We want to share our progress with you. Here is our third quarter update (July-August-September)

A total of 1,977 pets (Dogs = 1185 + Cats = 792) received the following services through our Pet Support Space office, Drive Thru Community Pet Clinics, Pet Resource Center for the Skid Row Community, and two mobile spay/neuter clinics:

DDR paid a shelter redemption fees on behalf of a homeless/low income pet owner = 14

We continue to sponsor humane euthanasia for senior, terminally ill pets at the end of their lives. By covering the cost for this service, we prevent suffering of the pet and the owner, who often feels ashamed at not being able to help their pet at the end of life situations. = 13

Veterinary care costs continue to be the most important part of our mission. In the third quarter, we paid partial to full payment for everything from vaccinations, microchips, wellness exams, cases where the pet has an ongoing medical condition that left untreated results in daily suffering, to complicated life saving surgeries. = 940

Thanks to the cooperation from H.E.A.R.T., our counselors were able to provide access to pro bono legal services that enabled their pet to remain in their home, or move into transitional living with their owner. = 12

COVID certainly increased the number of pet owners who need access to monthly food and supplies. However, more than 35% of the pets in our food program, continue to rely on our support for the pet’s lifetime. In addition to food, we supply crates, X-pens, leashes, collars, and beds. Often, there is a requirement from a housing program that the pet owner is not able to afford, but through our Pet Support Space, any item that is required is provided. = 337

To be in our program, we require all pets to be spayed or neutered when they are old enough/healthy enough to go through surgery. The requests for spay/neuter far out number the available appointments we have access to. Thanks to the ASPCA spay/neuter clinic and working closely with Spay4LA, we were able to provide surgeries for 661 pets.

Thanks to all of YOU who continue to support of mission of providing compassionate care to pets who belong to people experiencing homelessness and low income families. We are dedicated to serving the most vulnerable populations of pet owners.

Your donation does make a difference!

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Stories from the Downtown Dog Rescue Pet Support Space in South Los Angeles

Sindel after surgery

5 year old Sindel’s person, who is a return client of the Pet Support Space, called our office asking for assistance in getting him into a hospital to get his abscessed painful toe examined. Thankful, one of our counselors was able to book Sindel an immediate appointment, and the results were serious.  The infection had become so bad, that he required surgery and a drain was inserted to drain out his infection.  With our discounted rate, the charges for exam, medication, and surgery came to a total of $490.  Sindel’s person was able to pay for half of the cost of care, and DDR paid the balance.

Sweet Mimi – terminally ill

Mimi’s person has been a client of our Pet Support Space since we opened our office last year.  For the past two months, Mimi’s health has been declining.  We sent Mimi to a partner animal hospital for an exam because she had difficulty breathing. Because of the ongoing relationship with our counselors, we were able to have a compassionate conversation about quality of life.  After speaking to the veterinarian, getting more information, Mimi’s person decided that humane euthanasia was the most loving option. Can you imagine watching your pet suffer, knowing that your pet needs veterinarian care, but you can’t afford to pay for an exam?  Mimi’s owner called our office, and thanked our counselors for their help and ongoing support.  Our Pet Support Clients are never alone, especially during end of life decisions.  We have counselors responding to calls for help seven days a week, sometimes, day and night.

Puppy Canelo

Four month old Canelo’s owner called our Pet Support Space office asking for help because Canelo had been vomiting, and had diarrhea. A medical voucher was written for a same day appointment at a partner animal hospital, where he was diagnosed with Parvo.  DDR paid the cost of care, and hopefully, little Canelo will make a full recovery very soon.

No animal or person should have to suffer because of the cost of veterinary care. With more than 600 cases per month, our three Pet Support Space counselors and volunteers are there for low income families with pets, often in their darkest moment.  For others, a monthly food supply, or vaccines, flea & tick prevention, and wellness care to keep more pets in their first home forever home.  Thousands of pets and their families are grateful to YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Can you help us reach our Fall Fundraising goal?  The Saving Pets Challenge ends September 30th.  

http://www.mightycause.com/organization/Downtown-Dog-Rescue

The Saving Pets Challenge ends September 30th

Please consider making a donation to help us help them.

