Ferrigno Family Pets
Donation protected
For
as long as I can remember, my family has always taken in strays and rescued
animals. Our property has become the final destination for a number of elderly
and neglected creatures. Whether it was rescuing a lizard from local kids, or
taking in baby critters that have fallen out of their nests - my family has
always been there for them.
My mother, Blanca Lucia Aguirre, has dedicated her life to rescuing animals and educating people. A Doctor of Holistic Health, she's not only applied her knowledge to people, but to animals as well. She's worked closely with local rescues, and she's on the first-to-contact list when Pet Shops have customers come in at a loss of how to care for their animals - it's in fact how she got many of them. The neighborhood knows her as the Animal Rescuer, and bring her everything from lizards to kittens. Her goal is to rehabilitate and release, but those that can't survive in the wild, are given a permanent forever home with the family. With the booming of social media, Lucia took to FaceBook right away, and via her Groups, she has been able to reach out and educate over 200,000 people, linking both English and Spanish speaking communities.
For over a decade she has been a pillar of strength for the voiceless. But now she needs your help - we need your help.
My mother with Fei and Melissa.
Currently they have 6 dogs, 6 ferrets, 4 kittens, 5 turtles, 1 pigeon, 1 squirrel, and 20 hamsters "“ all of which have been rescued in some way.
It seems like a lot of animals, but my family has the property to support them, and until recently they have had the funds available to care for them.
On June 7, 2013 my mother had a heart attack, after 6 days in the hospital it was decided she needed open heart surgery, and on June 12, they replaced a valve in her heart. Since then, she has been in and out of the hospital for one related reason or another (reaction to meds, pain, and irregular heart beat). And as of July 12, she has been unconscious and on assisted breathing. Things are looking better now, and we just keep praying that she gains the strength to breathe on her own so that she will be strong enough to undergo another operation to correct the lethal arrhythmia.
My mother was the primary care giver to the animals, while my father was their bread earner. With the numerous hospital trips, the traveling to and from three times a day, and the care needed for in-home recovery, my father has had to take a lot of time off from work. The monthly average income needed to feed all of the critters is around $300, with $150 of that just being the dogs.
My mother with Angie.
With sight of recovery just around the corner, my family is not at the point of adopting out the animals just yet. My mother has put her heart and soul in rehabilitating and caring for these critters "“ many of them are elderly or have special needs "“ and we'd like her to be conscious before any decisions are made to rehome them.
One of the big bills coming up next month is the dog's annual checkup. Without them being up to date on their papers, the vet's office will not sell them their needed medication, medication that needs to be replenished next month. There annual checkup last year was $300 for all 6, and the next refill of medication is another $150 (lasts 3 months).
My mother with the Mischievous Six (Ferrets)
I wish I could do more for my family, but I am currently away for college "“ however I live about 3 hours away in Orlando, my family lives in West Palm Beach. I don't want to seem like I'm begging, but I would like to take some of the stress off of my father. Please don't feel like you're obligated to donate just because you are family or our friends, we would appreciate even something as simple as forwarding the message along. If you know of a vet that would be willing to work with us, or would like to donate something else for the critters care, please contact me via GoFundMe.
Our Current goal for August 31, 2013 is $750, that includes:
-1 Month of Food for all 43 animals
-3 Months Medication for 6 Dogs, 6 Ferrets, and 4 Kittens
-Annual Check-Ups for 6 Dogs
Me feeding the birdies
I wish I could personally thank every last one of you who have taken your time to read my message. My family and all their critter-babies appreciate any kind gesture, even if it is just keeping their human-mommy in your thoughts. We're hoping that my mother will be strong enough to breathe on her own soon, so that the doctors will be able to correct the lethal arrhythmia.
Meet The Critters
Paloma the Pigeon "“ one of the many birds my mother has been able to rescue, but the only one that will never be released into the wild. Paloma has a broken wing which never healed properly. Living in a house with a Pointer, Retriever, and 4 Terriers you'd think she'd be a quick snack, but she gets along great with her brother and other sisters.
Paloma with Melissa
The Kittens "“ right before my mother had her heart attack, a neighbor found 4 kittens in their attack, when the mother never came around, they contacted the neighborhood animal rescuer. Even though she is allergic to cats, she took in the closed eyed kittens. These kittens are looking for homes, but my mother wants to make sure they go to good homes and not the shelter.
