2023 - HEALS

Answers for Bruce: A Critical MRI Made Possible by You!

After six long months of unexplained seizures, Bruce and his family were desperate for answers — but the cost of an MRI was out of reach.

Thanks to the kindness of our supporters, Guardian HEALS stepped in to help cover the cost, ensuring Bruce could get the crucial scan he needed.

Now, his family finally has the information to move forward with his care, giving them hope for better days ahead. Because of you, Bruce has a fighting chance at a healthier, happier life!

Phoebe’s Path to Healing: A Community Rallies for Raymond’s Best Friend this Giving Tuesday

When Raymond and his beloved dog Phoebe were in a serious car accident, his biggest fear wasn’t for himself—it was for her. While he walked away with minor injuries, Phoebe was left needing urgent surgery to heal her injured leg. Determined to give her the best chance at recovery, Raymond did everything he could — but he couldn’t do it alone.

Thanks to the generosity of our amazing supporters, Guardian HEALS was able to raise nearly $1,000 to help cover Phoebe’s medical expenses! With this support, Phoebe has had her surgery and is now on the path to healing, giving her and Raymond hope for brighter days ahead. Their bond is unbreakable, and because of you, they’ll get to continue their journey together. Thank you for making a difference!

HEALS Talks Turkey

By Joan Eve Quinn, Program Director

At holiday time, we’re especially grateful for the generous donors who enable us to provide life-saving veterinary care for pets in need all year round–and for the bounty of goodness we share on Thanksgiving.

To help keep your companion animals safe on the impending big feast day, the experts at HEALS have compiled the following list of safety tips:

Friends and family (and pets) love to gather in the kitchen during holiday meal prep time, but please watch out for some hidden dangers that may be lurking there:

If your pet is on a special diet for medical reasons, don’t break the protocol just because it’s a holiday. If you aren’t certain whether to feed your pet certain holiday foods, consult your veterinarian first.
Hot foods can cause mouth and throat burns–serve your four-legged feasters at room temperature!
Bite-size pieces are best for avoiding choking hazards. Fully cooked vegetables are softer and safer to swallow than raw veggies.
Avoid feeding your pets any foods on toothpicks or skewers! Don’t assume your pet will nibble the food off and leave the toothpick or skewer behind.

Delicious dos
Here’s some traditional American holiday fare that’s generally safe for pets to chow down on:
–Green beans
–Sweet potato (avoid sugary preparations)
–Broccoli
–Boneless, skinless turkey breast without seasonings. Bones can damage your pet’s digestive tract and skin contains fat, which can be hard to digest.
–Carrots and peas
–Celery

Dangerous don’ts
Companion animals can’t gobble down all the foods we can. Avoid these fixin’s:
–Raisins, Xylitol and chocolate. Sweets can contain ingredients that are poisonous to pets. Chocolate and sweets containing Xylitol are especially harmful. If you want to share treats with your pets, it’s best to buy treats made especially for them.
–Fatty foods such as turkey skin, butter, bacon, greasy meats, cream and other full-fat dairy products
–Raw meats
–Macadamia nuts
–Garlic and onions
–Cooked or raw bones
–Heavily seasoned, spicy or salty foods
–Raw bread dough can cause gas and possibly dangerous bloating

Talkin’ trash
We’ve all seen it: Four-legged pilgrims get a whiff of tasty treats, journey to the source and land at the rock in search of irresistible nibbles. But there’s no newfound freedom for them! Turkey pieces could be deadly. Dispose of all bones, other scraps, bags, strings, and other packaging in a well sealed garbage bag and place it in a tightly closed container.

Party hardy
Some pets are easily upset by visitors and hubbub. If your pet gets nervous around guests, put him or her in another room or in a crate with a favorite toy. You can also talk to your veterinarian about possible solutions to this common problem.

Playing tag
Even if your pet is comfortable in a full house, keep a watchful eye when people enter or leave. More pets go missing during holidays than at any other time of year. Sadly, many are never recovered. They should always have proper identification on them, especially a microchip with your up-to-date, registered information.