On Sunday September 12th, with the volunteer veterinarians and vet techs from the SCVMA, the dedicated DDR clinic volunteers and our friends at Spay4LA, we were able to provide vaccinations, microchips, deworming, flea & tick medication (donation from Frontline) as well as wellness exams, and spay and neuter services to 247 pets.  The 159 dogs and 50 cats and 38 spay & neuter surgeries were provided free of charge for families that are experiencing homelessness, living in transition, receiving government support, and low income pet owners, who are struggling to care for their pets’ health.   

This was our 13th drive thru pet clinic, where all pets have a reservation, which enables our counselors to connect with pet owners before the clinic, in a more meaningful way.  It’s through those first conversations that we learn about the potential addition needs and/or challenges that they are facing. Although this was a drive thru clinic, we accepted all the walk-ups who rode the bus, pushed a cart or stroller, rode their bike, took whatever measures necessary to get their pet to our clinic!

For some families, who are already familiar with our services, we are able to check in, give booster vaccines, and let them know how DDR has expanded.  In fact, it’s through our clients, who refer their friends, family members, and neighbors that we are able to connect to new clients.  As with every clinic, we see a lot of puppies and kittens, who receive their first veterinary exam, vaccination, and deworming, while volunteers discuss pet food, grooming, and training to insure that these little pets start their lives off in a positive direction that includes spay and neuter when they are old enough.

Some of the pets that come to our clinic are too sick to receive services, such as these three kittens who had an upper respiratory infection. The family who found the kittens in their backyard did not know where to turn or what to do before connecting with one of our counselors.  Once the kittens are healthy, they will all be spayed and neutered and available to adopt. Never turning someone away without resources and support, the kittens were examined and treated at our monthly mobile veterinary clinic.

The Monday, that follows every clinic, we have a mobile veterinarian park at our Pet Support Space office on West Florence in South Los Angeles, in order to provide free to low cost veterinary care that we could not provide at the drive thru clinic.  The mobile hospital even provides spay and neuter, dentistry, tumor removal and humane euthanasia for terminally ill, suffering, senior pets.  Here are some of the pets who we treated at our mobile clinic on Monday Sept. 13th

This sweet 8 […]

I want to share a special story from our last clinic that not only surprised me, but also caused me to have a good laugh.  When it started, the situation was no laughing matter.  

It was almost the end of another busy clinic when an older model Toyota pick-up pulled up to the entrance. Three large men were squeezed into the cab without an inch of breathing room.  A scared shepherd was tied to the back of the open metal truck bed.  It was a hot morning and I was already feeling the heat when I caught a glimpse of the dog in the back of the truck.   My mind snapped.  I was thinking, “Oh Hell-to-the-no, he isn’t bringing that dog into the clinic like that!”  When I jogged over to talk with the driver, I discovered that attached to the shepherd were two small dogs, cabled from an eye-hook.  My approach was not the best when I greeted him by saying, “Hey, there is no way you guys are going to drive on to this lot with three dogs tied up in the back of your truck.” I went on to explain that not only were their dogs in danger, it was a safety issue for all the other pets and people at the event.  The driver nodded and apologized. He told me he didn’t have another vehicle, didn’t have a cage, and didn’t have money to pay for vaccinations, so that’s why he tied them up like he did.  I asked him why he needed the two other men?  Why couldn’t the dogs ride inside the cab, leaving the men at home? He explained that he, being an older man, could not physically handle the dogs on his own so he brought his two sons along to help.  I acknowledged his effort, and said “Ok, I feel really bad asking you to leave, but your need to back up, go home, bring one dog at a time.”  I also mentioned that the clinic was ending soon and unless he lived really close, we probably couldn’t help him.  He told me he understood, put the truck in reverse, and off they went, sounding like the truck was running out of gas or had some serious engine problem.

