Shetland Sheepdog Placement Services of NJ: Sponsor a Pet Grant Report

How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?

We are a rescue, not a shelter. We foster shelties until they are adopted. But some of our fosters are very elderly and so ill that they cannot be adopted. They are "forever fosters." Our medical bills are very high for these dogs.

All donations go directly to vet care for our fosters.

How many pets did this grant help?

At least one forever foster's vet bills

Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.

Angel came to SSPSNJ in October of 2012. Originally named Aggie, she was 10 years old at the time. She was covered in fleas. In fact, they were so bad that they were crawling around her eyes and over her nose. You could see the fleas all over her body. She needed lots of medical care. She literally had NO hair all along her back. She needed time for her skin to heal, a dental, to be spayed, removal of a mammary tumor, as well as senior-panel blood work, a thyroid panel, shots, and testing for heartworm and parasites.

Still, she is the sweetest sheltie that you would ever meet. She went right into her rescuer’s arms and snuggled in close, licking her hands and giving kisses.

In May of 2013, Angel’s foster mom noticed a difference in Angel’s eyes when she woke up in the morning. She rushed her to the vets. Angel has chronic glaucoma in her good eye and retinal detachment in the other eye, so she is now blind in both eyes caused from hypertension brought on by renal disease. Even though she had been on blood-pressure meds for months, her high blood pressure still did damage to the eyes. It can happen very quickly. She will never get her sight back, but she is now on an additional medication in hopes it will lower the high blood pressure, and also another eye drop.

As of April 2014, Angel’s foster mom reports that her condition is about the same. She has a wonderful appetite and is holding her own. Angel currently takes two different medicines for her blood pressure and she will be going in soon for another recheck for her eye and blood pressure. Angel is managing on her own and seems to know her way around outside pretty well! Her favorite thing is still to get treats and to snuggle. She is a happy little girl.