Helping Our Pets Cross the Rainbow Bridge at Home

SUGAR’S GIFT™ - PROGRESS REPORT AND LOTS OF GOOD THINGS IN STORE IN 2025!

LITTLE BOY’S LEGACY - CHANGES IN OUR SCHEDULE STARTING IN 2025

Our 12 year-old Yorkie, Little Boy, crossed the Rainbow Bridge on January 3, 2025, very suddenly and unexpectedly.  He was such a wonderful little guy and had such a hard life before we got him at a year old.  He trusted almost no one because of his physical and mental abuse.  But, his life changed the day we bought him home!  However, December 30, 2024, he started to turn away food and we knew something was very wrong.  He started to decline within a couple of days, and ultimately, he was diagnosed with intestinal lymphoma on January 3, 2025 with an ultrasound at Dr. Ward’s office.  We knew that the only option for us was to let him go that same evening - he wouldn’t have made it through the night, and we would never let him suffer.  Although it may not make sense to some, that was the first time we completely understood how critical same day emergency appointments are to pet owners.  We vowed to make Little Boy’s Legacy our new program to allow others to let their Little Angels cross the Rainbow Bridge from home trough Sugar’s Gift™ with emergency appointments.

All of the vets who work with Sugar’s Gift™ will be available now for scheduled appointments, as well as same day/next day emergency appointments.  Obviously, that is true as long as their schedules allow.  This is new for Sugar’s Gift™ in 2025….We have not been able to offer these services before and we are grateful for the opportunity to allow pet owners the option of quicker appointments, when necessary.

MORE VETS HELPING US IN THE SARASOTA/MANATEE AREA NOW

We have more vets who will be helping Sugar’s Gift™ for our in-home euthanasias in 2025.  One vet, Dr. Margaux Buchanan with Avalon Veterinary Services started working with us in March 2025, allowing us appointments early morning and late afternoons/evenings, for the Sarasota and Manatee County areas for same day/next day emergencies and scheduled appointments. She will also be available during the weekends, as her schedule allows.  Dr. Buchanan has helped us with the 2 horses we have helped in late 2024, as well, and works with horses through Sarasota Equine.  She has helped us with several small pets already and we look forward to having more pets cross the Rainbow Bridge with Dr. Buchanan’s help! 

We have another vet who will be helping us starting in April 2025 with evening appointments on designated days of the week, and if necessary, some weekends – for scheduled appointments and same day/next day appointments.  More on that as we have more information…stay tuned!

And, we love Drs. Wendy and Kyle who help us during the week and Saturdays.  They always make themselves available to us for scheduled appointments and starting in 2025, same day/next day emergencies.  Don’t worry – all of you who have been helped in the past need not worry when you need us again…they are always here for us and for you!  We schedule appointments on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday mornings with Drs. Wendy and Kyle, and then they are available the other days (except Sundays) for same day/next day emergencies.

BONUS MATCHING EVENT COMING UP ON JULY 16, 2025 – MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR 9:00 AM!

Our next matching event for donors will occur on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 starting at 9:00 am EDT!  As you know we have 2 main bonus events that occur year:  July Bonus Day – always mid-July, and Giving Tuesday - the Tuesday following Thanksgiving.  Those 2 days are the days we encourage you to donate the most.  The July Bonus day falls on July 16 this year, and you need to donate as close to 9:00 am as possible!  The matching funds will only be available for a short time that day, and when they run out, we can no longer receive matches.  You will get an update closer to the date to give you the specifics as far as the percentages we get on donation amounts.  It is a sliding scale, so the more you donate, the bigger the match!  We are looking for that special someone or special company to match the entire amount we receive that day, so see the section below for information!