Just in case
Some signs of sickness include sudden behavior changes, depression, discomfort or pain, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. Always keep contact information for your nearest animal emergency clinic handy. If you suspect that your pet has eaten something potentially troublesome, you can call the ASPCA Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) or the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).

Happy harvest to you!
Have a little bit of vigilance and enjoy the many blessings of the Thanksgiving holiday to the fullest. May your day of feasting go as smoothly as home-made gravy and be as sweet as pumpkin pie. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

HEALS is one of the best animal charities to donate to. Your donation provides financial help for pets in need of life-saving veterinary care–when their owners BVtruly can’t afford it–right here in your own community. If you need help to pay for dog or cat veterinary care, contact us at 914-996-0001 or email info@healspets.org.

One Week – Two Lives Saved!

Thanks to our amazing donors, we were able to play a big part in saving the lives of two cherished pets in the last week!

Sayi – a five-month-old French Bulldog suffering from a debilitating spinal cord condition, and Ruby – an English Bulldog pushing through the end of a serious bout of pneumonia.

We’re pleased to report that both pets are recovering well. Because of you, they will spend this Thanksgiving at home with their loving families.

Would you like to donate to help save animals? HEALS is one of the best, most effective animal charities to donate to.

Your gift provides financial help for pets in need of life-saving veterinary care–when their owners truly can’t afford it–right here in your own community. If you need help paying for dog or cat veterinary care, contact us at 914-996-0001 or email us at info@healspets.org.

Hope for Jace: A Community’s Love Brings Help & Healing

Jace has been through so much, but thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, he’s getting another chance at the care he needs! This resilient pup, who has been his mom Brittany’s rock since her Lupus diagnosis, has faced countless medical emergencies, a major surgery, and the heartbreaking loss of his best canine friend. His family has done everything in their power to save him, but the mounting vet bills made it nearly impossible to keep up.

We were able to provide crucial support to help ease the financial burden and get him the urgent care he desperately needed. Through it all, Jace remains a happy, loving pup, still playing with his favorite toy and soaking up every moment with his mom. Because of you, he has a fighting chance—and we couldn’t be more grateful!

Rosie’s Road to Recovery: Helping a Family’s Best Friend

Great news — Rosie is on the mend! This sweet 4-year-old beagle-hound mix is the heart of her family’s home, bringing joy to her two little human best friends and the many animals she shares her small farm with. When Rosie needed emergency surgery, her family was faced with a difficult financial burden. But thanks to the kindness and generosity of our incredible supporters, Guardian HEALS was able to step in and help cover the costs of her procedure and post-op care.

Now, Rosie is receiving the treatment she needs to heal, and soon she’ll be back to running around the farm, playing with her family, and enjoying the happy life she deserves. Her family, especially her young companions, can’t wait to have their best buddy home again. We are so grateful to everyone who made this possible—because of you, Rosie gets a second chance at a bright and healthy future!

Lola’s Second Chance: A Soldier’s Love & a Community’s Support

When Andrew, a dedicated Army service-member, discovered that his beloved family cat, Lola, was battling a severe kidney infection, he refused to give up on her. Faced with an overwhelming emergency vet bill, he reached out for help — and thanks to the incredible support of our donors, Guardian HEALS was able to step in.

With the funding needed for life-saving treatment, Lola is now on the path to recovery, receiving the round-the-clock care she needs. Andrew’s unbreakable bond with Lola remains strong, and we’re so grateful to be part of her healing journey. Thank you for giving Lola the chance to keep making memories with her family! ????????

“I Would Do Without Before She Does Without” – Lillian & Sadie – Another Life Saved

“I would do without before she does without.” That’s one of the first things that Lillian told us when we spoke to her yesterday about her Sadie. Unfortunately though, Lillian does not have a lot to spare these days. She lives in senior home and has limited savings to draw from after Sadie got very sick in 2021. Since then, Sadie has been on numerous medications and those costs have added up.

Sadie helped Lillian through the death of her partner, and now continues to spread joy to other residents at the Senior living home. Lillian was ready to do whatever it took to keep Sadie going—even accepting that she may go hungry at times as long as Sadie got to eat and got her medicine.

