Lucky Paw Foundation Newsletter - March 15, 2023


SPRING IS IN THE AIR ... IT'S A TIME FOR NEW BEGINNINGS

Dear Friends of the Lucky Paw Foundation,

Spring is generally thought of as a time to reinvigorate and grow. That is exactly what we are doing here at Lucky Paw. After supporting four amazingly resilient animals recover from some pretty tough problems, we are working to re-build the foundation's fund so that we are ready when we are needed to provide some life-saving help. As our coffers grow, we will work on sharing our mission with more veterinarians in Northern Michigan, giving us more opportunities to help.

Lucky Paw also has a new Secretary and Board Member, Marty Parks. She is a strong animal advocate as well as a Certified Canine Rehabilitator. Her main practice is Human Massage Therapy where she helps non-furred people. She worked for many years with the Helen Woodward Animal Center in California where she cared for abandoned animals. Much of her time was spent working at the Veterinary Specialty Clinic where she helped animals get needed medical care before being placed in their forever new homes. I am very excited to be working with Marty. We make a very small, but effective team that allows us to respond quickly to urgent Lucky Paw applicants.

Please enjoy our recipient updates below.

Meet Miss Sweet Pea


Sweet Pea was a very energetic, but tiny 7-week-old puppy.  She was adopted by a young woman as a gift for her mother.  Within 48 hours of arriving home, Sweet Pea spring-boarded off the couch and broke her right radius and ulna. She was taken to a specialist who promptly repaired the leg with a bone plate. Three weeks later she broke her left radius and ulna when a baby gate collapsed on her. She was taken again to the surgeon to repair the second leg. (Tiny puppies have very tiny, fragile bones. Fracturing forelegs by jumping off furniture is not uncommon.) Unfortunately, the repair of the second leg broke down.


The young woman was running out of funds and Sweet Pea had not even arrived at her intended Mother's home. They were able to cast the leg for many weeks allowing the bone to finally heal, however the broken bone plate and screws were loose and floating around next to the bone and literally protruding from the skin. She needed a specialist's care to remove all of the hardware without breaking the leg again.


Just when it seemed like all was lost, Lucky Paw jumped in and paid for the final surgery. Here she is recovering at the Animal Surgical Center in Flint. She has since made a full recovery AND this little trooper is finally in her forever loving home.

Hello Sulli!


Sulli is a charming 8-year-old Basset Hound who ruptured a disc in his back 1 1/2 years ago. He was extremely weak in the rear legs prior to surgery, but within 30 days he was back to his old self. His first surgery cost $7000. In January of 2023, he developed another ruptured disc, but this time, he was completely paralyzed in the rear legs. It was a terrible tragedy. How could this happen twice? A dog that is paralyzed, but still has deep pain sensation in his rear legs, has a chance for recovery. Sulli had deep pain! He had an MRI that confirmed that surgery could be successful, however at this point, financially, a second surgery was out of the question. No surgery meant euthanasia.  If you have ever met Sulli, he is all enthusiasm and spunk, he has such a great attitude, Lucky Paw could not give up on him. We paid the remaining $5000 to get his surgery done!

Three weeks after surgery, he could stand on his own and take a few steps. His owners support him with a sling where he throws his tennis ball up in the air and hops towards it with assistance. He is happy no matter what his circumstances are. Currently he is 6 weeks post-surgery and improving every day. He can walk across the room but still falls occasionally. He may need a little more help with some professional physical therapy and underwater treadmill work, but our hope is that he will make a full recovery. We will keep you posted as he works hard to get his wheels back.

THE AVERAGE AMOUNT THAT A RECIPIENT CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS THEIR PET'S PROBLEM PRIOR TO OUR HELP IS $9,296.


As you can see, our recipients have put everything they have into helping their pets recover from an an unexpected injury or complication. Their contributions are not just financial. It takes great effort getting them to frequent veterinary appointments both locally and hours away. Their pets usually require a lot of physical nursing care, extra TLC and love. The journey can be exhausting, but hopefully with our help, it is well worth the effort. Every little life matters.

Thank you for all of your financial support and words of encouragement for our foundation. We are grateful for it all.

Tracy Dulak
Director

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Lucky Paw Foundation is an official 501C3 Private Foundation. All donations are tax deductible. To support our cause, please click here.