Smokey needs urgent care after being rescued from a fire.
Earlier this week, a team of first responders rescued a cat from a serious apartment fire; she was immediately taken to the vet for treatment.
This sweet cat has minor burns, was suffering from dehydration, and is undergoing treatment after being exposed to smoke and extreme heat. Sadly, the cat’s guardian was airlifted to hospital for treatment also and is unreachable, therefore the vet does not know the cat’s name. They are currently referring to her as “Smokey”.
Smokey was showing signs of shock and wouldn’t eat or drink, so the vet started her on IV fluids immediately. It is unclear what the total cost of Smokey’s care will be but the Vancouver Humane Society is hoping to relieve some of the financial pressure from her guardian during this very difficult time.
Can you donate today to help Smokey recover and ensure she can eventually be reunited with her guardian?
UPDATE: Thanks to generous donations toward her care, Billie is getting the emergency surgery she needs!
Billie needs urgent pyometra treatment and surgery!
Billie’s guardian Charlene has been monitoring her closely as she hasn’t been her usual happy self. When Billie developed thick discharge in the early hours of the morning, Charlene immediately rushed her to an emergency vet. The vet has confirmed Billie will need emergency Pyometra Surgery as she has a serious infection.
Charlene and her son lost part of their household income after the B.C. floods last November. Charlene told VHS that her son, who suffers from serious mental health issues, has been on EI since the floods and she is on long-term disability income after two separate car accidents; one of which caused a brain injury.
Charlene told VHS how Billie and their second dog Mable make every day worthwhile. “We, Laugh, smile, play, nap, cuddle, learn, exercise and do our different therapies together. Before the pandemic, Billie passed the St. John’s ambulance therapy dog training course so her and I could get out and socialize and give back once a week in our community. Now we are really worried about our current situation with Billie’s immediate health needs and having to choose to cover her vet bills over paying rent. We are at risk of homelessness but we’d do anything to help our little Billie-girl.”
Can you donate today to help cover the cost of Billie’s emergency surgery?
Brutis needs help being treated for suspected rodenticide poisoning
Sweet Brutis has strong instincts to chase rodents, and his guardian Wanda has seen him going after mice in the backyard of her rental unit. Though she is cautious to keep him safe, he has occasionally caught them. Now he is in the veterinary hospital with symptoms of internal bleeding and Wanda fears rodent poisons are to blame.
Wanda was shocked when Brutis began showing signs of bleeding in his digestive tract. She rushed him to the vet, who confirmed that Brutis’s symptoms—including diarrhea, bleeding, and refusing to eat—are consistent with rodenticide poisoning. Brutis needs urgent help to cover his treatment, including hospitalization and an IV.
Wanda is living on a very low income. She says that Brutis is an important part of her family and helps her daily with her personal wellness.
Wanda is heartbroken to see Brutis suffering and wants nothing more than to bring this sweet boy home. Can you donate to help him today?
UPDATE: Thanks to generous donations toward his care, Dublin is getting the emergency surgery he needs! His vet is confident that he will have many more years of love to give as he has no signs of additional masses.
Dublin needs urgent surgery to remove two tumours
When a lump on 11-year-old Dublin’s back ruptured and began causing him pain and distress, his guardian Evan rushed him to a vet.
Evan is on disability income and reached out to the Vancouver Humane Society for assistance after learning Dublin now urgently needs two tumours removing costing approximately $1,500. The vet has confirmed one of the tumours is cancerous.
Evan told VHS,“Dublin sleeps on my bed and drapes himself on a pillow when I am watching TV so that I can drape my arm on him or put my arm there for him to lean his head against. I am so distressed that I cannot afford the surgery to have his lumps removed and they are open sores because he keeps picking at them.”
You can help ensure he receives the best possible care and can return home safely with Evan.
Every week, animal guardians who are experiencing a period of low income reach out for urgent veterinary support for all manner of essential care—from the UTI treatment that will save a cat’s life to the knee surgery that will help a dog walk again without pain. VHS’s McVitie Fund is here to help them get the care they need without making the almost impossible decision to surrender their loved companions to a shelter.
