A Happy Tail for Hank
July 11th, 2022
By Athena Cardiasmenos, Program Assistant
Before entering a domestic violence shelter, Shelley* found herself in circumstances that are all too common for people fleeing abusive situations: homeless with her pets. Thankfully, she found a safe place for herself and her three beloved dogs at a pet-friendly domestic violence shelter.
Upon entering the shelter, the staff saw how bonded Shelley was with her dogs, especially her seven-year-old chihuahua, Hank.* They also noticed that Hank was badly injured. His jaw had been broken in a fight and hadn’t healed properly. When Shelley told the shelter staff that she’d had Hank since he was a puppy and would do anything for him, they quickly began looking for solutions.
They were able to find a vet who could perform the surgery Hank needed, but given the complexity of repairing and partially amputating his jaw, treatment was a big stretch financially. They knew Hank was in pain and needed surgery soon, so the shelter staff began fundraising and even decided to put their own money towards surgery. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough to cover the cost.
That’s when they thought of RedRover. The shelter had worked with us before, first through our Safe Escape program that helps cover the cost of temporary pet boarding while a client is in a domestic violence shelter, and then through Safe Housing, which enabled them to become pet-friendly. To cover the remainder of Hank’s surgery cost, they applied to our Urgent Care grant program.
With a RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant, Hank was able to get his jaw repaired and now lives happily with his family. Thank you for helping Hank and his family stay healthy, safe, and whole!
*Names have been changed to protect privacy