LOOKING FOR A MATCHING FUNDS PARTNER FOR OUR JULY 16, 2025 BONUS DAY EVENT AND OUR DECEMBER 2, 2025 GIVING TUESDAY EVENTS

For our Bonus Day event on July 16, 2025 and on Giving Tuesday, December 2, 2025, we are looking for a corporate or individual sponsor to match the funds we receive that day.  It is helpful to us that the 2 bonus days – July 16, 2025 and December 2, 2025, where we receive anywhere from a 30-50% match on funds – we have a sponsor to match all the funds we receive.  We anticipate the funds to be approximately $10,000 received from our donors on each of those days, so if you know someone or a company who is generous and would like to help us, please contact Nikki Stewart at nikkistewart@sugarsgift.org.

WE CONTINUE TO HELP HORSES FOR IN-FARM EUTHANASIAS NOW

Some of you know that Nikki Stewart grew up showing quarter horses in her younger life and has always loved horses.  And, you may know that she intended to become a veterinarian, with a preference for horses and exotic animals.  Well, Sugar has given Nikki another Gift…..

We have partnered with Sarasota Equine in Sarasota, FL to help those with horses in Sarasota Equine’s areas of service help who need Sugar’s Gift™.  Nikki is especially happy for this opportunity to help horses again, and we are very appreciative of 2 people and their horses who have ushered us into the horse world.  Betty N and Apollo were the first to contact Sugar’s Gift™ for help.  We helped Apollo cross the Rainbow Bridge with the help of Dr. Buchanan.  Vicki K's beloved Pepper was another horse that we helped cross the Rainbow Bridge with the help of Dr. Buchanan.  We were honored to help both of these special animals and their loving owners and we will be honored to help any other horses and their owners who will need us.  You will see more about this area of service on our website soon and in social media, as well.  We have the opportunity to help another horse soon in Wimauma and again, we are grateful to Sarasota Equine to recommend us to horse owners who help our help.

Our cremation partner, Safe Passages, also cremates horses at their facility, so we do have that option for those horse owners who have that special one in their lives.

So, Sugar…..thank you again, sweet baby, for opening up more opportunities for Sugar’s Gift™ to help others in your name.

THANKS TO A GENEROUS GRANT FROM THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SARASOTA

We have been able to service all of Sarasota and Manatee Counties again thanks to a very generous grant of $12,500 from the Community Foundation of Sarasota!  We can help pet owners and their Little Angels in all of Sarasota County, including Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Venice, Nokomis, Englewood and even some areas near Port Charlotte.  In Manatee County, we can service all of Bradenton – East and West, Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, Palmetto, Ellenton and Myakka City. As always, our availability in any area is dependent upon the schedules of the mobile veterinarians with whom we partner. 

EAST COAST OF FLORIDA AND SOME OF THE ORLANDO AREAS ARE OPEN, TOO

On the East Coast, our service area stretches from Merritt Island/Melbourne down through Miami/Dade County.  We also have vets in most of the Orlando area.  It is always a good idea to call to ensure we have your areas covered.  We will do our best!  We are working hard to secure more funding on the East Coast, so if you have any contacts with Foundation, Corporations or individuals on the East Coast, let us know.  We are applying for more funding on the East Coast and can use some help!  We are very grateful for the Knopf Family Foundation who always helps us with funding for our East Coast Operations.  Thank you, Sandy!

FT. COLLINS/LOVELAND, CO IS OPEN FOR SUGAR’S GIFT™ NOW AND HELPING PETS THERE!

Dr. Emilea Burton, a wonderful veterinarian in the Ft. Collins/Loveland, CO area and has helped get us started in that area!  She is an incredible vet with a great big heart and helps with in-home euthanasias in that area.  We have helped a number of pets in our CO location and expect to help many more as we get more funding.  You’ll see Dr. Burton's bio on our website and expect more news on the CO location coming soon….Thank you, Dr. Burton!

We also need contacts in the CO areas we serve for funding and grants, too, because we want to help more and more people and their pets there.  If you have contacts, let us know!