Thankfully, that didn’t have to happen. Lillian got in contact with HEALS. We were able to help Lillian get lower costs on Sadie’s monthly medications, and we’re going to pay for Sadie’s next round of bloodwork. Sadie is a “wonderful and happy dog – almost a therapy dog for some people at the home.” We are so happy to assist Lillian in this time of need and get her on a better financial trajectory.

Love is the driving force behind HEALS. We love our pets, and we would do anything for them. So would the people we are fortunate enough to help

SKY UPDATE: Surgery was a Success!

Sky had her surgery this past Tuesday, and it was a success! She is now on her way towards recovery. We spoke with Sky’s mom, Rhiannon, today. She informed us that, “the surgery couldn’t have gone better. Sky is eating food, taking her medicine, and going to the bathroom on her own.” This is such wonderful news. None of it would be possible without all of your donations. Thank you all so much. We will keep you updated ask Sky continues to heal ❤

View the video here

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Gift Your Pet Some Love – But Not Chocolate on Valentine’s Day!

By Joan Eve Quinn, Program Director

Valentine’s Day delivers a joyfully warm respite from the cold winter chill. It’s also a good excuse to binge on sweet treats–chocolate being among our favorites.

From tiny tasty truffles to tall table-top sculptures, who doesn’t wish they had some chocolate right now? But it has a dark side for our pets: Chocolate and many other candies can cause stomach discomfort at the very least and serious illness–and even death–at the very worst. Even some familiar flowers pose a risk.

To help keep pets safe this Valentine’s Day, HEALS issues this all-four-paws alert for some common products that may be harmful:

Chocolate: Yes, it’s delicious, but the problem is your pets may think so too. You’ve seen how persistent pets can be when they’re trying to raid the yummy stuff: Sneaking into closed rooms, knocking packages off counters, and ripping wrappings open. The amount and type of chocolate–in relation to your pet’s weight and general health condition–will determine if chocolate toxicity will develop. Chocolate can cause gastrointestinal upset as well as life-threatening heart arrhythmias.
Xylitol: A naturally occurring sugar alcohol, xylitol is found in many popular candies. For pets, ingestion of this ingredient can lead to life-threatening hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and in the worst cases, liver failure. Dr. Jason Berg, board-certified veterinary neurologist/internist and HEALS Chairman of the Board, warns “Xylitol is a deadly product found in candy and common snacks that are often given to pets, such as peanut butter. Make sure you read all ingredients in snacks and food before you give it to your pets.”
Calorie-laden dinner: Fatty and rich foods are simply not good for pets. Fatty foods can cause pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas that can lead to vomiting and diarrhea and, in some cases, very severe illness.
Flowers: Many types of flowers and other greenery are highly toxic to pets if ingested. Some of the most toxic examples include:
Lilies can cause kidney failure
Amaryllis can cause vomiting and depression
Tulip and narcissus bulbs can cause gastrointestinal irritation
Oleander can cause heart arrhythmias
Cyclamen can cause vomiting and death
Autumn crocus can cause multi-organ damage and death
Foreign bodies: You never know what’s going to look like a tempting toy or treat to your pet. Even Valentine’s Day detritus left lying around, like wrapping paper and ribbon, can potentially cause a problem. Foreign material can sometimes lodge in the gastrointestinal tract, causing life-threatening obstructions or perforations.

HEALS urges you to seek immediate veterinary attention if you suspect that your pet has eaten something that may be harmful. Know where your nearest 24/7 emergency veterinary hospital is located. Keep the phone number handy and call ahead.

Valentine’s Day should be like a walk in the dog park. So take this to heart: Keep the sugary treats well out of your pet’s reach. Let there be lots of head butts, tail wagging, kisses, love, and pet-safe goodies instead!

For more information, you can call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 and research a comprehensive list of toxic plants at www.aspca.org.

HEALS is one of the best animal charities to donate to. Your donation provides financial help for pets in need of life-saving veterinary care–when their owners truly can’t afford it–right here in your own community. If you need help paying for dog or cat veterinary care, contact us at 914-996-0001 or email info@healspets.org.

Year: 2023