The Mischievous Six "“ Georgia, Rex, Sophia, Angel, Fiona, and Muñeco make out the Ferret Pack. These ferrets have come to our home via different roads. Some from people who give their ferrets up at the local pet shop, others from families who cannot fulfill the needs of elderly/sickly ferrets, and some from the local Broward Ferret Rescue. My mother makes sure that their home is the forever home these ferrets need. Many ferrets have come and gone, and all of them have lived happy fulfilling lives as mischievous thieving little ankle nippers. Any of you reading this that have had ferrets before, will understand the description!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "“ Who ever thought you could spoil a turtle; well these turtles are living the life! They have a huge homemade pond, complete with rocks, waterfall, fountain, and plenty of ground to dig, sunbathe, and race upon. The turtle collection consists of both Turtles and Tortoise, so the habitat is huge and enclosed. Most of their diet gets supplemented by the organic vegetable garden my father tends to. These turtles have been in our life for many years, all of them were rescues due to habitat loss.
One of the Kittens
The Rat Pack "“ Well actually Hamsters, Teddy Bears to be exact. One day while looking for new toys for the animals, my mother noticed some hamsters in a pet shop in horrible condition. She objected to the way they were being cared for, and after the shop did nothing to correct the situation, she decided to buy them all. Well those hamsters were not sexed properly, and it turns out two of the girls were pregnant, so 5 became 20, but they are spoiled with lots of toys and room to run.
Cindy the Squirrel "“ Cindy was just a Pinkie when my parents found her. That meant she had no fur and her eyes were closed. She was hand raised and given a large 4 tier cage to grow in. When she reached a certain age, my father built a huge enclosure for her in the middle of the garden where she spends her days helping him tend the tomatoes.
Melissa the Artist
The Brat Pack "“ Our doggies. There is Fey, Melissa, Bianca, Angie, Toby and Roxie. Fey the English Pointer, was my dog, and when I moved away for college and couldn't give her that huge yard with companions to play with, she became my fathers. She was adopted from the local shelter in 2004, and saved our families lives in 2005 when we had a house fire. Melissa the Yellow Lab, was abandoned at the shelter after falling out of a truck on I-95 and shattering her elbow. My family fostered her, and patched her up before adopting her as my father's dog. Bianca is the white Miniature Schnauzer, the family that had her worked long days and kept her kenneled all day, my mother tried to work with the owners and teach them how they can better care for her, in the end she was abandoned with my family. The same with Roxie, the little white Maltese. She was the pet dog of a military wife, and literally came with her own suite case of clothes. What was going to be a temporary fostering turned into the owners abandoning her with my family. Toby, some weird griffon basset cross, was supposed to be a foster, but in a sea of estrogen, my father grasped for any male companionship he could fine. And so Toby has become king in his harem of wives.
The makings of the large enclosure for Cindy the Squirrel
My mother, Blanca Lucia Aguirre, has dedicated her life to rescuing animals and educating people. A Doctor of Holistic Health, she's not only applied her knowledge to people, but to animals as well. She's worked closely with local rescues, and she's on the first-to-contact list when Pet Shops have customers come in at a loss of how to care for their animals - it's in fact how she got many of them. The neighborhood knows her as the Animal Rescuer, and bring her everything from lizards to kittens. Her goal is to rehabilitate and release, but those that can't survive in the wild, are given a permanent forever home with the family. With the booming of social media, Lucia took to FaceBook right away, and via her Groups, she has been able to reach out and educate over 200,000 people, linking both English and Spanish speaking communities.
For over a decade she has been a pillar of strength for the voiceless. But now she needs your help - we need your help.
My mother with Fei and Melissa.
Currently they have 6 dogs, 6 ferrets, 4 kittens, 5 turtles, 1 pigeon, 1 squirrel, and 20 hamsters "“ all of which have been rescued in some way.
It seems like a lot of animals, but my family has the property to support them, and until recently they have had the funds available to care for them.
On June 7, 2013 my mother had a heart attack, after 6 days in the hospital it was decided she needed open heart surgery, and on June 12, they replaced a valve in her heart. Since then, she has been in and out of the hospital for one related reason or another (reaction to meds, pain, and irregular heart beat). And as of July 12, she has been unconscious and on assisted breathing. Things are looking better now, and we just keep praying that she gains the strength to breathe on her own so that she will be strong enough to undergo another operation to correct the lethal arrhythmia.
My mother was the primary care giver to the animals, while my father was their bread earner. With the numerous hospital trips, the traveling to and from three times a day, and the care needed for in-home recovery, my father has had to take a lot of time off from work. The monthly average income needed to feed all of the critters is around $300, with $150 of that just being the dogs.
My mother with Angie.
With sight of recovery just around the corner, my family is not at the point of adopting out the animals just yet. My mother has put her heart and soul in rehabilitating and caring for these critters "“ many of them are elderly or have special needs "“ and we'd like her to be conscious before any decisions are made to rehome them.
One of the big bills coming up next month is the dog's annual checkup. Without them being up to date on their papers, the vet's office will not sell them their needed medication, medication that needs to be replenished next month. There annual checkup last year was $300 for all 6, and the next refill of medication is another $150 (lasts 3 months).