Typical thinking pattern for me is to immediately regret telling someone no.  It kind of made me mad that I felt he put me in that position.  My internal conversation began with, What was he thinking? How could I help him if he was a safety hazard? My thoughts continued… he did care about his dogs, and he was really trying. No, there is no way it would have been safe.  Coming from a place of separation, me vs. them, I reverted to old thinking patterns, and convinced myself that I made the right decision.  He drove off, and I assumed that he wouldn’t come back.

About ten minutes goes by and here comes the truck again.  This […]

I wanted to share a turning point in my life, one where I felt very desperate and alone.  Back in 1995, my calico cat “Mickey” was really sick.  I had no idea what was wrong with her so I got out my Yellow Pages, looked up the closest animal hospital, and made an appointment.  As a college student, I was working full time and living in a makeshift loft in back of a storefront.  To say I a struggling student would have been an understatement.  I remember wrapping Mickey in a towel, placing her in a box, and driving to the hospital.  Upon entering the hospital, I was not greeted but was told  my carrier was inadequate. I remember feeling ashamed.  Finally, it was our turn to see the veterinarian, an older man, who asked me why I, “waited so long to seek care.”  I could feel tears in my eyes as I thought to myself, “He must think I don’t love my cat.”  Then he asked me, “Does she go outside?” I explained she was free to go through an open window and she went out during the day, but always slept with me at night.  I remember him looking down at me, quietly saying that without much money and because I didn’t care about my cat’s safety, there wasn’t much he could offer.  I also remember crying all the way back home.

July 5th is the one year anniversary of opening our Pet Support Space office on West Florence Ave in South Los Angeles. For many of you who follow DDR on social media, you already know about the more than 500+ pets to whom we provide services each month. To be exact, 3,549 cats and dogs have received services through our program designed to help no-income to low-income pet owners care for their pets. 52% of all cases our counselors see are pets that require some type of veterinary care. Therefore, one of our goals in 2021 was to expand veterinary services.

Because we have an office in a great location, I envisioned opening a scaled-down veterinary clinic in the lobby of our office that would be open once a month and then scale up to once a week. I was considering hiring a veterinarian, RVT, buying supplies, and learning about what it takes to run a clinic. I then had several discussions with Dr. Weinstein, President of the SCVMA, and, through those discussions, I became more aware of just how much I didn’t know. Because I didn’t know!

We needed a solution. Should we raise money and buy a mobile clinic? Reality set in and I decided we needed to find a partner who already owned and operated a mobile clinic. Although I am not letting go of my dream to start a clinic, the path is going to be different than what I imagined, which has always worked out well for me personally and for DDR as an organization.

Today, from 9:30am to 2:30pm, we hosted the first mobile veterinary clinic at our office and provided services to 11 pets (4 cats and 7 dogs). Here are some of the cases:

“Micha” and “Totoro” (who are a little difficult to see in their carriers in these two photos) were flea infested , were not eating, and had never been examined by a veterinarian before receiving care today.

2-year-old “Max” had been vomiting and had diarrhea. Worried that he might have an obstruction, our counselor wrote a medical voucher, and sent him to Dr. Vazquez at North Figueroa Animal Hospital where he received x-rays and might need surgery.

“Einstein” came to the mobile clinic because he was overwhelmed and not too friendly at our last drive-thru vaccination clinic. He received a rabies booster so that his owner could renew his dog license.

“Snoopy” and his person, Alex, have been in our Pet Resource Center program for Skid Row pets more than five years. Over the years, DDR made it possible for Snoopy to receive ongoing veterinary care. Alex phoned counselor Amanda when he became concerned about hots spots that had developed all over Snoopy’s little body.

11-year-old […]

I decided to write this blog post in order to share a particularly cool story, but also to remind me that when I get out of my own way and allow the Universe to put a plan into motion, things work out really great!

