Animals
Tara The Beagle Gets Prosthetic Legs And A New Life
There is something truly special about animal lovers. This sweet dog, Tara was found clinging to life on the grounds of a Romanian hospital. She had gangrene on all four legs and her front two legs were rotted to the bone. While veterinary surgeons were able to save those back two legs, the front two needed to be amputated.
That is where Kelly Hare came into the picture. Kelly runs a British nonprofit called Safe Rescue For Dogs, and no sooner did she hear about dear Tara’s plight did Kelly jump into motion, raising £3,000 to not only save the Beagle mix but to also make it possible for Tara to be fitted with two prosthetic legs.
These days Tara runs and plays just like her friends. And by the way, Kelly has grown so fond of Tara that it looks like they’ve found a forever home together. Life is good again.
Get Your Dog Washed For Histio Research
Joey Holt and his mom, Gina StegnerWritte
Written by Andrea Francisco
This weekend, please come and support Histio research for a local twelve year old boy named Joey Holt. Diagnosed a little over two years ago at age ten with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, Joey has already had to endure more than many people ever will in their lifetime. An overproduction of white blood cells, caused by LCH, had eaten away at Joey’s hip and forced him to spend months in a wheelchair, use a walker and crutches, undergo steroid treatment, and get a bone graft. Unfortunately, like cancer, there is no known cause or cure for Histio. Also, since the disease is so rare, there is no state or federal funding for research, and instead relies heavily on the families of those affected for funding.
The event, known as “Wash out Histio” will be held on Sunday, September 14th from 1 to 4 P.M. at Dirty Hairy’s Dog Spa on 18 North Fort Thomas Ave., Ft. Thomas, KY. In addition to washing your adorable, furry friends, there will be dog nail trimming, door prizes, raffles, hula hoop demos, and a bounce house provided by Maxwell Jump! Whether or not you have dogs, you can still help fund the much-needed research for this rare disorder by buying the delicious treats for sale. Please come out and support this cause; your time and donations will be much appreciated!
Chris Pike Raises Money For Canine Cancer Research
Chris Pike remembers that moment like it was yesterday. He and his wife were in town to celebrate Chris’ birthday with his family. Their longing to share a home with double the joyous, childlike antics of a golden retriever took them to a farm that was ironically in the neighborhood of our region’s hub for adventure – Kings Island.
And there he was. A 10 week old, cream colored teddy bear who bounced as he ran straight into the arms of the couple 
whose home and hearts were to be one with his for the rest of his life. Skyler had a way with women. Truth be told, he had a way with everyone. It was his beautiful, magical gift that he was brought into this world to share.
Kiara too filled her world with love. Every day was an adventure, a new opportunity to explore and new people to meet.
Sadly those gift was brought to an end by a disease that takes the lives of one out of three dogs. Canine cancer, Chris learned, was actually fairly common especially in golden retrievers. In fact, cancer took the life of not just one but two bundles of sheer happiness from the Pike’s household.
Today, the legacy of Skyler and Kiara is in the hard fought battle of Chris to wage a war against that deadly enemy.
Chris is the vice president of marketing and promotions for the National Canine Cancer Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that provides grants to researchers working to save lives, find cures, improve treatments, and develop more accurate and cost effective diagnostic methods in dealing with canine cancer.
The Foundation continues to grow. In fact, over the past four years, it has surpassed each year prior in terms of funds raised and they just reached over $200,000 that will be ready to fund 2014 grants.
You can help them on their quest to eradicate cancer.
Please click here to read about this weekend’s Pup Crawl in Oakley Square to raise funds for the National Canine Cancer Foundation. It’s going to be a ton of fun for a great cause!
At 16, Annie Raises Money For Heartworm Prevention & Treatment
The generosity and dedication of young people always inspires me. I received an email the other day from Annie Blumenfeld, a 16 year old from Connecticut, who very obviously has a huge heart for dogs.
It was after watching as her beloved rescue dog, Teddy, had to remain inactive in his crate for several months and endure many vaccinations and x-rays, that Annie did some research and took it upon herself to fight her furry friend’s enemy – 
heartworm disease – head on.
“It broke my heart to see that Teddy could not understand why he was in his situation and that he could not play with any of his friends,” Annie told me. “It was such a painful, expensive and long process that could have been easily avoided with a monthly preventive.
“I discovered more than one million dogs in the United States currently have heartwork disease and 45% are unprotected.”
And with that, Annie founded her own nonprofit called Wags 4 Hope to raise money for the medical needs of animal shelters and raise awareness about heartworm.
