Lifesaving help for a veteran’s best friend
May 11th, 2017
Brandon is a disabled veteran whose closest companion is his beloved Dalmatian, Baby Girl. Brandon and Baby Girl had been living in Colorado when he decided to move back to his hometown in Pennsylvania. He packed up all their belongings and headed out with a truck, a travel trailer and Baby Girl by his side. Everything was going well until the draft of a passing semi sent his trailer fishtailing down a Missouri highway. Unable to regain control, Brandon’s truck and trailer flipped and rolled four times before coming to a stop.
Everything he owned, everything he had, was strewn across the highway. His trailer and truck were totaled. Luckily he walked away with minor injuries, but all he could think about was his sweet Baby Girl who had been thrown from the truck during the accident. He crawled over to lie beside her while they both waited for help to arrive.
Brandon did all he could to make sure Baby Girl was comfortable until they reached a veterinarian who could examine her injuries. Although she appeared to be relatively unharmed, her diagnosis was not good. She had four facial fractures, an abdominal hernia and needed one of her eyes removed.
The cost of treatment was financially out of reach for a man who had last seen all his possessions broken and scattered on a highway. He was heartbroken to think he might lose his Baby Girl, too. Thankfully, Brandon’s family immediately jumped in to help. Everyone knew how much Baby Girl meant to Brandon. Her unwavering love and loyalty had saved him and helped him cope with his service-related injuries.
They quickly pooled their resources to engage their community. His brother set up a GoFundMe account to help spread the word, and soon there were donations coming in from friends, family and kind strangers. But because Baby Girl required multiple surgeries, they still needed help. That’s when a family friend applied with RedRover. One of our case managers contacted Brandon and was able to approve a RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant that same day.
Baby Girl is now back at home with Brandon, where they are both happy and healthy! None of this could have been possible without the tremendous support of Brandon’s family, who pulled a community together to make sure Baby Girl got the treatment she needed. And our grants would not be possible without our supporters, who understand the incredible power of the human-animal bond. Thank you!
