Andrew Tonra, Author at HEALS

Keep Your Pet Safe and Happy this Labor Day!

We hope you’re as excited as us for Labor Day weekend! Labor Day is a fantastic long weekend to spend time outside with your friends, family, and of course — pets! As we are all off to our destinations today, let’s not forget to take the necessary precautions to make sure that our pets are safe and comfortable during all Labor Day festivities.

The number one thing to be concerned with for any summer holiday and your pets is the heat.

When you’re outside with your pets, make sure that they ALWAYS have access to shade and fresh water. Never leave your pets unattended for long periods of time in the heat, and be sure to keep the air conditioning on throughout those extra hot days. Also, always watch out for signs of heat stroke. They include but are not limited to vomiting, tremors, or inability to walk. If you notice any of these symptoms, do not wait. Contact an emergency vet immediately.

We urge you to never leave your animal loose in your car.

Many of us will be getting into our cars for a road trip this morning. We urge you to never leave your animal loose in your car. The safest way to travel with your pet is with a kennel that is securely fastened with a seatbelt or seat saver. Also, Never leave your pet alone in a hot care — even if you are parked in the shade or have your windows open. Your car creates an oven-like effect that will make it hotter than the outside environment.

If you are attending a cookout, be weary of what you furry friend may get into.

Many of our favorites can be extremely harmful for our pets. Alcohol, grapes, chocolate, onions, certain nuts or even dairy items can be extremely toxic to our pets (just to name a few). Also, watch out for corn on the cob or cooked bones of any kind! Dogs are known to choke on large pieces of corn cob, and cooked bones can do severe damage to a pet that may ingest them.

Be ready for fireworks.

If you are ending your night with a display of fireworks, do your best to secure your pets somewhere quiet and safe. It is best to be with them until the loud noises are over. Fireworks are known to cause pets to take off and run away — even if your animal may never otherwise do so.

Have fun this weekend, and keep these tips in mind! Our pets are members of our family, and it is very important to always consider their needs and best practices for these kinds of scenarios.

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.

Hazy, Hot, and Humid? Hot Dog? Beware of Heatstroke.

The joys of summer are not without some serious caveats: Beware of the deadly risks of
heatstroke in your pets. It's been widely publicized in the last few years: Don't leave your
pets in a parked car–not even for just a few minutes–as temperatures rapidly rise. This life-
saving message bears repeating now: A parked car can heat up like an oven in a short
period of time in the very hot weather–putting pets at risk of deadly heatstroke.

Signs of heatstroke
Recognizing the signs and taking prompt action can help save your pet’s life:

 Body temperature of 104-110 degrees F
 Excessive panting
 Dark or bright red gums and tongue
 Bloody diarrhea or vomiting
 Staggering
 Stupor
 Seizures

Take quick action
These signs can progress to coma and death–so seek emergency veterinary medical
attention fast. If you are unable to do so, here are a few steps you can take in the meantime
to help your pet:

• Get out of the sun right away and get into the closest shaded area.

• Use cool–not cold–water to cool your pet down.

• Do not cool your pet down below 103 degrees as they can become too cool too quickly
and this causes more harm.

• You can offer ice to your animal, but don't force them to eat or drink if they aren’t
interested.

Seek veterinary assistance ASAP
However, after taking those steps, if your animal is cooled and appears to be fine, don’t
assume everything is fine–because it’s not! Internal organs such as the liver, kidneys, and
brain can be affected by the body temperature elevation your pet experienced. A veterinary
examination and blood work will be needed to make sure your pet is really okay.

Hot tips
 If you see an animal locked in a car in the heat, immediately call the local police or
animal control officer and/or the store manager (if it’s in a mall or retail parking lot).
 If you are traveling with your pet and need to stop, use drive-up windows and shop
at stores that will allow you to bring your pet inside.
 Walk your dog in the early morning and later evening hours when the temperatures
are not as high.
 Bring water and a portable pet bowl should your pet get thirsty while out in the hotter
temps.
 Remember, as the saying goes, “If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your pets.”

HEALS hopes that the only hot dogs you’ll have this summer are on the grill and the only
strokes you’ll see are the swimming kind. Remember to keep the phone number of your
nearest veterinary emergency facility handy. Enjoy the coveted season and stay safe!

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 to pay for dog or cat veterinary care,
contact us at 914-996-0001 or email info@healspets.org.

Four-legged Companions and July Fourth

Patriotic pet lovers often like to include their perky (but never pesky?) companion animals in July Fourth festivities. While Independence Day brings joy, and pets add to that enjoyment, please know that quite a few well-honed holiday habits can be hazardous to your furry friend’s health. Because HEALS would like all pets to be kept safe and sound, we offer the following advice:

Dogs (and cats) and drinks don’t mix. While mixed drinks may enliven the spirits, never mix pets with alcohol. Keep all spiked beverages way out of their reach. If enough alcohol is consumed, pets could become intoxicated, weak, severely depressed or go into a coma. Even worse, respiratory failure and death could happen in severe cases of alcohol poisoning.
Light up the night but not with lighter fluid. If you must use lighter fluid, keep it far away from your pets. If ingested in high quantities, kidney damage can result. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin; it can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. In addition, certain types of matches could damage blood cells, resulting in breathing difficulty.
Mind Fido, felines and their food. During the holiday, it’s best to keep your companion animals on their normal diet. Cats and dogs have very sensitive stomachs that do best on a regimented and strict menu. Any change can bring about severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Certain foods can be toxic; some of the worst culprits are onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes, raisins, salt, macadamia nuts, and yeast dough.
Forget the fireworks! Loud, crowded fireworks displays are no fun for four-legged companions! There are so many other good ways to celebrate. For pets, exposure to lit fireworks can result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws. Unused fireworks can also pose a threat. Avoid taking pets to crowded outdoor events where fireworks will be the main attraction. Keep your furry friends safe at home in a quiet, sheltered, escape-proof area. More companion animals go missing during fireworks displays than at any other time of year as they try to escape the noise and chaos.

