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Shadow's Story
Luna Tuna's Story
Hi. My name is Luna Tuna, Mom calls me Tuna for short. I’m a 3-year old (my birthday was 1/1/18) American Staffordshire Terrier, but that’s just what you see on the outside. I love to play with my sister Zoey, snuggle with mommy, and play with my favorite toy “Lana the Inagua”. Mommy says I’m the perfect dog because I love all dogs, people, and kitties! Mom rescued me when I was 6 months old and emaciated. I weighed 30lbs, have been through tumor removal surgery, and it’s been a struggle to get me healthy. Mommy got me back to where I need to be, now I’m 65lbs, in shape, and happy as ever! We have “Tuna and Mommy” days where we go on hikes, run at the dog park, and walk around Petsmart so I can get pet by everyone!
Now: My mom had my prescription dog food stolen out of our garage less than a month ago. Things have been “ruff”. When I was playing with my sister Zoey, I tore my anterior cruciate ligament or “ACL”. I’m in a lot of pain. I can’t bear weight on my rear left leg. I can’t run around and do zoomies with Zoey like I normally do, Mom can only walk me on a leash, and I need to be on “cage rest” until I can get the magic surgery called Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy or “TPLO”. My mom went to two different veterinarians to get the diagnosis and unfortunately, I need the surgery as soon as possible. I have a brace to support my leg in the meantime, but it’s only a temporary fix. Mommy has Care Credit and plans to put my surgery on that card, but unfortunately, she paid my ex-daddy's dental work, and then he left us high and dry with the bill, so she doesn’t have the available credit for my surgery. Mommy has been hearing wonderful things about Dr. Woodside and we went for our consultation. Sadly the bill was more than we could afford. Mommy posted my story online and Buddys Healing Paws reached out to save me. Because of them, we now have enough funds to get my surgery. Mommy has been working in Animal Welfare for a long time. She’s a huge advocate for animals and really just needed help. Buddy’s was there for her when nobody else was. Buddy’s was here for US.
A note from Mom- The level of gratitude that I feel for Buddy’s is unexplainable. Little Luna Tuna is my heart dog, she is the reason I keep going some days. Thank you Buddy’s, fur-ever.
Luna Tuna and Lauren Partanio
Kimmy's Story
Kimmy cat, aka Lil Kim , aka queen Kimmy is an 11 year old Persian female cat. She’s been raised (and spoiled) along with her litter mate brother Wayne aka weezy, mostly in nyc and recently have moved to the suburbs of New Rochelle where she’s settled into house life over apartment life.
Earlier this year, I noticed more than average sneezing along with some infections that just wouldn’t go away which led me to seek further diagnostics. We learned that she has a rare nasal tumor which unfortunately has almost completely blocked her nasal cavity. The prognosis is poor which is making our decision on next best steps very difficult.
While we know she’s struggling to breathe, she still remains her elegant , serene , loving and curious observational self. She’s always been a lover but from a distance. Lately she has expressed so much love and gratitude as i have had her looked at and treated that I couldn’t help but think that she’s looking for more to be done.
Like a lot of people , Covid has severely effected my disposable income. I was furloughed for many months and even now that I’m back to work, the restaurant industry in which I serve is devastated. On a random morning I came across Buddy's Healing Paws through the Nextdoor app. I figured why not reach out and see what may come from it and I am blown away by the generosity, care and support the foundation has provided.
While I know there is no cure for her condition, I do believe we can make her a bit more comfortable and Buddy's Healing Paws has provided the assistance and support needed to take that step. We are forever grateful and find comfort knowing you’re part of the team.
Goomba's Story
Goomba, is an Italian name meaning loyal friend and companion, which is exactly what he is. He loves begging for food, ropes, stuffies, pillows, and blankets. He is an 80lb Studmuffin who turned 10 in June. He is a gentle giant and a giant protector. His favorite thing to do is sit by the window and watch what's going on in the neighborhood, taking a car ride, and napping, as he has gotten older.
His family loves his fiercely and want nothing but to give him health, happiness and a full life.
He had a mast cell tumor removal last year, and since then has had more tumors surface. Which is common with his breed. In order for them to remove the tumors and make sure they are not mast cells they first have to do a biopsy. He has 2 on his neck, one on his chest, and one on his toe, as well as clusters of tiny ones behind his ear.
At this time, the major concerns are the neck, chest, and toe. The others are not a concern as of yet. Due to the fact that he has had mast cells in the past, he is at higher risk to have them again. These tumors are very nasty and essentially grow "tentacles" or "roots" damaging the surrounding tissue, muscle. This is why a biopsy is necessary.