Trusting in a Higher Power, God, The Universe is something that is fairly new to me.  For many years, I guess you could say that I was faking it – meaning, I was saying that I trusted a power greater than myself, but I really didn’t.  I was that person who always had to feel like she was in control, even when life seemed out of control.  I was always that person who had a back-up plan for her back-up plan.

Fast forward to about a month ago:  lying in bed surrounded by dogs, reading emails on my iPhone, one message catches my attention.  It began with a plea for help, but didn’t stop there.  In great detail, she was honest about her living situation, her love for her dogs, and what she was willing to do to get help.  The part that really irked me was her detailed description of the type of food she was looking for in a donation. She only would accept vegan dog food. Reading this, my initial thought was, “Well, if I couldn’t afford to feed my dogs regularly, would I really be concerned about the dog food being vegan?” No, no I would not.

The email went on for a couple of paragraphs, she seemed like a nice lady but she was out of our service area and she seemed too organized and thoughtful.  Someone would help her because she was resourceful – clearly not a DDR type of client.  I thanked her for her message, explained that “we never get vegan dog food”, and wished her well.

The very next day, I received an email from Diana at PETA, who was writing because she had a big donation of vegan dog food to share with DDR if we needed it.  I was stunned! Yes, of course we will take it, I replied.  We met up later in the week and unloaded cases of vegan dog food kibble.  I had to acknowledge this was more than a coincidence.  I emailed the vegan dog food lady, so excited to let her know I had food for her dogs.  I  never got an email back.

About a week later, I received a text from her.  It went something like this:  Sorry for the late reply. It is difficult for me to read my emails because I am not living in a permanent home.  This pet owner had been living in her car with her three dogs, using the Safe Parking program until she was recently accepted into the Project Room Key program.  Her situation of  homelessness was a result of being a domestic violence survivor who lost it all when she left her abusive situation.  That is about all that […]

Dr. Ramirez owner of Los Angeles Veterinary Center, volunteers every month.

Some of the most beautiful things to happen in my life recently have come from being more present.  I have had to learn how to stop thinking, “This is too good to be true” or ,”It might be going good now, but just wait, the bad times are always just around the corner”. Writing this blog post to share the success of our monthly pet clinic with the SCVMA as well as to share some of the moments that touched my heart, causing me to reflect on the many blessings in my life.  I am grateful to be in a state of mind where I am able to have an opinion, such as the importance of spaying and neutering pets, without obsessing on how to reach others so that they may share my opinion.  The reality is, and always has been, not everyone is ready or will ever be ready to agree with my viewpoint – and that’s okay.  The majority of pet owners truly want what is best for their cat or dog and are open to learning how to accomplish that goal.

Two of the nearly 200 pets who came to our clinic on Sunday arrived in an Access Van.  Both had to use walkers and had their cats in carriers. I could see that the cats were nervous so we found a safe spot for them to wait until a veterinarian could meet with them.  Upon examining one of the cats, the veterinarian stated the cat was ill and suffering greatly. The kindest option would be humane euthanasia.  Amanda, our senior counselor at the Pet Support Space, took the time to explain the process and to listen to the cat owner who, understandably, was really upset.  Amanda coordinated a plan for humane euthanasia.  I watched from a distance as vet techs hugged and comforted the owner during her time of loss. We may not have known each other well, but we all know what it is like to say goodbye to a beloved pet who is suffering. Everyone involved allowed themselves to be vulnerable in the moment, shedding tears because they genuinely cared.

A similar case  involved an 18-year-old Chihuahua. I had been texting with the dog owner’s daughter who explained to me that her mother, who was battling cancer, felt she just could not give up on her senior dog even though he was struggling to eat, could no longer walk, and was most likely suffering.  The family realized their little dog was near the end of her life, but it was important to get a professional veterinary opinion and ask some questions.  Unfortunately, they could not afford a veterinary exam.  As she drove into the clinic, I greeted her and walked her over to the station where she would receive the free veterinary exam.  I don’t know what the outcome was because there were more […]