During routine testing, Bella’s vet discovered that she had mammary cysts which needed to be removed. While she was sedated, the vet also found a large tumor in Bella’s abdomen which urgently needed to be removed to give Bella the best possible chance of a recovery.
Bella’s guardian was facing a difficult decision considering the risks of such an invasive surgery for this senior girl, as well as the mounting costs of her care.
Sweet Bella’s family was hit very hard by the B.C. flooding last fall. They will likely never be able to return to their previous home. Unexpected veterinary bills during a time of financial hardship can be devastating.
Bella is currently being treated by the wonderful staff at Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic. With your support, the McVitie Fund and Cottonwood’s Angel Fund will be splitting the cost of Bella’s care, which is at $3,400.
Bella’s treatment is already underway and your donation today will help fund her hospitalization, surgery, pain medication and care costs. Can you donate today to help Bella recover and to keep this family together after they have already been through so much?
Right now, an anonymous matching grant donor is matching all donations made toward the McVitie Fund, up to $25,000!
UPDATE: Jake’s care has been funded through the support of generous donors. Thank you for helping to get this sweet boy healthy again!
DOUBLE your donation to help Jake receive the urgent care he needs
When Jake stopped being able to urinate and started showing signs of distress, his guardian Lisa became extremely worried and rushed him to the vet. The vet immediately recognized that Jake was suffering from urinary crystals and that his bladder would rupture soon without critical intervention.
Lisa is living with a disability that severely limits her income. In this rental market she has just $200 left over a month to live on after paying her rent. Despite this, she always prioritizes Jake’s needs, but Lisa could barely afford the costs of Jake’s initial exam from her narrow grocery budget.
Sadly, Lisa was facing one of the most difficult choices a pet guardian can be faced with: to euthanize Jake to prevent him from suffering, or to surrender him to a rescue that would provide the treatment he needed but separate this bonded pair. That’s when Lisa found out about VHS’s McVitie Fund and called the Program Manager Brooklyn for help.
Male cats with urinary crystals can often re-block, which is why Jake’s vet has recommended perineal urethrostomy (PU) surgery to change the shape of his urethra permanently. This is expected to cost $3,000-4,000.
Right now, an anonymous matching grant donor is matching all donations made toward the McVitie Fund, up to $25,000! Can you help keep this pair together by donating today toward Jake’s care?
Shailoh is an incredible companion to her guardian, Francis. Francis struggles with anxiety and depression, and Shailoh gives her the emotional support she needs to get out of the house.
While Shailoh was shy at first, she quickly opened up with Francis’s loving care. She is amazingly communicative; she will tap her water bowl for a cold refill and rest her head on Francis’s shoulder when she wants to jump up.
Sadly, Shailoh recently developed a benign growth on one of her mammaries. The vet predicts that without treatment, the growth will burst within a matter of weeks or months, putting Shailoh’s life at risk. With help, however, she has many years of love left to give.
Francis can’t bear the thought of losing her beloved companion. She lives on a very low income and reached out for support covering the costs of Shailoh’s care. Can you help?
Your gift will make double the difference as all donations toward veterinary support are currently being matched by an anonymous donor up to $25,000.
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.
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?
