Category Archive: Uncategorized

1. Mila Markowitz: Make your donations go twice as far!

   July 23, 2019 1:37 pm Comments Off on Mila Markowitz: Make your donations go twice as far!

   

   Click here to donate and double your impact, up to $5,000!

   Dear Friend,

   FETCH a Cure’s Pixie’s Pen Pals program is all about second chances. In 2010, Ms. Miracle was given her second chance after being rescued into this unique training and adoption program. Pixie’s Pen Pals works with local shelters and the Virginia Department of Corrections to provide hands-on socialization and training for rescue dogs. The program helps these at-risk dogs find their loving forever homes and offers an opportunity for offender handlers to learn valuable job skills and give back to their communities.

   In April of 2011, FETCH volunteer Diana Taylor visited the Lunenburg Correctional Center to meet Ms. Miracle and fell in love with the timid pup. Just a few days later, Ms. Miracle’s name was officially changed to “Mila” (short for “milagro”, which is “miracle” in Spanish) and her life from then on was filled with light, love and joy. Mila followed her owner as she met and later married her husband, John Markowitz. Mila and John created an indescribable and unbreakable bond. He was truly her “Dad” and Diana her “Mom.”

   Both Diana and John ensured Mila was given top care and attention for her anxieties, but nothing cured Mila’s fear better than being off the leash, running free in a large field. Her life was full of adventure – accompanying her parents on their move from RVA to Boston, meeting new friends at dog parks in the “big city”, eventually moving to a seaside town north of Boston with a fenced in yard and beach to play on toward the end of her life. Mila lived to the age of 9 and was a wonderful big sister to Diana and John’s children. 

   

    

    

   Given their education on canine cancer from FETCH, Mila’s parents were vigilant about getting Mila’s blood work examined twice a year to detect for abnormalities. Unfortunately, hemangiosarcoma is one of the most aggressive silent cancers that can only be detected through x-ray or ultrasound. Sadly, Mila passed away suddenly from the disease on 7.3.19.

   FETCH a Cure is committed to the fight against pet cancer and to finding forever homes for at-risk dogs. Like Mila, our animals are our family. With your support, we can work to save more companion lives, and give families more time with their best friends.

   Today, your gift to FETCH can go twice as far. In honor of Mila’s memory, her family will match your donation to our cause, up to $5,000. The Markowitz’s are forever grateful for the opportunity to rescue and help an animal in need and hope that through this campaign, others will be moved to adopt, donate or both.

   

   To learn more about FETCH a Cure’s Pixie’s Pen Pals and other lifesaving programs, please visit our website at www.fetchacure.org. Let’s give our companions the second chance they deserve.

   Donate today.

   Sincerely,

   The FETCH a Cure Staff

2. FETCH Feature: Bear (a Pen Pals Dog)

   July 19, 2019 5:40 pm Comments Off on FETCH Feature: Bear (a Pen Pals Dog)

   At FETCH a Cure, we encounter quite a few dogs and cats. Through our Companions in Crisis (CIC) and Pixie’s Pen Pals programs, we have helped hundreds of animals. What many people don’t think about, however, is that when an animal becomes a CIC Recipient or a Pen Pals participant, they become part of the FETCH a Cure family. That doesn’t end when they leave our programs. We have built a community in which families stay connected with us long after their original participation. We love seeing pictures of their new lives and keeping up with how they are doing, and we want to share that with everyone. So, we will be posting weekly FETCH Features about our animals. These will include Pen Pals dog alumni, past CIC recipients, and dogs that are currently up for adoption through the Pen Pals program.

   Meet Bear, a Pen Pals dog!

   

   Bear, a Pen Pals dog, is currently receiving training at a Virginia Correctional Facility, and he’s ready for adoption! He is 70 pounds of pure love, and he’s looking for a forever home that will love him and shower him with attention!

   FETCH received Bear from a vet’s office that rescued him from a less than ideal situation– he was kept in a pen for his first 9 years of life. Despite that, he has never met a stranger and is fantastic with older kids and anyone else he meets.

   Bear is disinterested in dogs of his own size, but he LOVES small dogs. We don’t know what it is, but he’s all about them. He would do well in a home with a small dog with a big personality! Bear is interested in cats, but he doesn’t chase them. He has no interest in chickens (according to the family who fostered him when we first got him into our program!).

   Bear’s Day Out

   This past Wednesday, our Programs Manager, Sarah and our Marketing Coordinator, Allie took Bear out of the prison for a photoshoot. As soon as they got to the FETCH van, Bear jumped up into the high-riding seats with ease. “You wouldn’t guess he was an older dog based on his physical abilities,” says Allie. “I’m 23, and I have to use the handle to hoist myself into the seats. Bear is 63 [in dog years], and he didn’t even hesitate.” Once inside, Bear laid down on Allie’s lap while Sarah drove to a grassy area to take pictures.

   Bear is grateful for every moment in life where he is being shown attention. He loves going new places, meeting new people, and smelling new smells! Once they got to the photoshoot area– a residential development next to a large pond– he was ready to go explore. Before getting out the camera, Sarah and Allie walked him around so he could get comfortable with his surroundings. It’s important to remember that Bear has been in a pen his whole life, followed by his time in our prison program, so he needs a bit of time to adjust to newer, larger, more stimulating environments. He gets comfortable quickly though, as you can clearly see in the photos and videos Allie took of him!

   It’s also worth mentioning that Bear was excited to go back into the prison, too. His tail started wagging the second he saw his handlers again, and he was excited to see his pal Ollie, a beagle that’s also in the prison program.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrCOChkn19Q&feature=youtu.be

   Are you looking for a loving dog to give lots of TLC to? If so, Bear is the dog for you! You can fill out an application here. Please contact spavilack@fetchacure.com with any questions.