The young philanthropist designed her own website and personally did all the legwork involved in gaining 501C-3 status. She writes her own blogs and a monthly pet column
on pet responsibility. At her school, she established a Wags 4 Hope that currently has 40 members who hold fundraising events and collections. And she has painted and sold 300 original dog portraits with 100% of her profits going to animal shelters. Annie just finished a very personal painting of her dog, Teddy, for the new children’s cancer wing of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
“I hope Teddy brings the children lots of hope and laughter,” she told me.
No doubt, Teddy and Annie already have.
If you would like to learn more about Annie’s cause, and even purchase one of her paintings, please visit http://www.wags4hope.org.
About heartworm from Annie’s site:
Heartworm disease is caused by a parasitic worm, Dirofilaria immitis, from mosquitoes. These worms are spread through the bite of a mosquito and produce offspring while living inside the dog. The worms are called “heart worms” because they live in the heart, lungs, and other blood vessels of an infected animal. In the United States, heartworm disease is most common in the South because of the extreme heat in which the mosquitoes thrive in, but they are present and highly populated in all 50 states. Heartworm disease is also present throughout Europe, Australia, Canada, and Africa. Heartworm disease cannot be spread from one dog to another it is only spread by the bite of a mosquito.
Since, heartworm disease treatment is very expensive, and there is a chance that your pet may not survive the treatment, preventatives are a great solution. There are many safe FDA approved products that can be used. All of these products require a veterinarian’s prescription. These preventatives are used monthly and are simple. There is a vast range of different products from liquids, to tablets. The use of preventatives depend on your location and your dog. Some veterinarians use their own holistic remedies. Please talk to your veterinarian about the best way to protect your pet.
United Pet Fund Helps Those Who Help Animals – You Can Too!
All I have to do is look into those deep, beautiful eyes of our Sam – and so many other great dogs who I have worked with or gotten to know – and you can’t help but have a huge appreciation for the dedicated staff and volunteers who run our 
area dog and cat shelters. They have a very important job to do. Thousands of animals have their fate in these people’s hands and hearts to find them a forever home. And so many families have come to know that beautiful, unconditional love given off from an animal they adopted.
Introducing United Pet Fund
There is a somewhat new nonprofit, the United Pet Fund, whose sole purpose is to help those incredibly valuable animal care and service organizations to be sustainable. It is called United Pet Fund and it is founded by a Blue Ash veterinarian, Dr. Zeke Zekoff.
United Pet Fund has provided scholarship funds for volunteers of these organizations to attend continuing education conferences; handyman service for assistance with repair and maintenance of shelters; pet health days in under-served areas; emergency funds when needed for unexpected predicaments; and has provided nonprofit leadership management and trainings to shelters and rescue groups.
In an email from Dr. Zekoff, he shared: “We are working on becoming a national resource and support organization for the smaller ‘mom-and-pop’ ACSOs. Our goal will be to become a Nonprofit ACSO-member Services Organization that will provide basic business services needed by all nonprofits to become successful. Eventually, with the advantage that comes with large number of members, we hope to offer access to discounted business services for our members, including, but not limited to products and services that are needed by all nonprofit animal service and care organizations: Legal and Accounting, Insurance, Public Relations, IT services, Credit/Financing Services, Pet Products (including food and health supplies), Webinar-based training in Nonprofit leadership and management skills, as well as Animal Behavior and Health needs. The list can go on, but we have place to start. With all these in one location, with a central organization that understands the needs of the smaller ACSOs, the animals served by these organizations will be the ones in the end that benefit.”
Kyle’s New Hope Animal Rescue Saves Lives
Located in Sharonville, Kyle’s New Hope Animal Rescue is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of animals who have run out of options. Dogs and cats that are injured, abused, abandoned and neglected will be provided veterinary care and surgery to be rehabilitated and adopted into loving homes. All animals will receive up to date vaccinations, be spayed or neutered and microchipped… all in an effort to reduce the amount of unnecessary euthanasia in shelters and hospitals. I am very familiar with Kyle’s New Hope because I have volunteered for them. Their love for the animals who have come into their lives is truly heartfelt.
You Can Help
Tomorrow & Friday (August 22 & 23, 2013), United Pet Fund and Kyle’s New Hope Animal Rescue are partnering with two back-to-back fundraisers.
Wags to Riches Casino Royale is tomorrow night from 6 pm to 10:30 pm at the Manor House located at 7440 S Mason-Montgomery Rd. in Mason. It is a fun night of dinner, Casino Games hosted by Black Diamond Casino Events with prizes, an animal caricaturist-bring your pet’s photo and more.
On Friday from Noon until 6:30 pm at the Bel-Wood Country Club in Morrow will be the Golf Classic with lunch, a cookout and great prizes. For cost and registration information, please visit this link: http://www.unitedpetfund.org/upfc_home.php
You can also call Towne Square Animal Clinic / Kyle’s Veterinary Hospital at 513-520-7571 or 513-793-1875 for information.
