TRACY DULAK, DVM

DIRECTOR OF THE LUCKY PAW FOUNDATION

I have been asked so many times, how did the Lucky Paw Foundation get started ? So, I thought it would be fitting to share the story on our website so that everyone can better understand the mission that we are on.

I have been practicing veterinary medicine since 1999. Infrequently, I would come across a case where a patient had an unexpected injury or disease that could be treated by a specialist, but the owner had already put everything they could financially into the treatment plan.

Nothing is more frustrating than having to euthanize a young patient you have put your heart into treating because you are short a couple of thousand dollars. It’s heart-wrenching for the family and the veterinary team, not to mention that our patient loses its life.

It is very exciting that veterinary medicine has evolved so rapidly over the years. The technology and specialty medical life-saving skills available now are incredible. However, the costs of this care can be shockingly expensive for our patients since most do not have insurance. Oftentimes, it is cost-prohibitive.

Early in my career, I was fortunate to meet many wonderful people in the area who I like to call Guardian Angels. Together we would try to change the outcome for some of these animals. These incredible people offered to help patients and their families out financially so they could live ! The owner would commit to paying for as much as they possibly could and then I went to work trying to raise enough support to get them over the finish line. Sometimes, even the specialists would contribute money from their own Guardian Angel funds.

Eventually, I decided (with the help of one of my Guardian Angels) to make it official. We worked together to establish the Lucky Paw Foundation, which is an official 501C3 Private Foundation. The process took shockingly over a year to complete. But, here we are, already one year in.

Another incredible thing I have learned are the many unexpected impacts from helping just one patient. Not only do we save the patient or significantly improve their quality of life, we also help the owners. Many of our owners have health issues and their animals provide invaluable comfort and companionship for them. The veterinary medical team is affected when we don’t have to euthanize a patient we are so invested in. And, lastly, we get to educate the world on what is possible ! Veterinary medicine is an incredible profession with exceptional clinicians from general practice to specialty practices. We all love a happy ending.

Today, the Lucky Paw Foundation is building relationships with veterinarians in northern Michigan to find those exceptionally dire cases where we can do the most good. I could not do this alone, so I recruited the help of a like-minded person, Marty Parks, to help run the organization. With her help and a number of other very generous volunteers, we are fine-tuning our operations. We are very excited about the journey ahead and how many lives we can positively affect. We hope to make the impossible, possible for many patients and share all of the great advancements that are available in veterinary medicine.

MARTY PARKS, PTA, CCRA

BOARD MEMBER & SECRETARY OF THE LUCKY PAW FOUNDATION

How did I come to Lucky Paw?  By invitation!  I met Tracy Dulak when I saw her by chance during a Vet visit with my dogs, many moons ago.  I knew right away that we painted in similar colors,  and from that day forward, our relationship grew.  With my experience in animal care, from shelter work to canine physical rehabilitation, we would often share stories of misfortune and the need for something meaningful and effective to help with dire situations that felt hopeless - and Tracy found a way to make the Lucky Paw Foundation a working reality. 

It has been an incredible honor to join this life-changing quest and actively participate in a mission that offers so much possibility for pet owners faced with overwhelming challenges!