Helping Our Pets Cross the Rainbow Bridge at Home

SUGAR’S GIFT® NEWS AND UPDATES…..

 OUR JULY BONUS DAY WAS A SMASHING SUCCESS….THANKS TO ALL OF YOU! 

 ONE MORE 100% MATCHING DAY FOR 2025 COMING UP FROM MIDNIGHT DECEMBER 2 TO 11:59 PM ON DECEMBER 3! (2 FULL DAYS!)

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO CONTRIBUTED TO OUR ORGANIZATION ON OUR JULY BONUS DAY, JULY 16, 2025

GOOD NEWS!  We were so successful thanks to all of you on our special July Bonus Day.  We received over $30,000 in individual donations that day – WOW AND DOUBLE WOW!!!  We hoped for $15,000 because we had a Foundation who wanted to match that much, and they did match $15,000.  But it gets better!

The Fassy Family Foundation ALSO contributed the difference to make it a true 100% bonus day!  We received over $60,000 in that day alone!  Whoo Hoo!  We have been putting that money to good use – helping between 10-15 pets per week – thanks to your generous donations!  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

THE DECEMBER 2 AND 3, 2025 EVENT IS OUR NEXT 100% BONUS DAY….WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL DAY TO HELP MORE AND MORE BABIES THIS YEAR!

Tuesday, December 2, 2025, from Midnight that day until 11:59 pm on December 4, 2025 (Giving Tuesday – the Tuesday/Wednesday - following Thanksgiving Day) is our next 100% matching event and challenge!  Are you able to help again – or for the first time donors….will you please help on that day?  Your funds go twice as far that day!

You will receive more notices coming up soon to give you the details of the event.  We only have 2 of these events each year, so please help us if you possibly can!  (We don’t apologize for the number of notices you will receive between now and then….we need everyone to remember those dates!). And, if/when you donate, PLEASE unclick "Anonymous" so we know who you are!

As we said, we are now helping between 10-15 pets per week, so we really, really need your help!  We have tripled in size just since April 2025 when 3 of our wonderful vets joined us and gave us the capability to work 7 days a week, morning, afternoon and evenings.  We love them for that but we need the funds to pay them in order to help more and more babies!

CONGRATUATIONS TO OUR WINNER OF THE PET PORTRAIT BY FRANKIE GONZALEZ

Our winner wishes to remain anonymous – they donated anonymously and prefer to keep their identity anonymous for these purposes, as well.  We respect their privacy, but soon they will be able to get their pet portrait.  Congratulations!

WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW FOR MANY, MANY REASONS:

1. Our organization has expanded and grown in leaps and bounds this year, thanks to several things:
   1. We now have 4 wonderful veterinarians working with us in the Sarasota/Manatee County areas – we cover every square inch of both counties! 
   2. Thanks to Little Boy’s Legacy, we can now do same day/next day emergencies (same day most of the time unless it is an extremely urgent situation, then PLEASE take your pet to the ER)
   3. Again, we are helping between 10-15 pets per week.  That is wonderful, but, again, we need help in funding – we have never been able to help this many pets before!!
2. Our East Coast of Florida expansion of operations continues!  We have partnered with Safe Passage In Home Euthanasia and Pet Crematory in Indiantown to take our business to new heights on the East Coast and into the Orlando area!  We have 11 veterinarians able to service Jacksonville, FL through Homestead, FL as well as the Orlando area!  Your generous donations will be used to include that expansion, as well.  Safe Passage schedules our East Coast appointments, performs the cremations and delivers our urns and other items back in person to our pet owners.  They are wonderful and want to continue to grow with them!
3. We still work with Lifetime Veterinary Center and Dr. Dack in our Jupiter area – we love them and will always work with them, as well!  They schedule their own euthanasias in their office and return our urn and other items to each pet owner, as well. 
4. We have expanded to the Ft. Collins/Loveland, CO areas with our wonderful vet there, Dr. Emilea Burton, so you help will aid us in more euthanasias in CO, too.
5. Anyone in our services areas should call our office at 941-718-5066 and we are happy to discuss their particular situation with them.  We do not take requests through email, texts or through Facebook messenger.  We must speak with each pet owner directly.

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO THE FASSY FAMILY FOUNDATION FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATION OF A NEW VEHICLE FOR EXTRA TRANSPORTATION, PICKUPS AND DELIVERIES!

Most of you know we have asked for the past couple of years for help – in grants and requests – for help with a vehicle.  Well, we have a wonderful, generous benefactor and Partner, in the Fassy Family Foundation, started by Dr. Lynn Fassy, who was on the Sugar’s Gift® Board and who unexpectedly passed away earlier in 2025.  His son, Christian Fassy, is carrying on the tradition that his father started and has joined our Board of Directors!  The Fassy Family Foundation is Sugar’s Gift‘s Angel Partner as long as they’ll have us!  We have been asking for help with funding for a vehicle for Sugar’s Gift® and we finally received it!  Our vehicle is large enough to accommodate larger pets, or multiple pets, and we desperately needed it!  Thank you!

This need increased even more because we have expanded....growing pains!  But we don't want to use your donations for this need.  We want to keep our donations going toward our mission only!  So, Thank You to the Fassy Family Foundation for your help with the vehicle,  your match for our July Bonus Day and our Giving Tuesday, Dec 2-3 Bonus day, too!

TRADEMARKS FOR SUGAR’S GIFT®!

More Good News for Sugar’s Gift®!  We have been awarded 4 Trademarks from the US Patent and Trademark Office!  Here is what we have received approval for and will begin using!

