Chris and Jody Are Asking for Your Help

Abbi on the day that we found her.
Abbi getting comfortable in the house - turns out she is crazy for laundry baskets! We have given her her own where she spends many hours either snoozing or watching the household around her.
Happy Abbi.
Post-op Abbi (hence the "Cone of Shame"). On this record-setting cold October night we're thankful to have found Abbi, and that she is curled up in front of a warm fire, recovering from life-saving surgery.

Dear Friends,

This post is dedicated to our foster dog, Abbi. We found Abbi two weeks ago, running around downtown in morning rush hour traffic. She gave us quite a chase, and we are very thankful that many morning commuters patiently stopped their vehicles out of concern during our frantic pursuit of this small, frightened dog. When we caught her and got her home we discovered that she had no collar, tags, or microchip. We also discovered that Abbi was much older than her elusive chase through downtown Baltimore would have led us to believe. We could tell that Abbi was a good-natured dog who had a lot of love to give, and some really great years still ahead of her. We feared taking Abbi to a local animal shelter because of her age; older dogs don't get adopted as quickly as cute puppies, and they are usually euthanized. We contacted Recycled Love, a Baltimore rescue group (http://www.recycledlove.org/), and they agreed to admit her into their adoption program if Chris and I agreed to foster her. Deal.

Being a Recycled Love dog also entitled Abbi to discounted vet services and boy did she need them. Abbi had fleas, a bad ear infection in both ears, was missing many of her teeth, had an entirely rotten molar that was exposed down to the root, a mammary tumor, and had never been spayed. Her perky demeanor and loving nature never betrayed how much pain she likely experienced on a daily basis. Her condition was most likely a result of an owner who did not seek or could not afford medical care for Abbi. Despite the daunting expense of Abbi's necessary medical treatment, Recycled Love elected to move forward. As a result, Abbi had a big day of surgery this week with a tooth extraction, tumor removal, and spay. The vet found that her uterus was very unhealthy, and that she had a condition called pyometra, which can be fatal if left untreated. Her tumor and the pyometra are both the result of having never been spayed.

Abbi is home with us now, and despite not being happy about wearing an e-collar, is perkily recovering from surgery. Once she is healed Abbi can start meeting families, and will eventually go to a new forever home. However, Abbi's vet bills are significant. In addition to fostering and covering Abbi's day-to-day costs, we have made our own gift to Recycled Love; yet, they are ultimately responsible for her vet bills. Groups like Recycled Love are never able to cover their operating costs with adoption fees, so they must rely on the gifts of generous friends to support their work.

Because we are grateful for their help in getting Abbi critical medical treatment and for the great work they do for animals in Baltimore City, we have committed to raise $500 which will cover most of Abbi's vet bills (Swan Harbor Vet Hospital deeply discounts their rates for Recycled Love). I am hoping that our friends and family will help us with this endeavor. We are aware that most of you already give generously of your time and money to a variety of worthy causes, and we are asking will you join us in supporting Recycled Love by making a gift to help cover the cost of Abbi's care? Many gifts of $10 or $25 will add up and make a huge difference to Recycled Love - they have already made a difference for Abbi. Larger gifts are of course welcome. ;) Your gift is tax deductible, and Recycled Love will send you a thank you letter and receipt for your taxes. Checks should be made out to Recycled Love, and can be sent to our home address.

Please consider making a gift. Abbi is a wonderful dog who will bring love and joy to her forever family; she deserves an opportunity to be healthy, and to have a second chance at life.

Thank you for reading, and we hope to hear from you soon. Please check the blog often for photos and updates on Abbi.

best,

Jody and Chris

PS - Please share Abbi's story with any of your friends who care about the welfare of animals, or who might be considering end-of-year tax-deductible donations.