Finally It's the Weekend

(Claire making a new friend

at a pumpkin patch within
a month of joining the family, Oct 2006)

Getting the denial letter from UAN yesterday took the wind out of my sails. They basically said Claire's surgery is too big for them to help. Don't they realize that if everyone did just a little Claire would have the help she needs to be all better?

I spent some time blogging yesterday and keeping up with simple housework. Sick dogs on all kinds of meds mean lots of dishes!

This morning Chance and I went to puppy school. For a couple weeks I didn't really have to worry about latching Claire's crate because she had no motivation to move anyway. Now she's distressed at being left behind when I go out with Chance, so I have been locking her into the crate, for fear she'll jump around at the baby gate and do some harm to herself. It's so hard to leave her but I know she likely settles down as soon as we are gone. I do my best to just ignore her and not play into her insecurity.

At puppy school, I gave our trainer Jacquie Hanson of Practical Dog Training, a copy of the DVD about Intervertebral Disc Disease from Doddgerslist. I hope she shares it with all her clients. Knowing what to do in case of a potential spinal injury can really minimize the damage should one occur. I wish I'd been more familiar with this disease and recognized the signs in Claire a lot sooner.

Chance and I also checked out a local thrift store in search of a doggy stroller for Claire, but no luck yet.

At PetCo today I wandered their homeopathic section. I was looking for Rescue Remedy, which they apparently don't carry. Found something similar--Claire gobbled up the pill, which had chamomile and ginger in it, then gobbled up the one Chance spit out onto the floor! Guess she likes it. At dinner we tried adding a 1/4 teaspoon of fish oil too.

I went to a friend's to print out applications for the Prince Chunk Foundation and Help-A-Pet, and sat at home this evening filling them out. I also added several affiliates to the sidebar of Claire's blog, so please check them out! If you shop after clicking through from the blog, Claire will get a portion of the sales. Even Caesar Millan is supporting Claire's surgery!

This evening Claire got all rambunctious and tried to really play with a toy for the first time since this happened. It wasn't till 1130 at night--I think sleeping the day away in the heat of summer has her sleep patterns completely messed up. And of course, I had to take the toy away immediately so that she doesn't hurt her back playing tug of war while on her strict crate rest. But it felt great to see a flash of my best girl back! It's just still really by-the-moment; for most of the day I thought she was acting like she felt pretty miserable. I'll take what we can get and end the day on a high note. Hope you're having a great weekend too ~ Claire thanks you with tail wags for all your support!

Red Rover Program/UAN Denial Letter

Received today ~

Dear Ellen,

Thank you for your application to the RedRover Relief program. We are very sorry to hear about Claire's condition. This is a sad situation and your dedication to her is very admirable.

We would like very much to be able to assist, but unfortunately, RedRover Relief is unable to assist at this time. The program has very limited funding and receives far more requests for assistance than there are funds available to help. Due to the large volume of applications, we must choose situations that best fit the program goals and guidelines - those where a small grant (typically $100-200) will close the gap in funding to allow immediate, emergency treatment to occur. We wish that we had an unlimited amount of funding, but we are funded only by donations and have not had enough money come in to be able to assist everyone. If you have questions about the RedRover Relief program's goals, please review the program guidelines. We're so sorry that RedRover Relief is unable to help.

For additional funding sources, you can start with our list of other organizations that have assistance programs:
http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navId=163 *You are doing a great job fundraising! Please be sure to check the State Program links for additional resources*

You can also view fundraising advice and general resources here:
http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navId=162

Here are some specific links to try to get the online community involved:
http://apps.facebook.com/fundrazr
http://www.giveforward.com/index.html

We also suggest contacting local animal shelters and rescue organizations as they may have leads to low-cost clinics or may be able to help raise funding. Petfinder.com has a comprehensive list of rescue organizations from all over the country. Visit http://www.petfinder.com and click on “Shelters” at the top of the page. For a directory of veterinary clinics, visit www.veterinarians.com.

You might consider talking with your veterinarian about wheelchairs as an interim solution. Here are some Web sites for inspiration and reference:
http://hpets.org/ ** offers donated mobility equipment
http://shebathequaddog.homestead.com/
http://www.k9carts.com/
http://www.handicappedpet.net/helppets/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=8161

Thank you for caring so deeply about Claire, best wishes to you both.


Sincerely,


RedRover
(916) 429-2457 - phone
(916) 378-5098 - fax
relief@redrover.org
redrover.org

Please note: On June 11, United Animal Nations changed its name to RedRover. The LifeLine Grant program is now called RedRover Relief. We still provide the same financial assistance grants and case management, just under a new name.

You can learn more about our name change, and our new vision to help more animals than ever before, at redrover.org.

To apply for a RedRover Relief grant or find links to other financial assistance programs, go to redrover.org/relief.

Fundraising Never Stops!

The first thing on the agenda this morning was to pick up another LA Breakfast Club Foundation application now that I have a nonprofit to back me. Thanks again to The Brittany Foundation! I filled out the app but want to add a photo and a copy of the surgeon's estimate, so it may be next week before that's turned in.

At a BBQ this weekend I offered to dispose of the recycling from the party if my friend would allow me to donate the proceeds to Claire's fund. My car now smells like old, hot beer, but Claire has $15 more towards her surgery!

I initiated the process of grant application with The Pet Fund via phone call as per their rules. I also completed the UAN application online, and submitted an application to Actors and Others for Animals via online form.

My neighbor kindly let me fax off the grant application to the Onyx & Breezy Foundation from her house. It was late in the afternoon, so I'll have to follow up with them in the morning.

I called the Zoom Room Hollywood location, but I haven't managed to hit it when the franchise owner was in. That's still on the follow-up list for now.

I figured out how to add a banner for Big Dog t-shirt company to the blog, so you can now shop to benefit Claire by clicking through from SponsorClaire.blogspot.com! Of course, these are people products, but I'm betting Claire would buddy right up to the Big Dog if she met him, so go right ahead and do so yourself! Please visit the blog and check out the sidebar for some more Claire-friendly shopping.

Chance got his monthly non-anesthetic teeth cleaning this afternoon at Pet Haven in Burbank, but for now I've had to discontinue that for Claire--she's so wiggly I'm afraid there would be further damage to her back. I'm still concerned about dental buildup, especially since Claire has had the root canal in the past. If you have an IVDD pup, how do you groom them, especially nail trimming? Please leave a comment with your suggestions!

I had a union meeting in the evening, and it was once again far too hot to be active in the daytime, so the dogs haven't seen much of me today. I think I'll go for some cuddles before crashing. Gardening to do tomorrow~