SAME DAY/NEXT DAY EMERGENCIES ARE MORE EXPENSIVE FOR SUGAR’S GIFT™, SO WE REALLY NEED EXTRA FUNDING STARTING NOW

For normal, scheduled appointments we receive 15-20 calls per day.  Not all of those people need our help right away – some simply want information for when the time comes.  But, realistically, we could be helping 8-12 pets per week if we had the funding. 

With same day/emergency requests, the number of calls will DOUBLE.  Each euthanasia for pets in on an emergency basis will cost Sugar’s Gift™, on average, 50% more for our veterinarians cost alone.  We are asking that if you have donated in the past, please consider donating to us again to help offset some of these extra costs for emergencies.  If you haven’t considered recurring monthly donations, please do!  Those recurring monthly donations help us with our cash flow and are so much more important than you know.

As you know, we do not spend your generous donations on overhead such as rent, advertising, etc.  We are proud of the fact that our administration costs are less than 10% of the total revenues we bring in.  So, you can see that almost all your donations go directly to our mission of helping babies cross the Rainbow Bridge from home.  We want to keep it that way!

We try very hard to help everyone we can and the amount of babies we are helping is increasing…it is so hard to tell people no, but occasionally, we must.  The only qualification we have in order for us to help is that your pet has been seen by a vet within 6 months of your call to us and has been diagnosed as terminally ill.  Unfortunately, we cannot make exceptions for that one qualification.

With all that said, we are still busier than ever and helping more babies cross the Rainbow Bridge from home than ever!  In fact, we want to help more of you, but we do need more donations in order to do that!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR TEAM – AND WE ARE A TEAM!

 At Sugar’s Gift™, we have a very special team of people who work so well together in order to help your babies cross the Bridge peacefully from home.  I would like to highlight everyone who makes us the terrific organization we are!

•  Cheryl Brady and Vet Care Express – Cheryl and her own team are some of the most compassionate people on the planet….and everyone we have helped agree!  They are always there for us and the pets we help and we appreciate them so much!
•  Drs. Wendy and Kyle with Holistic Veterinary House Calls – our cherished veterinarians on the West Coast of Florida are our lifeblood!  Again, everyone we have helped certainly believe that, too.  We couldn’t be here without them!
•  Dr. Margaux Buchanan with Avalon Veterinary Services – Dr. Buchanan is compassionate and caring, just like the rest of our team.  We are grateful to have her on board!
•  Dr. Dack and the Lifetime Veterinary Center in Jupiter, FL – another incredible veterinarian that we are fortunate to have on board!  They help so many babies on the East Coast and we love them, too!
•  Safe Passages In Home Euthanasia and Pet Crematory on the East and West Coasts of Florida are special partners to us.  They go above and beyond for our pet owners, pets and us.  We are incredibly excited to be a partner with them for our in home euthanasias and their vets on the East Coast, as well as our expansion by using their crematory services on our West Coast.  Thank you to everyone at Safe Passages!
•  Dr. Emilea Burton with Western Skies Vet in Loveland/Ft. Collins, CO for opening up a new service area and helping so many people there!
•  Sarasota Equine in Sarasota, FL – we are grateful for their help in allowing us to help horses now on the West Coast of Florida.

VOLUNTEERS AND PAID HELP NEEDED FOR VARIOUS POSITIONS

We have some administration positions available that will paid to help with telephone calls, scheduling, database management, social media postings and other positions.  Again, some are volunteer and some are paid, so please send an email to Nikki at nikkistewart@sugarsgift.org if you are interested.  Understand, the pay is not to support someone for a full time position – these are part time and a small number of hours per week.

