“More Than A Pet” – Willie’s Happy Tail
March 2nd, 2026
By Savannah Verdon, Development Manager –
“Willie is more than a pet to us; he is one of our kids. He means so much not just to us, but also to our kids and our grandson. Willie is such a sweet, loving dog and can tell when we aren’t feeling well or just feeling down. He knows when to make us feel better, no matter what. I really don’t know what I would do without him.”
It all started five weeks prior. Jeanie brought Willie the Bulldog to the emergency room when his left eye had become so swollen that he couldn’t open it. He had a fever, and the veterinarian concluded the swelling was due to an eye infection. They left with pain medication and an antibiotic ointment.
One week later, Willie suffered a seizure. Nothing like that had ever happened before. Jeanie brought him to their primary veterinarian right away, and while they couldn’t determine a cause for the seizure, they noted that his left eye had a condition called entropion. A common, and often hereditary condition in bulldogs, entropion occurs when the eyelid rolls inward and hair rubs against the cornea. It’s a painful condition that when left untreated, can cause corneal ulcers and even blindness. Poor Willie was suffering.
He would need surgery to correct the entropion, but fortunately, they had time before the condition was critical.
Then Willie’s right eye began bothering him. The emergency veterinarian recommended they use the same antibiotic ointment in that eye. The next day, the right eye was even worse, and Willie was miserable. The sweet boy didn’t want to move or even look at Jeanie, even when she talked to him directly and offered him treats. They returned to the emergency room and found that Willie had a fever again and his heart rate was fast. His right eye had an ingrown eyelash under the eyelid. They were able to remove the hair, but Willie was diagnosed with entropion and an ulcer in both eyes. His condition seemed to be worsening quickly, and surgery became imperative.
He returned to his primary veterinarian for a recheck, and it was still unclear whether they could perform the surgery. Jeanie’s savings were exhausted after the multiple visits to the veterinarian. There was a possibility that they would need to be referred to an eye specialist, which could dramatically increase the cost of the surgery. Jeanie didn’t have pet insurance, and she had already been denied for two lines of credit specifically for pet care.
Then, just as suddenly as their problems seemed to have begun, she found a solution: the RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant program. Their primary veterinarian confirmed they would be able to do the surgery at a more affordable rate than a specialist, and with her application for an Urgent Care grant approved (thanks to a special RedRover On-Call Angel), Jeanie was ready to give Willie the care he needed.
After a successful surgery, Willie returned home to recover under Jeanie’s watchful, loving care. She knew he was all better – not just for Willie’s sake, but for her grandson, who had been so worried about his best friend.
“Willie is doing so much better; he is back to his playful, loving self again. I can’t thank everyone involved enough!”
We’re so grateful pets like Willie are feeling like themselves again, thanks to the emergency treatment your generosity makes possible. Every pet family deserves an On-Call Angel. Could you be theirs?
