Emergency Veterinary Care for Pets of the Homeless

Angela lives in La Jolla, CA and she has been homeless for about seven years due to issues she had with drug use.  She is now living in a recovery home after rehab and has been staying there for quite some time now.  She gets rides from other people at the home and from friends.  She receives SNAP benefits (known as food stamps).  Angela was referred to us by the local Humane Society and had seen us on the internet and decided to call us about her dog.

 Angela’s dog is Sidney who is a 11-year-old male chihuahua.  He started suffering from what the owner thought was a seizure or allergic reaction.

When Angela contacted Feeding Pets of the Homeless, one of our case managers completed the intake interview and right away was able to get homeless verification from the case manager at the sober living residence.  (Many times, treatments are delayed when homelessness verification cannot be done within a few days.) 

When Angela had first called her case manager was there looking at Sidney. The case manager said that it could be a bug bite because there was also swelling on his snout.  

An examination was pre-approved with a local veterinary hospital in La Jolla and Sidney was seen right away. The vet stated that the pet had severe dental problems and may have an ear infection because of a head tilt. They needed to perform more diagnostics to be able to see if that was the cause;  x-rays, and bloodwork were approved to see what could be causing the head tilt.

After the x-rays were performed, the doctor had found that the pet had a broken jaw and may need surgery to repair it.  The hospital emailed Sidney’s  x-rays to a surgeon. 

A dental procedure to remove ALL of his teeth was approved. The dental extractions were performed that same day, the surgeon who looked at Sidney’s x-rays  stated that the dog try wearing a muzzle for a month in hopes that the jaw can re-attach itself and he can eat easily again.   

Anesthesia, catheter, fluids, injections, muzzle and antibiotics, and vaccinations were updated. We hope for the best that his jaw heals on its own.

Without donations Sidney would have continued to suffer. Thanks to all of Feeding Pets of the Homeless donors, we were able to pay a total of $1,997 in Sidney’s care! 

In the last 12-months calls to and from our cases managers, who talk with homeless everyday increased 111%.  The average cost of an exam went up 24% and  the number of invoices processed by our accounting staff were up 75%.

From January through the end of November we helped 1,199 pets get treatment for injuries and illness.  All these pets belong to people expereincing homelessness.  These pets are their family, sometimes the only comfort and love they receive.  It is a two way street. 

From time of the intake interview to the date the invoice is paid, most cases average 12 days.  19% are completed the same day and 33% are completed between 1-4 days.  We average between 80-90 pending cases a week.  Angela and Sidney are just one story out of many.

Happy Holidays from our team!

Links:

• Feeding Pets of the Homeless