well as the mammary gland chain they were in, removed, about a month ago. The biopsy results came back malignant. That has devastated us. I just lost my mother to aggressive ovarian cancer, I can’t lose my Lili, too! It was because of my mother that I have such a love for animals, and especially for Westies! When my mom was in her final days, I said to her “I cannot live without you!”. Her response was, “You have your girls.” She was referring to Lili and Zoey (We think our third Westie, Maysie was brought to us somehow by my Mom after her death). Mom always viewed them as little angels and as a precious gift from God. She knew I would be okay as long as I had my babies. They are the only thing getting me through the agonizing grief of losing my mother! So, we have to do everything we can to keep Lili healthy and happy for as long as we can!

    My husband’s work hours have been reduced due to Covid-19, so he is currently making less than he did last year. I left my full time government job to care for my Mom when she was terminally ill in 2018. The debilitating grief kept me from working after that for 18 months. Recently, I started working part time as a Shipt Shopper while trying to address my grief in therapy. The vet bills have piled up due to Lili’s surgery, and Zoey’s Addison’s disease.

    We are doing the best we can, but aren’t able to afford Lili’s cancer treatment. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for considering helping us in this difficult time. Your nonprofit is truly a blessing to so many!”

    If you would like to donate to FETCH a Cure to help other families like Lili’s pay for pet cancer treatment funding, please visit our donation page. Every dollar makes a difference in helping companions in need!