Baloo's Story
I love my boy so much and he is in good health other than his ears and the Cushings. Both are common in Cockers. He is such a happy boy. He loves my 8yr old granddaughter and 8 month old grandson. He can be picky with adults but he loves his kids.
Just wanted to send my sincere appreciation for helping me with Baloo's vet bills. He had an appointment today and needed a re treatment for one of his ears and he is beginning medication for Cushing's Disease. Now that all the diagnostics are done I will be able to continue his care. The medication is inexpensive. We still have a credit at the vet that will cover his ear re check in 3 weeks and a few more rounds of his meds. You have literally saved my boy's life with your kindness.
Truck's Story
We adopted Truck from a rescue in Oklahoma when he was just 8 weeks old. He was the runt of the litter and had to fight the hardest from the very beginning. We didn’t know just how important that fighting spirit would end up being for our Truck. His first week home was magical—Truck played for hours each day with our three boys, and we felt so much joy at having him be a part of our family. His first visit with our vet was uneventful and he charmed everyone that he met. They said he was a healthy pup and we started him on his necessary vaccines. However, during his second week home with us, Truck began to slow down and his appetite suddenly disappeared. Within 24 hours, we took him back to our vet out of concern. They found parasites in his stool but said with meds, he would be fine. However, that night and into the next morning, Truck began vomiting and only wanted to be held. Over the course of the next 3-4 days, we kept taking Truck back to our vet, upwards of two times each day. We knew something else was wrong. Our vet administered anti-nausea meds, checked for Parvo, and assessed vitals over the course of these many visits. Finally, during our last desperate visit, demanding them to look further for answers, they did blood-work and assessed his kidney and liver values. The news they delivered next was devastating. Truck’s organs were shutting down. He was experiencing kidney and liver failure and they suggested humanely euthanizing. We pressed for answers. Why was his body shutting down? What was making him so ill? They didn’t have the means to perform diagnostic testing, so they could only speculate. But they believed Truck was too far gone to try to save. We knew when we adopted Truck that he was a lifetime commitment. We had made him a part of our family. And we were not going to give up on him that easily. We took Truck out of the vet’s office and drove across town to our city’s only emergency animal hospital. They agreed that he was in rough shape and speculated that he had contracted lepidopterist. Truck stayed at the hospital for several days with round the clock care. Our joyful, sweet puppy went from chasing toddlers in our backyard to being hooked up to an IV of fluids and antibiotics, a gastrotube, and a catheter. His blood-work was done multiple times a day to check for progress. He had x-rays, ultrasounds, cancer screenings, yet another Parvo test, and a series of bacterial panels (including lepto) sent off for testing. Despite exhaustive diagnostic testing, we never uncovered what it was that had made Truck so sick. Ultimately, after several days in their care, Truck started to recover. It was slow at first, but the puppy we thought we were going to lose finally came home to us. Looking at Truck today, you would never know he had to fight for his life only a month ago. He has boundless energy, loves to play and snuggle with his family, and is truly my children’s best friend. He is home. We are grateful beyond words that we decided to listen to our gut and seek out a second opinion on our puppy’s fatal diagnosis. We are so grateful for the amazing care he received at the emergency animal hospital. And we are grateful for people who have graciously donated to help us get Truck the care he needed to save his life. The cost for Truck’s care was staggering. We had invested around a thousand already at our initial vet during our twice a day pushes to get him well. The animal hospital added another seven thousand to our mounting bills. We have stretched ourselves to pay what we can, as well as received some gracious donations to help us bridge the gap. We have about $2500 still owed to the animal hospital and we simply do not know how we will be able to pay it. However, we know we will find a way. Truck is a miracle. We will figure it out, but the most important thing is that our puppy is well and he is home.
Vader's Story
As 2022 draws to a close, I have been reflecting on all the generous people and groups who embrace life-affirming practices and philosophies. One of these is BUDDY'S HEALING PAWS. Earlier this year, my 14 year-old cat, VADER, was diagnosed with severe Diabetes. As a very difficult cat, even to pet, he would have been nearly impossible to treat with insulin; and the cost would have been prohibitive. Sadly. I had to have him euthanized to ease his debilitating pain. I would have been hard pressed to pay for the sad, but necessary, procedure, were it not for the compassionate help from BUDDY'S HEALING PAWS. I am forever grateful to this nonprofit. I beseech anyone to donate whatever you can to this incredibly noble and worthy organization, as it strives to help save the lives of our furry and feathered family pets.