No More Toothaches for Tobit: A Happy Tail
May 8th, 2023
By Savannah Verdon, Development and Engagement Coordinator II
Brittany’s life changed forever in the fifth grade the day her parents brought home a kitten. Eighteen years later, Tobit was still her very best friend and had become a best friend to her young son too.
Between raising her son and caring for Tobit, not to mention her other cat, dog, and their 30 backyard chickens, Brittany worked hard to provide for this family of thirty-five. She was a single mother who received no financial assistance, and instead worked three jobs to keep them afloat. But despite the three paychecks, she struggled to afford all of their needs and got by each day on hoping that nothing would go wrong for her family.
But the day came when something went wrong. She noticed that Tobit was eating less and less, then not eating at all. Her sweet old man seemed weak and frail as she observed him for a few days, waiting to see if he would get better. On the fifth day, she brought him to the veterinarian to find out what was going on.
Poor Tobit had a cracked tooth in the back of his mouth that not only made eating too painful but could quickly become infected too if it wasn’t removed. The veterinarian did his blood work to determine if Tobit was healthy enough at his age to undergo surgery. Brittany was relieved to hear that he was, but she had no idea where to start to find the money to pay for it.
Paying for his exam and blood work had already stretched her budget to its limits and with her work scheduled so full as it was, she didn’t have any time to pick up extra shifts. Tobit didn’t have time for her to wait and save up the money either. 
With no one else in her life that might be able to lend her the money, Brittany searched online for some way to help little Tobit. When she discovered the RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant program, she applied right away and scheduled Tobit’s surgery while she waited anxiously to hear back. Even if she couldn’t find help now before the surgery, she was going to make sure her best friend got the care he needed.
Just one day after submitting her application, Brittany was approved for a grant that, combined with the last bit of money she could spend herself, covered the full cost of Tobit’s dental surgery. Finally, he had the cracked tooth removed. The veterinarian remarked that Tobit was enjoying both dry and soft wet food in almost no time after the surgery, and when Tobit came home with Brittany, it was clear that his age wasn’t holding him back one bit from a full recovery. In fact, you wouldn’t know Tobit was 18-years-old based on how much better he felt after surgery. Brittany shared, “Tobit is doing wonderful!!!! He is more social than he’s ever been! I swear that procedure took ten years off his life. We appreciate every penny of the donation!”
From families like Brittany and Tobit and all of us here at RedRover, thank you! We couldn’t do it without the compassion and generosity of our FurEver Friends.