“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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Collaboration is Key for Saving Lives

We have had the honor or working with many dedicated animal lovers and their pets, but this case in particular was very special. Timothy and Cooper first came to our good friends at HEAL-Humanity Empathy Animal Love – Foundation with a very serious situation. Cooper was dealing with a burst tumor on his leg, and Timothy, a dedicated and loving dog dad, was running out of options.

HEAL agreed to help Timothy financially, but they were having trouble finding an animal hospital that would see Cooper soon enough. Time was running out, and Cooper’s condition was deteriorating. Our friends at HEAL decided to reach out to us to see if we could help them find a hospital to perform the surgery and cover the remaining costs. Luckily, we were able to find a great hospital with a surgeon willing to act quickly, and we chipped in what was needed to get Cooper the treatment to save his life

The stars aligned, and Cooper’s surgery was a success. He’s bouncing back much quicker than anticipated, and he is expected to make a full recovery. We’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Timothy quite a bit since the surgery and his positivity and gratitude are infectious. We are so happy for the the two of them. We actually just received word today that Cooper is headed home and has the last of his sutchers out! He’s even been “running around the backyard,” according to Timothy.

We are also feeling very encouraged having worked on this case together with HEAL. We have found that collaboration is not so common between non-profits like ourselves and HEAL, but that is a trend that we are happy to go against. With the rising cost of veterinary care, sometimes the only option to save a pet’s life may be to work together. After all, we all have the same goal at the end of the day: Keep families together.

We urge you to please donate to us today. Cases keep coming in, and it’s getting tougher and tougher to find hospitals that can take in the cases that we are trying to help. We are only able to save lives because of donations from people like you. Thank you.

Alyne and Miyuki – Another HEALS Success Story!

Miyuki is a seven-month-old Pomeranian that means the absolute world to her mom, Alyne. Unfortunately, Miyuki broke her femur while playing at home recently. The break was so severe that surgery was required to ensure a full recovery. With veterinary bills and the cost of surgery mounting up, the situation wasn’t looking too hopeful for Miyuki. Thankfully, we connected with the two of them and were able to help out with some of the bills.

Miyuki, Alyne’s emotional support animal, is such a young and playful dog, full of energy and love. It means a lot to us to be able to help her get the care she needs to live her life to the fullest.

We spoke with Alyne and she has reported that the operation went as planned and Miyuki is already at home and back to her normal self. Though the healing process will take some time, Miyuki is expected to make a full recovery, and the two can enjoy each other’s company in the meantime.

Miyuki and Alyne have a very special bond. Miyuki has helped Alyne through some tough times. In return, Alyne would do anything for her beautiful little pup. We’re humbled to be part of this life-saving process to keep people and pets together longer. We’re incredibly thankful to everyone who has donated to us. Your donations go directly towards helping families just like this one.

First Annual Healing Hearts Gala – November 2022

Our first annual Healing Hearts Gala was a roaring success. Thank you so much to our sponsors, guests, volunteers, and everyone who had a hand in bringing this magical night together! We are energized and ready to keep this train going – carrying out our mission of keeping pets and families together. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all so much. See you at the next one! Full photo album is below.

More Lives Changed Thanks to HEALS!

Gavroche is a three-year-old French Bulldog who is the center of his loving family’s lives. A few weeks ago, his family noticed that he was having trouble walking and breathing. They took him to the Emergency Vet and learned that Gavroche was having problems with his spine. Things were progressing quickly and emergency surgery was needed in order to save his life.

Gavroche’s family frantically searched for a way to fund the Surgery, and that’s where HEALS came into play! We were able to help fund the surgery and also help to connect Gavroche’s family with other organizations that were able to help as well.

The surgery was a success and Gavroche has been slowly and steadily improving from his very serious condition. It is unclear whether or not Gavroche will make a full recovery, but the important part is that he is still here with his loving family.

It’s absolutely heartwarming to see the lengths his family went to make sure that Gravroche was able to receive the veterinary care he needed, and we are honored to have played any part at all.

Sweet Wiley Valentine to Receive Life-Changing Surgery Thanks to HEALS

Sweet Wiley Valentine is heading into surgery today thanks to donors like you!

Wiley is a young, loving puppy. Soon after adopting him, his family noticed that Wiley seemed to be in pain every once in a while. Eventually, things intensified and Wiley was taken into the Vet. This lead to a diagnosis of Wobbler’s Disease. Wobblers Disease is a serious, but curable, condition that effects the spine and neck region of some animals. It causes pain and loss of coordination and can lead to an overall low quality of life.

The best option for Wiley was looking like surgery – and Surgery for Wobblers Disease (like most serious veterinary procedures) is not cheap. Wiley’s family was prepared to do whatever it took to give him the best life possible, and luckily, they found us! We were able to help push Wiley’s crowdfunding campaign over the edge, and now he’s heading into surgery to get back on the path of living his best life.

There are many other animals in Wiley’s position. Please consider donating on this giving Tuesday to help save a life ❤️ Follow the link below to donate now. Even a small donation goes a long way!

Below is an update from Wiley Valentines owners…

“We have surgery scheduled for Tuesday 11/30!

Turns out the cause of Wiley’s Wobblers Disease is fixable- once a particular ligament is removed, his spinal canal wont be blocked & he wont have pain or the condition anymore! Soon he’ll be able to go back to playing, jumping, and being his best cute active self.

Its now clear he can live a long active happy life and you’ve been a part of helping us get to this place- thank you!!”

Author: Andrew Tonra