The need for veterinary support is constantly growing, and meeting this need is only possible thanks to kind donations from animal lovers like you.
Read on for updates on some of the animals you have helped this year.
Chipper’s GI stasis treatment
Chipper needed urgent help when he stopped eating, drinking, and pooping: all signs of gastrointestinal stasis, a condition that can be fatal to rabbits if left untreated.
Chipper’s loving guardian, Danika, lives alone and is struggling financially. Despite this, Danika managed to scrape together $370 for Chipper’s vet bills. She reached out for help with the last $300 to get him well again.
Thanks to support from the community, Chipper was able to get this life-saving care! He has since fully recovered and returned to his happy life of playing with his toys and grooming his best bunny friend, Billie Bean.
Marco’s guardian, Tim, reached out for help getting tested for Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). Sadly, Marco’s brother Max had been unexpectedly diagnosed with the virus and passed away.
FeLV is spread between cats who are in close contact with each other, even in the early stages before symptoms present. Because of this, Tim and the veterinarian were very concerned that Marco had contracted the virus before Max was diagnosed. Tim had spent all his savings on Max’s treatment, and reached out for help covering Marco’s blood test and exam to keep him comfortable and healthy.
Miraculously, Marco tested negative for the virus! He is now on a special diet and is getting plenty of play time to keep him healthy. Marco’s guardian, Tim, says he is doing well and adjusting to life without his brother.
“Marco’s future is bright and energetic. He usually starts waking me up at 4:30am every morning like a rooster. It is that energy and that connection that I cherish because every moment with him is a blessing.”
Sweet Abigail is a celebrity in her mom’s building. The staff and neighbours know her well and love this gentle giant. While out for a walk with her mom, Abigail was badly attacked by another dog. She was left with severe wounds around her head, neck, and shoulders and needed urgent surgery to remove the infected tissue.
Abigail’s mom Tanis lives in low-income housing and was terrified because she couldn’t afford to take her to the vet. Thankfully, the staff in her building helped Tanis search for veterinary support programs and came across Vancouver Humane Society’s McVitie Fund.
Thanks to an outpouring of support from VHS donors, Abigail was able to get the surgery she needed right away. She has recovered well and is back to her old self, getting out for walks and playing with her many friends!
This vital support for pets and their low-income guardians is only possible thanks to animal lovers like you. Your donation today to VHS’s McVitie Fund will enable animals in most urgent need to receive essential medical treatment while staying with their loving families.
Abigail needs emergency surgery after a dog attack
While out for a walk with her mom, Abigail was badly attacked by another dog. The attack has left Abigail with severe wounds around her head, neck, and shoulders.
Abigail’s mom Tanis lives in low-income housing and was terrified because she couldn’t afford to take her to the vet. Thankfully the staff in her building helped Tanis search for veterinary support programs and came across Vancouver Humane Society’s McVitie Fund.
Our program coordinator Brooklyn quickly organized an emergency veterinary appointment for Abigail. The vet confirmed she will need surgery, with an expected cost of approximately $1,000, to remove the infected tissue to allow her to fully heal.
Tanis told VHS, “We love Abigail very much. I am so grateful to you for stepping in and helping with the vet bill.“
Tanis describes Abigail as a loving, kind, caring dog who is loved by so many people where she resides. She likes going for walks, eating treats, cuddling with her mom and chewing on stuffed toys.
When Maxwell and his guardian Dodie needed veterinary support, VHS’s generous donors were here to help. Watch the video to hear their story.
Help families like Dodie and Maxwell
Maxwell’s story
When Maxwell began developing dry eyes which resulted in an eye infection, his guardian Dodie rushed him to the vet. There she received much-needed medication and his eyes began to improve.
But Maxwell wasn’t out of the woods yet. His eye infection returned and Dodie feared that her beloved companion and support dog would lose his vision.
Maxwell’s guardian Dodie is on disability income and was struggling to cover the cost of his mounting veterinary bills. That’s why she reached out to VHS’s McVitie Fund for help.
With the help of VHS donors, Dodie returned Maxwell to the vet for tests and a new round of medication that she would need to administer daily.