My mother with the Mischievous Six (Ferrets)
I wish I could do more for my family, but I am currently away for college "“ however I live about 3 hours away in Orlando, my family lives in West Palm Beach. I don't want to seem like I'm begging, but I would like to take some of the stress off of my father. Please don't feel like you're obligated to donate just because you are family or our friends, we would appreciate even something as simple as forwarding the message along. If you know of a vet that would be willing to work with us, or would like to donate something else for the critters care, please contact me via GoFundMe.
Our Current goal for August 31, 2013 is $750, that includes:
-1 Month of Food for all 43 animals
-3 Months Medication for 6 Dogs, 6 Ferrets, and 4 Kittens
-Annual Check-Ups for 6 Dogs
Me feeding the birdies
I wish I could personally thank every last one of you who have taken your time to read my message. My family and all their critter-babies appreciate any kind gesture, even if it is just keeping their human-mommy in your thoughts. We're hoping that my mother will be strong enough to breathe on her own soon, so that the doctors will be able to correct the lethal arrhythmia.
Meet The Critters
Paloma the Pigeon "“ one of the many birds my mother has been able to rescue, but the only one that will never be released into the wild. Paloma has a broken wing which never healed properly. Living in a house with a Pointer, Retriever, and 4 Terriers you'd think she'd be a quick snack, but she gets along great with her brother and other sisters.
Paloma with Melissa
The Kittens "“ right before my mother had her heart attack, a neighbor found 4 kittens in their attack, when the mother never came around, they contacted the neighborhood animal rescuer. Even though she is allergic to cats, she took in the closed eyed kittens. These kittens are looking for homes, but my mother wants to make sure they go to good homes and not the shelter.
The Mischievous Six "“ Georgia, Rex, Sophia, Angel, Fiona, and Muñeco make out the Ferret Pack. These ferrets have come to our home via different roads. Some from people who give their ferrets up at the local pet shop, others from families who cannot fulfill the needs of elderly/sickly ferrets, and some from the local Broward Ferret Rescue. My mother makes sure that their home is the forever home these ferrets need. Many ferrets have come and gone, and all of them have lived happy fulfilling lives as mischievous thieving little ankle nippers. Any of you reading this that have had ferrets before, will understand the description!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "“ Who ever thought you could spoil a turtle; well these turtles are living the life! They have a huge homemade pond, complete with rocks, waterfall, fountain, and plenty of ground to dig, sunbathe, and race upon. The turtle collection consists of both Turtles and Tortoise, so the habitat is huge and enclosed. Most of their diet gets supplemented by the organic vegetable garden my father tends to. These turtles have been in our life for many years, all of them were rescues due to habitat loss.
One of the Kittens
The Rat Pack "“ Well actually Hamsters, Teddy Bears to be exact. One day while looking for new toys for the animals, my mother noticed some hamsters in a pet shop in horrible condition. She objected to the way they were being cared for, and after the shop did nothing to correct the situation, she decided to buy them all. Well those hamsters were not sexed properly, and it turns out two of the girls were pregnant, so 5 became 20, but they are spoiled with lots of toys and room to run.
Cindy the Squirrel "“ Cindy was just a Pinkie when my parents found her. That meant she had no fur and her eyes were closed. She was hand raised and given a large 4 tier cage to grow in. When she reached a certain age, my father built a huge enclosure for her in the middle of the garden where she spends her days helping him tend the tomatoes.
Melissa the Artist
The Brat Pack "“ Our doggies. There is Fey, Melissa, Bianca, Angie, Toby and Roxie. Fey the English Pointer, was my dog, and when I moved away for college and couldn't give her that huge yard with companions to play with, she became my fathers. She was adopted from the local shelter in 2004, and saved our families lives in 2005 when we had a house fire. Melissa the Yellow Lab, was abandoned at the shelter after falling out of a truck on I-95 and shattering her elbow. My family fostered her, and patched her up before adopting her as my father's dog. Bianca is the white Miniature Schnauzer, the family that had her worked long days and kept her kenneled all day, my mother tried to work with the owners and teach them how they can better care for her, in the end she was abandoned with my family. The same with Roxie, the little white Maltese. She was the pet dog of a military wife, and literally came with her own suite case of clothes. What was going to be a temporary fostering turned into the owners abandoning her with my family. Toby, some weird griffon basset cross, was supposed to be a foster, but in a sea of estrogen, my father grasped for any male companionship he could fine. And so Toby has become king in his harem of wives.
The makings of the large enclosure for Cindy the Squirrel
Organizer
Jacqueline Ferrigno
Organizer
West Palm Beach, FL