1. Our Name!  Sugar’s Gift® - very important to us.  Now we are not only the ONLY 501(c)(3) organization in the country who does what we do, but no one can take our name and identity!
2. Our Logo – it is now trademarked, too!  Big thanks to our supporter, Sue Young for her design.
3. One of our taglines – Until We Meet Again® - We did it!  This was close to some others, but the officer in charge of our applications worked hard to make it happen!
4. Our other tagline – Because love never leaves.® - This was our first trademark! 

We are so proud of our accomplishments!

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.  We would like to highlight everyone who makes us the terrific organization we are!

• Dr. Sara Velic and Sara, her nurse – Dr. Velic volunteers her time to help Sugar’s Gift®, while still maintaining her position with The University Animal Clinic in Sarasota, FL.  Dr. Velic is amazing and she helps us in the evenings, weekends, and some day appointments as she is available.  Her clinic, The University Animal Clinic, is now spreading the word about our work and is a wonderful partner of ours.  Please visit them at https://www.theuniversityanimalclinic.com/
•  Dr. Margaux Buchanan with Avalon Veterinary Services – Dr. Buchanan joined our team earlier this year when she started her in home euthanasia services.  She had a similar business where she lived in MA previously, and we are thrilled to have her on our team.  Dr. Buchanan is also a veterinarian with Sarasota Equine and has helped us with 2 horses we have helped crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  She helps us in the evenings and the weekends, and any days off from Sarasota Equine.  Please visit her on her Facebook Business Page for Avalon Veterinary Services LLC.
•  Dr. Meredith Cronin with Dr. Meredith’s Veterinary In Home Euthanasia and Acupuncture – Dr. Meredith joined our team earlier this year when she contacted us!  She gave us lots of referrals, then decided she should see if we need help – boy, was she right!  She helps us 7 days a week, morning, afternoon and evenings.  She is very special and her love for animals is unsurpassed.  We are so lucky to have her on board, and please visit her at:  https://meredithdvm.com/
•  Lori J lost her boy, Bravo in 2024, and offers to help us with transporting when we need it.  There are many instances when we do need extra help and Lori is there for us!  Thank you, Lori, for volunteering your services!
•  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!  Please visit them at:  https://www.vetcareexpress.com/
•  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!  Please visit them at:  https://www.drwendyying.com/dr_wendy_ying_holistic_vet.html
•  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!  Please visit them at: https://www.lifetimevet.com/
• Dr. Emilea Burton of Western Skies End-of-Life Veterinary Center in Ft. Collins/Loveland, CO and surrounding areas – Dr. Burton contacted us through Dr. Kathleen Cooney in the Loveland area.  She joined our team in 2024 and we are limited in the number of pets we can help there because we need more funding for that area.  That said, we do as many as we can, and we want to do more!  She is incredible and we are lucky to have her on our team.  Please visit her at:  https://westernskiesvet.com/
•  Safe Passage In Home Euthanasia and Pet Crematory on the East and West Coasts of Florida, as well as the Orlando area 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 so much to the Safe Passage team – Cristin, Justin, Matt and the other wonderful people on your staff – we couldn’t do this without you!  Please visit them at:  https://www.safepassagepetcremation.com/
•  And, last but certainly not least – thank you Paula S. and Sherri S., our Scheduling, and Social Media Coordinators (among many other titles)!  Many of you have spoken with Paula and Sherri and understand their compassion for each of your individual situations.  Paula lost her Ollie earlier this year and contacted us because she wanted to give back and help all of you because she understands what you are going through.  Sherri worked with Dr. Buchanan for many years in MA for her in-home euthanasia business, so she completely understands your pain and grief - and now she works with us!  We are so grateful to have Paula and Sherri on our Team!

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.

CONSIDER A GOOGLE REVIEW FOR SUGAR’S GIFT®!

We haven’t asked for this in the past, but recently, several of you have given us wonderful reviews on Google – THANK YOU!  We hear nothing but positive feedback from all of you for our vets, our transportation, our office staff….but we did not realize how important reviews are weighted when prospective grantors are determining our value in the community.  So, if you haven’t done so, please consider that.  We would prefer not having reviews on Facebook because we get a lot of spammers doing reviews for weird products that have nothing to do with Sugar’s Gift® on there.  Google Reviews is the way to go!  Go to maps.google.com and open the Google maps.  Seach for Sugar’s Gift® and scroll down to the Review Summary section.  Click Write a Review – easy as pie!

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.

OUR PET OWNERS AND THEIR MESSAGES TO US….

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 AND NEXT DOOR!

Thank you to all of you who have encouraged others to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Threads and Next Door….we have increased our followers to over 1,900 as of today on Facebook.  We want to build even more Facebook Likes, so go here to Like Our Page and share this with your friends!

WHAT WE NEED NOW FROM YOU

1. Please consider helping us between midnight on December 2, 2025, through 11:59 PM on December 3, 2025, for GIVING TUESDAY 2025!  Log in to our link here to help us with our largest matching event of the year!  Again, we have our wonderful Partner, the Fassy Family Foundation who will match 100% - dollar for dollar - of all money raised during that 24 hour period!  CLICK HERE TO DONATE
2. We are still getting calls in our Sarasota/Bradenton location at the rate of 15-20 pet owners per day to help their beloved pets cross the Rainbow Bridge from home.  And, now that we have opened up more locations, that number is increasing.  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.  CLICK HERE TO DONATE
3. 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)
4. 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 contact Nikki at 941-320-1524 or via email 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.

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

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

Links:

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