Four happy dog endings thanks to one donor(and vets)

These four precious babies are alive because of a dedicated donor who contacts me on a regular basis to ask what I need. It is usually treatment for heartworms. That in itself is tragic because heartworms are deadly, but very inexpensive to PREVENT, horrendously expensive and painful to treat.Even though expensive, every small donation adds  up fast , so I am at 2 vet clinics almost every week saving more dogs.

Houston area vets are important to this equation as well, they donate the time and expertise to fight this seemingly endless battle.( I could stack crates to the ceiling EVERY day with Houston area dogs needing treatment.) Foster people are critical, as the dogs need to be crate for 30-60 days.

Your tax deductible donation will go a long way in making more happy endings. Chestnut Rehab is a registered nonprofit connected to Chestnut Animal Hospital. Located at 4834 Chestnut, Bellaire, Tx 77401, they will sent you a receipt. (713-667-4244)

(You never know, I may name a dog after you:)

Terrier rescued........for the 4th or 5th time, needs lifetime home

This girl deserves so much better than the life she has led so far, much of which is murky. She ended up at a shelter about 3 years ago and was soon

adopted, what great luck! Well, not really, she showed up again last week at the same shelter as a stray....hhmmmmm. Thanks to microchip technology, her adopter was contacted, so yea! Well, not really, turns out she had been

given away shortly after adoption; the next owner didn't realize she was chipped when she turned her in as a stray...The original adopter was "incensed"at her supposed friend, but not too incensed to reclaim the dog. After all, she has a child now....

She was advised that the dog had been allowed to get heartworms and combined with a massive fear of being picked up, she was not considered to be adoptable. Oh, well...she declined to go get her.

I walked past this dogs cage several days in a row and tried to get her to let me pick her up....nothing doing, she wanted me to see ALLLLLLL of her teeth.

I kept going because she let a few people pick her up even though

inconsistently....

I had her signed out to me permanently instead of fostering.

The first night was terrible and I don't mind admitting that I gave up on her,

thinking of the liability. My plan to have a vet check her out for physical problems wasn't needed as she tolerated some handling, just not moi!

I didn't need any more behaviorial problems.

She of course let me pick her up in the morning so I changed my mind, whereupon she reverted back when it was time to come in...but I decided

to chart her responses to keep my sanity and stop mentally seesawing~ This enabled me to see increasing consistency.

In less than a week she is quite well behaved, making me wonder what instigated it in the first place..

Next week we will begin heartworm treatment. I will be funding that myself

and adopting her out when it is completed to someone who will make their home her LAST home.

More heartworm positive dogs saved thanks to Pepsi

We are now up to 27 dogs saved with the help of the 5,000.00 grant I was awarded in March thru the Pepsi Refresh Everything Project. This includes 82 lb Leo, a chocolate lab turned into the SPCA when his owners divorced. This put a huge burden on Lab Rescue of Southeast Rescue, so I was very happy to provide his treatment.
Today in the CyFair section of the paper Valerie Sweeten of the Houston Chronicle did a nice story
on the cause and mentioned Chestnut Animal Hospital. Dr Snyder and her staff have aided me TREMENDOUSLY since 1986 in my rescue efforts. Chestnut Rehab is a separate 501 (c)(3) nonprofit
that has been handling the drug needed to treat the Pepsi dogs and have graciously offered to extend
additional help. Donations are tax deductible and 100% is used for treating the dogs with immiticide.
Very few nonprofits can make that statement.

Houston is the number one market for the use of the drug Immiticide. Instead of that horrendous statistic, I would like Houston to be the number one user for the use of PREVENTION.

This is Chicken, saved by heartworm treatment and adopted! He got his name because his bark sounds just like a chicken..
y

More happy endings due to heartworm treatments

This is Jupiter, a darling 5 year old terrier mix, maybe a huge 8 lbs. He is being treated for heartworms

thru a shelter.

This stunning beauty is 5 year old Franchesca, also maybe 8 lbs. After a little bout with kennel cough, she

 is scheduled thru a shelter to be waited on like royalty at Rover Oaks Katy during her treatment.I normally do not show pictures of dogs before they are available for adoption, but I wanted to show just 2 of the many, many dogs in Houston with heartworms and

how many more we could be saving.  There are many more that breed specific rescue groups have taken in that need treating as well.  

The Pepsi grant I was awarded has allowed more dogs to be treated, especially bigger dogs that are normally too expensive to treat.(Sheltie Sanctuary and Golden Beginnings, you have been a delight to help!) That 5,000.00 funding is winding down, with 20 dogs treated so far, so

I am looking for other sources so this life saving work can continue.

Chestnut Rehab is a 501(c)(3) non profit connected to (but scrupulously separate from)  Chestnut Animal Hospital in Bellaire, Tx.

It is a bare bones operation, 100% of any donation is not only tax deductible, but the Rehab

keeps costs as low as possible. It is not intended to do mass rescue but help in small ways and

heartworm treatments are a huge way to  help without depleting Rehabs staff and operations.

Your donation will help both shelter and rescue group dogs.

Donations (with the notation "heartworm treatments") can be mailed to Chestnut Rehab,

4834 Chestnut

Bellaire, Tx 77401

Chestnut Animal Hospital has helped me in rescue since 1986. Dr Sandra Snyder, her vet staff

and techs and receptionists and especially office manager Tina have been incredible to me over the years.