We also need help with more transportation needs when Cheryl Brady with Vet Care Express is not available.  Most of the help we need will be for late afternoons and evenings, and some weekends.  Transportation is part of our budgeting program expenses, so those who help with transportation will be paid for their time for each appointment.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Nikki is available and willing to speak to any group – over-55 communities, fraternal and social organizations, networking groups, etc.  She can speak about Sugar’s Gift™ and also about Pet Trusts in a workshop fashion, or as an informational session.  Let us know and we can get you on the calendar for your group – and please spread the word because she wants to talk about the benefits of our organization and educate others about us.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

OUR MISSION – WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

Our mission is always worth repeating:  Our mission is to provide euthanasia and end-of-life veterinary services for terminally ill pets in their own homes.  We at Sugar's Gift™ do not charge for any of our services to help your terminally ill baby.  Why?  Our mission from the beginning has been all about the Little Ones, not about how much money someone has.  We don't charge you on a sliding scale.  We don't charge you based on your income.  We believe this:  Every one of you who has a terminally ill pet has something in common with all of us - the love for our pets, our companions, our Little Angels and the need to have them pass in the most comfortable surroundings.  That is something sacred to us.  We share that love and respect you for that love, as well.  That is why we do not charge you for our services.  It is the last Gift you can give your baby, and it is Sugar's Gift to both of you.

KEEP US IN MIND FOR YOUR ESTATE PLANNING GIFTS!

Many people ask us if they can include Sugar’s Gift™ in their estate planning.  We are very appreciative of that gesture.  If you have a Will or a Trust and wish Sugar’s Gift™ to receive funding upon your demise, we thank you for thinking of us.  Your gifs will keep us sustainable for many years to come!  If you need help or have questions regarding this issue, please contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss options for you.

PLEASE CONSIDER A REVIEW FOR SUGAR'S GIFT™ ON GOOGLE, FACEBOOK OR A TESTIMONIAL FOR OUR WEBSITE AND GRANTS…

If you would, please consider a review of our services on either Google, Facebook or write a testimonial for us to use on our website and for possible grants that we really need.  Testimonials help a great deal when funders want to know if our recipients are happy with our services.

Pet owners across this great country of ours describe Sugar’s Gift™ as “Bringing lasting peace to pets and their owners after a life full of love.”  We offer a life-changing experience...our services extend far beyond the time and scope of the services we provide for you and your pet. We are here as a resource, an ear or a shoulder to cry on, an organization that will always be here for you and your furbabies. Some of our pet owners have described our client care service as unsurpassed. Read some of our testimonials here.  

LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, THREADS – AND PLEASE RECOMMEND US ON NEXT DOOR, TOO!

We are trying to stay up to date on all the social media channels – but it is difficult!   Thank you to all of you who have encouraged others to like us on Facebook….we have increased our followers to almost 1,800 as of today.  We want to build even more Facebook Likes, so go here to Like Our Page and share this newsletter with your friends!  We especially appreciate all the recommendations we receive on Next Door!  If you can tell 5 people about us, and they can tell 5 more people about us...well, you get the picture....exponentially, it can make a huge difference to us!

WHAT WE NEED NOW FROM YOU

1. We get 15-20 calls every day for scheduled appointments, and now we expect that number of calls to double with same day/next day emergencies in order to help beloved pets cross the Rainbow Bridge from home.  It is wonderful that we can help so many, but that takes funding.....so we need more generous souls like you to help us pay for the expenses of each euthanasia and cremation for all these Little Angels. We need approximately $150,000 -$200,000 per year to pay for our largest expense each year:  our wonderful veterinarians.  Let us know if you or someone you know can help with our needs. CLICK HERE TO DONATE
2. If you work for or with a Corporation or Foundation, let us know.  We would love to talk with them to form a partnership and help the Little Angels together.  It would also help to know if they match employees' donations. (We are happy to speak with your Human Resources Department, if you would like us to inquire about this for you)
3. We are looking to add experienced Members to our Board of Directors and to our Advisory Board.  If you are interested, or know of someone who is, please email Nikki at nikkistewart@sugarsgift.org.  You must have experience on another Board of Directors, preferably with a non-profit organization.  There are other qualifications, but please email or call if you are interested.  We are accepting applications nationwide.

WE ARE STILL COMPILING OUR BOOK OF STORIES!

