Animal Rescuer in Need- Praying for a Miracle

Hi all. My name is Jennifer. I have been rescuing animals for a little over a decade now. Rescue isn’t easy and there have been times when things have gotten pretty rough but right now, things are dire. Please take a moment to read this campaign and help if you are able. Please dont forget to also share with your friends, family and fellow animal loving contacts. We could use all the help we can get. It’s hard to make this campaign short and sweet because a lot has happened that has gotten me to where I am right now and without adding that- the scope of the situation is easily misunderstood.

I don’t want to run anyone off by posting too much and believe it or not, this could be longer but I’ve done my absolute best to trim it down. So please, take the time to hear me out. Please. And feel free to send me a message if you need clarification on anything. I’m happy to answer any questions.

Everything started 4 years ago. In that time I’ve lost my sister, nephew and grandma. I’ve also had to say goodbye to 6 of my dogs- 4 personal dogs due to old age and two fosters.

Loss is always sad but it can be profound especially when the hits continually come. It’s hard to grieve for one loss when they just keep coming. And the expense to bury our loved ones is something that can make or break a family. My parent aren’t wealthy people. They have always been hardworking middle class and have always done their absolute best to take care of their family. My parents have taken the brunt of the funeral expenses for my sister and nephew and sadly our family business suffered tremendously financially and all of this has nearly buried my dads business- something he started from a small closet in their home 30 years ago and turned into something that would be the sole income producer for many in our family who worked there. My dad is also suffering now from DGD and can barely walk. He needs surgery and instead of getting that done he is working even harder trying to salvage his business and praying it’s not too late. He works 12 hour days at 70 years old because right now they can’t pay a salary to hire help so he is handling everything. This is why I am currently looking for work. These animals that I have lost also deserved a proper burial and have each cost me a minimum of $400 and some in the thousands to provide medical care prior to losing them. Something that I have financed on my own with some help from family (to be paid back over time).
With all of these deaths, it has not only taken its toll on my family financially but emotionally as well. The tragedies and the ensuing grief has left a devastating path that has nearly destroyed us and our financial stability. In the past I could lean on them when in a bind and they always stepped up to help because they knew this cause was important to me and that these animals were deserving of the help. But not these days. They are struggling as well to even survive and aren’t in a position to help and that alone breaks their hearts to not be able to step up when they see their children in such a scary place.

I am asking and pleading for your help. We (by we I mean myself and my foster dogs and personal pets in the home) can’t survive much longer without help. I have nearly exhausted all other avenues trying to remedy this situation- and with no real success. I have recently lost my job ( business closing) and although I have been searching daily for a new job for almost 2 months now, I haven’t been able to find anything yet. I have bills that won’t wait. Rent that I am behind on and it’s due again in just two weeks. I have several animals who need food and they are all due between last month and September for their annual vaccines and checkups. I have one foster (Noni) who is quite sick and needs continued medical care. I rescued her 8 years ago. She was emaciated, had a stomach full of rocks and almost 400 ticks had made her body their home. She was a mess. But even in her poor condition she never lost trust in people. She welcomed me into her little sad life and together we started down this long journey together. She was adopted and returned twice through no fault of her own. She has been let down too many times in her life and I want to help her and make sure she is always loved. She has seen the vet a few times already but so far they haven’t been able to diagnose her and right now they are trying to do that by process of eliminating conditions and treating her for what they do know is wrong and trying to stabilize her to treat the bigger issues. She has heartworms. She also has fluid around her lungs that seems to get better and then get worse. She is coughing. She is vomiting up frothy mucous. She is drooling excessively. All of which are compounded by the heartworm condition. She also has two abscesses and a small tumor near her belly that they want to remove and test. Right now our goal is to get her stable so she can have heartworm treatment done and have those teeth extracted and that tumor removed. She will need to be under anesthesia to have that done and she must be stable before that can happen. The vet bills so far for her have been around $1000 and with no job you can imagine how hard that has been. I had to use a good chunk of my rent money to get her the care she needed. I had a couple of animal angels help with some as well. Without the money to do all of the other tests and a complete blood panel to figure out how to stabilize her it’s hard to help her, but I have to try because she deserves it.

I have cut so many corners to just barely get by. I’ve gotten rid of nearly anything that is not either feeding us, sheltering us or keeping us cool and watered. I’ve sold almost everything I own of any value. I do odd jobs. I create abstract paintings. I do some wood crafts as well. I babysit. I deliver. I clean. I have cancelled Netflix and every subscription I once had and I canceled cable and internet. I don’t even grocery shop for myself and for the last week or more have eaten pb&j almost exclusively. I have pounded my brain trying to come up with anything (as long as its legal and safe) to make money to help my situation but every passing day I sink deeper and deeper. The only “luxury” I have is my phone because I need it to find work, stay connected to my family and to Uber. For now, I Uber just to bring in some money but it’s not enough to even cover rent after gas and expenses are deducted and it’s not always safe driving complete strangers around.

If anyone needs a breakdown of how I came up with this fundraiser goal I’d be happy to break it down for you. If I find work quickly this could be lowered. If I don’t find work quickly it could be higher. Right now though, I’ve done my best to estimate what we need to even get on our feet and have a fighting chance.

This is where we are, in all honesty and without sugar coating.

I will lose this home if I can’t afford to pay rent and the necessary utilities. If that happens, every animal i have here- that I made a promise to keep safe- will be at risk of having to be taken to a kill shelter. We have one no kill that I know of and they are always at capacity and after years of asking for help for a dog here and there, it’s never happened. I can’t live in my car or on the corner of the street with them. They aren’t safe if I can’t afford to continue feeding them and if I don’t have a safe place for them to be. The shelter is one scenario that I never want to happen but I’m just being honest here. If I have to do that I will be forever shunned from rescue and I wouldn’t blame anyone for doing so. But I have tried to find help before it’s gotten this bad and sadly, most of my plea’s have seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. It will also destroy me emotionally. It will wreck me. I am not that kind of person. I don’t back away from my commitments. I don’t run away from my duties and I believe someone is only as good as their word. I am doing my best to honor what I have promised to do and what I have spent the last 10 years busting my ass to do- help animals. I’ve invested not only tears and time into this cause but I’ve invested my entire savings. My paychecks at times. My home for them to have a place to lay their heads. I’ve invested every single ounce of who I am to this cause and as a result, I’ve saved and assisted in savings hundreds of animals who were thrown away by others. It’s humiliating to have to beg for help from people- esp from strangers but if there is a chance it may save them and save us- then I’ll happily be humiliated. Just please know I’ve tried. I am still trying. I just need help and I’m asking you now... please don’t let this continue to fall on deaf ears.

I’ll end with this- rescue has been the single most rewarding thing I have ever done with my life. It has also been one of the most heart wrenching parts of my life. I have fought and beat cancer. I found a way- against all odds- to explore and share my nurturing side even when cancer stripped that from me. I knew I had a lot of love to give and with that I opened my home to these animals in need and in return they have rewarded me with so much joy and companionship and filled a gap I never thought I would be able to fill. I’ve loved them all. Each and every one. I’ve cried too many tears. I’ve felt every emotion known to man doing what I do. I’ve met some wonderful people along the way and I have met some not so nice people. I’ve seen some beautiful success stories and I’ve seen tragic ones that still haunt me today. Someone asked me if I could do it all over again would I? Without hesitation I said yes. Even in this sad place now my love for what I do has never wavered, my passion for the cause runs deep to my core.

Please help us. This is my last hope.