She means the world to me: A Chihuahua’s Happy Tail
June 26th, 2024
By Savannah Verdon, Development Manager
This isn’t one of our monthly Survivor Stories but at heart, it’s a story about protecting our bonds with the loving pets we depend on when their lives depend on us. This is Vida and Lorie’s Happy Tail.
“My dog Vida is the reason I wake up every day. She is the reason I remain active. Through a housing and domestic abuse crisis together, we have become even closer. She means the world to me. Vida is my best friend. I love her so much. My grandchildren love her very much as well.”
With the help of a domestic violence shelter, Lorie left her spouse behind after enduring his abuse. She felt so fortunate to have little ol’ Vida by her side while she did her best to survive on her limited income. As long as they were together, Lorie could have confidence that a new, peaceful life was waiting for them on the other side of hardship.
Though things had begun to settle down, Vida hadn’t been acting like her sweet self. Lorie speculated that she was suffering from an ear infection, but when they went to the veterinarian, they found that Vida had a tooth hanging by the root and a mass growing along her gum line. The chances of developing an infection were high without treatment.
Lorie’s spouse had been the primary breadwinner, so it was a huge adjustment for Lorie to get by on her disability benefits alone. She paid her rent with her benefits, and while renting just a room kept her expenses low, it still left little for her and Vida’s other needs. Because her disability prevented her from working, she turned to the RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant program and our On-Call Angels for help with paying for Vida’s dental surgery. After so much turbulence, Lorie was thankful to have one less thing to worry about now that her little girl was feeling good again:
“I want to thank you so very much for your generous donation toward Vida’s veterinary bill. I am going through a difficult time, and Vida means the world to me. Your donation made all the difference for me and made her urgent dental work possible. Vida is doing well. I am so grateful for your help ♥”
We are grateful that you and our compassionate community make second chances like this possible. Thank you for your kind heart and commitment to bringing families like Vida and Lorie from crisis to care!