Ch 13 TV films Pepsi heartworm story with Pet Stuff Resale clients and rescue volunteers

Jester Plaza Vet Clinic hosted Ch 13 Executive Producer

Molly O'Connor, cameraman Mike and intern Ann for a Pepsi Refresh Project story about canine heartworms. This is the program from which I received the 5,000.00 grant from Pepsi thanks to many people voting in an online competition. Volunteers from

HOPE and sheltie rescue brought their dogs Frankie  and Milo, who have either been treated or

are getting treatment. Joann, co owner of Fondren 5 Star kennel and regular customer of Pet Stuff Resale,(Thank you!) brought Buddy the black lab who was the hit of the interview. He is ready for his permanent home. I brought foster dachshund Sam, who weathered me being interviewed in the heat

at NOON, right after his shot-very poor planning on my part! (Dr Burda was interviewed in the air conditioning, hmmmm)

Molly and Mike did a great job of showcasing the horrendous problem of heartworms in Houston, a totally preventable disease. "Prevention is so much cheaper than treatment" is my manta. Treatment is also

incredible painful.

Many thanks to the volunteers and also to Dr Burda for his help, as well as Tricia Burda who did a

great job of facilitating our little circus!

The 1 minute story will air Sunday August 8 2010, after
the 10 pm news on CH 13, ABC.




Owen, top left, is almost ready for adoption and Mikey
on the left has been adopted after treatment.

Bingo a hit with Pepsi Refresh Project and PRP update

This precious little chihuahua/rat terrier  has gone from heartworm positive stray to TV and blog star! He first came onto my radar thru my bud,  HOPE cat volunteer Lynn.  His face was not only picked out of several pictures to be featured on a future blog article about the grant award providing heartworm treatments, but
will also be in the 15 sec ABC spot currently being edited for local showing. What most people won't see is a great shot of Bingo getting tired of me fliming with a horse and he snaps at Stormy, then jumps back as if he realizes how big his opponent was!

Most importantly is that dogs are receiving treatment. Cinco, from All Texas Dachshund Rescue was the
first dog treated. A red dachshund mix male, you can probably guess what day in May he came into rescue.
TR from Country Hearts, a large male sweetie hound with Kate Harward and Buddy, a black lab  being fostered by JoAnn at Fondren 5 Star Kennel (regular client of Pet Stuff Resale) have also been treated.

Part of this project is being done to honor dogs that were not able to be saved, due to owner neglect. Pepsi
was a wonderful black chow pulled from BARC and scheduled to be the first dog treated. Sadly pneumonia on top of a heavy load of heartworms took his life just as he was being scheduled. Thanks to Laura for loving him.

Many more  dogs are scheduled and vets are being their usual generous selves donating the time. Many, many thanks to Chestnut Animal Hospital in Bellaire, whose connected non profit arm is functioning as HQ for this incredible project.
None of this could have been possible without the Pepsi Refresh Project and LOTS of willing voters!

Houston dogs live due to Pepsi Refresh grant!

People all over the US have been voting every day (some for 2 months straight!) in the Pepsi Refresh Project in hopes of a 5,000.00 grant to treat heartworm positive dogs in Houston. This is a major medical problem and expensive to treat. The sad situation is that it is so much cheaper to prevent than treat. The burden falls
on shelters and rescue groups to, in essence, clean up after ignorant or noncompliant owners. In the current economy, many fewer dogs have been able to be saved, so the grant potential has literally been a lifesaver.
Thanks to Pepsi for providing the resources for me
to help.

This little boy and the buddy he came in with will benefit
from every ones hard work.
If you register to be a blog follower you will get regular updates and LOTS of pictures over several months. The Pepsi verification will take several weeks, so keep in touch to see the lucky dog faces. The first dog treated will be from sheltie rescue.

Keep voting at the Pepsi Refresh Project for heartworm positive dogs in Houston

Another update-We are hanging on to #7 in the voting to receive a 5000.00 grant to treat heartworm positive dogs in Houston! I am cautiously optimistic; would like to be a little further away from the bubble, so
please email your buds to still vote everyday until 3/31. I have had the best luck with this website designation: pepsirefreshproject.com. Thanks to so many people who have faithfully done this to ensure saving a bunch of dogs.
We are under The Planet.
Emme, pictured in the last update, did start the slow treatment, so that is good news!

I am picking up a really sad looking Norwich terrier from Harric County on Thursday, she is probably going to be heartworm positive. She is so matted I am hoping no mosquitos were able to get thru.Thanks to the
phantom donor who is paying her transfer fee outta there! For some reason I cannot dowwnload her picture
here but have been able to email it, so feel free to ask to see her!

Pepsi Refresh Project for heartworm dogs in Houston, like Emme

I have neglected to give an updated status, I am so sorry!

We were stuck at #18 then #16 place for much of the 1st  Pepsi Refresh promotion last month. I decided not to try again in this monthly project because I didn't want to be intrusive to people. Pepsi however automatically reentered
every one from #11 to #100.(yea!) We have not been below #9 yet this month. Since they fund the top
10 projects in the voting, I am so pleased and excited that so many people have stuck with it.

This is Emme, a silky terrier mix, who has been waiting for heartworm treatment since November 09. I will be fostering her as

long as it takes. She is 3 years old and weighs 14.6 lbs. She is so very shy she will need a fairly quiet, all adult home. She says a home with other small dogs and/or cats is ok.

These dogs are alive because of Houston veterinarians and foster families.

These 5 precious furkids are all very lucky for several reasons. They all came into a shelter with heartworms,which prevents their adoption(dogs should never be adopted out with heartworms). The number of heartworm positive dogs in Houston is horrendous and many cannot be saved. In these cases foster families were found to house them for the 8-10 weeks and vets were kind enough to donate or discount their expensive treatment.

As a veteran rescue person, it bothers me that so many pet owners do not have their dogs on heartworm prevention when they can find money for other things. The treatment is not only expensive, it is time consuming for the shelter or rescue group and very painful for the dog.

I wish owners had to witness the shots.