Just when it seemed that all was well, a follow-up visit revealed that Maxwell had signs of cardiac disease and the vet strongly recommended an echocardiogram (ECG) to assess the function of his heart.
Support through VHS’s McVitie Fund enabled Dodie to get the ECG for Maxwell. It found that he has stage B1 myxomatous mitral valve disease, which at this time is not significant enough to require treatment but will eventually require management through medication.
Dodie shared her gratitude with VHS donors, who made it possible to get Maxwell the urgent medical care he needed.
Dodie told VHS, “Maxwell has been with me since he was 6 weeks old. I have a vestibular nerve disorder as well as several other disabilities. I cannot tolerate motion and I have no sense of balance. Maxwell will lie on me during an attack, which counteracts the sense that I am spinning wildly. He will bring me fresh water, medications, certain foods, my phone, and a blanket. He does so much for me, it’s difficult to list it all.”
Maxwell’s veterinary care cost more than $1,500, and support from generous McVitie Fund donors meant his bills were covered in full.
Every gift to VHS’s McVitie fund supports families like Dodie and Maxwell’s to get the urgent veterinary care they need. Can you donate to help animals like Maxwell today?
Update: We received an invoice for the surgery from the veterinarian, and the cost is a littler higher than anticipated, at $2553. Thank you for your donations to reach this goal!
When Brewsky became lethargic and wasn’t able to urinate, his guardian Don became concerned about his best friend. They are very close and Don quickly realized this behaviour was not normal. Living as a very low-income person, Don knew he would not be able to pay for the full costs of Brewsky’s care and reached out to the Vancouver Humane Society for support. Once we confirmed funding, he brought Brewsky straight to the vet.
The vet determined that Brewsky is dealing with un-dissolvable bladder stones that will need to be removed to allow him to properly urinate again. They are completing the costly cystotomy surgery, and hopefully Brewsky will be able to go back home soon.
Don told VHS, “I’m really grateful for your help. I’ve been walking around here like a lost pup! I never dreamed that a cat would be my best friend. He’s a people’s cat, he’s so social it’s incredible. He’s like a dog! I spend a lot of time with him.”
Brewsky 9 years old and truly is Don’s best friend. Can you help Brewsky get better by donating?
Poor Huxley needs help getting an urgent diagnosis. Huxley’s loving guardian, Wanda, has experienced a lot of loss recently. After the loss of a close family member, she lost her home and briefly had to stay in a women’s shelter while looking for safe housing. Since then, she has been staying with friends and family while saving up for a deposit on a new apartment for her and Huxley.
When Huxley began showing signs of an allergic reaction, Wanda immediately took him to the vet. There she was told he had an eye infection. A veterinarian determined that Huxley’s symptoms may be the result of Cushing’s Disease, which can cause fragile skin and infections.
Cushing’s Disease is a potentially life-threatening condition; with a diagnosis it can be managed through medication.
Wanda has prioritized Huxley’s care even though it meant using the apartment money she had been saving. She now has no funds left to help him and has reached out for help covering his bloodwork and diagnostic tests.
Finnick had a rough start to his life, having been abandoned in a river along with his sister Hazel when they were young. Luckily, Finnick and Hazel were rescued by their loving guardian Nicholas and have been living happily together ever since. Finnick is an affectionate boy who loves to be held and cuddled.
Recently, Finnick began to show signs of diabetes—undiagnosed diabetes often leads cats to lose weight, despite eating and drinking more than usual. Nicholas immediately rushed him to the vet and did all he could at every step of the way to make sure Finnick was cared for.
Nicholas lives on a low income with disability assistance, and had to take on some debt to get Finnick the care he needed. After being tested, Finnick received a diagnosis and medication.
Unfortunately, sweet Finnick is not out of the woods yet. A reaction to his new medication dosage caused him to have a seizure in the middle of the night and he will need to be hospitalized.
Nicholas knows that Finnick can live a happy, healthy life as soon as his condition is properly managed; but he is out of options and needs help covering the costs of Finnick’s care. Can you donate today to help Finnick get the care he needs?
