After reading stories about dogs and cats facing desperate situations recently on Samantha Gowen’s Pet Tales blog, animal lovers in Orange County stepped up in big ways to lend support to three local causes.
The first involved Rio, an underweight stray mastiff found wandering the streets of Orange with a basket muzzle on his face. He had numerous infections in his joints and eyes. The nonprofit Stella’s Hope agreed to foster Rio and claimed him from Orange County Animal Care.
A few days into his stay with a foster caretaker, Rio developed bloat, or a twist in his gut, that is triggered by a sudden change in (or lack of) food quantity. It is almost always fatal if left untreated.
Stella’s Hope shouldered the burden of the $4,000 procedure. They knew they could not completely cover the costs of the surgery, but it prevented Rio from being euthanized. Gowen shared Rio’s story and invited readers to contribute funds to Stella’s Hope to help pay for the procedure.
Stella’s Hope received more than $5,000 for Rio, more than enough to cover medical bills. Candi Crawford, a rep for Stella’s Hope, wrote Gowen and said: “You would not believe the support of the community we received. We got tons of emails, phone calls, cards, and donations. It was HUGE for us!”
Another success story involves Angel Cat Pet Adoptions and their efforts to help Kohl, Megan and Eli, three kittens who suffered trauma and health issues. About $4,600 was raised to cover the cats’ surgery and hospital expenses.
The third instance involved Natalie Garcia, who was involved in an accident on the 5 Freeway. Her VW Bug was sent end over end, knocking out all of the windows. Her dogs, Maggie and Pistache, were likely spooked by the accident and fled the chaotic scene.
Garcia personally received more than $2,000 from readers trying to help her locate the dogs, and received several tips from fellow residents. Both dogs were found, but sadly one was found dead. She is now giving the money donated by the community to a nonprofit.
Despite losing a pet, Garcia was amazed by the outpouring of support from strangers.
“It’s such a wonderful thing,” she said. “I knew one person in Orange County, and now I know so many more. I could not have done this by myself. She (her pet Maggie) was here for the seven years in my life to bring me closer to people. Maggie was just a little angel who was supposed to be here for that short time.”
Readers of the Register have told us how they like to read good news stories, and these stories certainly fall into that category. Gowen’s blog consistently inspires readers to act on what they read in the Register, and reminds us of the generosity of people in our community.