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   

   
   

   

   

   

   
   

3. FETCH Feature: Zoe (Companions in Crisis)

   July 12, 2019 2:51 pm Comments Off on FETCH Feature: Zoe (Companions in Crisis)

   At FETCH a Cure, we encounter quite a few dogs and cats. Through our Companions in Crisis (CIC) and Pixie’s Pen Pals programs, we have helped hundreds of animals. What many people don’t think about, however, is that when an animal becomes a CIC Recipient or a Pen Pals participant, they become part of the FETCH a Cure family. That doesn’t end when they leave our programs. We have built a community in which families stay connected with us long after their original participation. We love seeing pictures of their new lives and keeping up with how they are doing, and we want to share that with everyone. So, we will be posting weekly FETCH Features about our animals. These will include Pen Pals dog alumni, past CIC recipients, and dogs that are currently up for adoption through the Pen Pals program.

   Meet Zoe, a Companions in Crisis recipient!

   Zoe, a pitbull mix, was adopted by her family back in December of 2011. On a routine trip to drop off food donations at their local animal control, the Petty family heard that Zoe, then 5 1/2 months old, was scheduled to be euthanized at 6 months. They knew immediately that she was their dog, and they rescued her.

   Fast forward to 2018, and Zoe has been part of the family through the birth of two kids (including one born prematurely) and a big move from California to Richmond. The family describes her as friendly and social, and extremely patient with kids. When they noticed her limping, they thought she had sprained her leg, so they took her to the vet. Unfortunately, they discovered that Zoe had osteosarcoma. Without hesitation, they knew they wanted to fight. In the words of her mom, “We did not want to give up on Zoe. We had to save her again, just like we did 7 years ago.”

   In order to remove the cancer, Zoe’s front right leg was amputated. With the help of FETCH a Cure, Zoe’s family put her through chemotherapy after the amputation to treat the affected areas. As a tripawd, Zoe has not lost any of her speed and love for life.

   July 10, 2019

   “Zoe celebrated her 8th birthday on July 10,” says her mom. “We couldn’t stop thinking that if it wasn’t for FETCH a Cure – this would not happen. She enjoyed being spoiled for the day with her favorite food and at the end of the day went to the store with her whole family to pick a special treat – doggy cookie.

   “Zoe is now 8 months post-osteosarcoma diagnosis and amputation. She is doing well. We have recently learned that she has a single nodule on her lungs which may mean that the cancer has spread or we are dealing with another primary tumor, so we have started oral chemotherapy. She is asymptomatic and her quality of life is great. It seems like she doesn’t realize that she is sick or on only 3 legs. We hope we get to celebrate many more birthdays with Zoe and that she continues to live a happy life.”

4. FETCH Feature: Rockford (a Pen Pals alum)

   July 3, 2019 4:17 pm Comments Off on FETCH Feature: Rockford (a Pen Pals alum)

   At FETCH a Cure, we encounter quite a few dogs and cats. Through our Companions in Crisis (CIC) and Pixie’s Pen Pals programs, we have helped hundreds of animals. What many people don’t think about, however, is that when an animal becomes a CIC Recipient or a Pen Pals participant, they become part of the FETCH a Cure family. That doesn’t end when they leave our programs. We have built a community in which families stay connected with us long after their original participation. We love seeing pictures of their new lives and keeping up with how they are doing, and we want to share that with everyone. So, we will be posting weekly FETCH Features about our animals. These will include Pen Pals dog alumni, past CIC recipients, and dogs that are currently up for adoption through the Pen Pals program.

   Meet Rockford, a Pen Pals alum!

   This past Saturday, we hosted a trivia night at Blue Bee Cider‘s Dog Days of Summer event. Lots of humans and dogs came out to participate and try to win prizes. Among the participants was a familiar face: Rockford.

   Rockford was in our Pen Pals program in 2018, and was adopted in May 2018. Coincidentally, the adoption event actually happened at Blue Bee Cider! He and his owners were all smiles throughout trivia, despite the heat. We bet he was helpful during the “All About Dogs” category, especially when the question, “How long is the training program for Pixie’s Pen Pals?” came up!

   Thanks to Blue Bee Cider for being an awesome community partner!

5. FETCH Feature: Honey (Companions in Crisis)

   June 26, 2019 6:49 pm Comments Off on FETCH Feature: Honey (Companions in Crisis)

   At FETCH a Cure, we encounter quite a few dogs and cats. Through our Companions in Crisis (CIC) and Pixie’s Pen Pals programs, we have helped hundreds of animals. What many people don’t think about, however, is that when an animal becomes a CIC Recipient or a Pen Pals participant, they become part of the FETCH a Cure family. That doesn’t end when they leave our programs. We have built a community in which families stay connected with us long after their original participation. We love seeing pictures of their new lives and keeping up with how they are doing, and we want to share that with everyone. So, we will be posting weekly FETCH Features about our animals. These will include Pen Pals dog alumni, past CIC recipients, and dogs that are currently up for adoption through the Pen Pals program.

   Meet Honey, a Companions in Crisis recipient!

   Honey, a 9 year old Belgian Malinois, became a Companions in Crisis recipient in 2018 after being diagnosed with fibrous sarcoma. She is currently undergoing cancer treatments every 8 weeks. She is also receiving cold laser therapy every week to strengthen her hips, knees and shoulders on the legs not affected by the cancer. She’s taking two walks a day, and her moms says her progress has been “slow and steady, but remarkable.”

   Here she is sporting her protective eye gear for the cold laser sessions, and looking like a WWI pilot. We are so happy she is doing well!