The pet owners whose pets Sugar's Gift™ has helped are giving us stories - either written stories, poetry, songs, about their pets' lives.  We want to publish those stories and let others know what wonderful people and pets we have helped, and how we have helped them through their experience with Sugar's Gift™.  If you are one of our terrific pet owners and we don't have your story yet.....get those pencils (or iPads) working overtime!  We want to publish the first volume in 2025!

So, when we say every dollar counts…..EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS.

Sugar’s Gift™….Because love never leaves.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

REMEMBER….

Sugar’s Gift™ is the only non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization in the country whose mission is to help terminally ill pets cross over the Rainbow Bridge from home with comfort, dignity and peace. 

Please give generously.....monthly, annually, whatever suits your budget. We REALLY need your help right now!  All the other Little Angels need us....and we need you.  Thank you.

We apologize, in advance, if you receive a duplicate of this report.  We are sending this through our email server, too, so you may get 2 of the same reports.  Just simply forward one to someone  you feel would like to read it!  Thank you.

Links:

• Our Home Page
• The Rainbow Bridge Poem
• How Do I Know It Is Time?

THANK YOU AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL SUPPORTERS AND DONORS!

This is not a solicitation, nor a fundraising drive, nor a plea for matching funds donations…

Rather, this is a great big virtual hug and a giant THANK YOU for all your support during 2024 for Sugar's Gift.  We were more successful this year than any other, thanks to your generosity and kindness….and belief in our mission.  2025 will be another break-out year, so stay tuned!

We had so much support on our 3 fund-matching days in 2024 – The Charity Challenge in April, our Bonus Day in July and on Giving Tuesday in December. And, many of you donate monthly to us, which not only gives us bonuses, but helps us with cash flow every month.  Thank you, as well, for all of your wonderful reviews on Google, Next Door and other places - from the bottom of our hearts

As always, to those of you and others who lost their Little Angels in 2024 (or before), remember when you are sad:

1. They live in your heart forever.  That thump, thump, thump that you have deep in your heart sometimes is just our babies’ tails wagging hard, telling us they are still with us.  You may feel sad, anxious, tearful, and that thumping gets extra loud.  But they are right there with us, telling us they love us, and they will always be there for us, just as we were always there for them.
2. Look at pictures you have taken of your Little Angels.  It can seem painful sometimes, but the tears we shed are also happy tears to see their bright, shining faces once again.  We can remember good times, how much seeing those tails wagging when we walked in the door brightened up the whole day and how much those kisses in the morning, through the day and at night meant to us.  And, yes, we wish we could feel those again.  But we will.
3. Think of them now, at the Rainbow Bridge with all of the other Little Angels, waiting for that special person – YOU – while they play again, healthy, happy, running and jumping.  But, yes, they are sad, too, because they miss you so much.  But they are waiting for you.
4. Don’t dwell on the sad times at the end of their lives when they were not themselves any longer.  Instead, know that you did everything you could to help them and keep them healthy for as long as you could.  If you feel you kept them around just a little too long, think of it like this:  As much as your baby loved you, he or she knew that you also needed to have their Rainbow Crossing stretched out a little bit since you weren’t ready for them to go yet.  They knew that.  They loved you no matter what.
5. Last, we all second guess ourselves and say, “Did I do the right thing?”  Let me reassure you and tell you that YES – you did the right thing.  Please don’t live your life thinking that you should have waited…maybe this is just a “glitch” and she’ll come around….what if she isn’t as bad as I think….etc.  None of wants to think that our babies have a journey to the Bridge.  That is the hardest part of having a Little Angel.  You did the right thing.  Your baby relied on you to make those decisions for him or her, and they trusted you to the end of their life.  You knew it was time.  So, Yes, you did the right thing.

To all of you, go hug those babies of yours and give them one extra one from us!  Have a wonderful, SAFE, peaceful, prosperous 2025!

Woof Woof!

Links:

• Our Home Page
• The Rainbow Bridge Poem
• How Do I Know It Is Time?