Bond County Humane Society: Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The grant funding was used to waive Ellie's adoption fee and provide her medications for a year. BCHS purchased the majority of her supplements prior to adoption. A portion of the prescribed medications were also purchased. The remainder of the prescribed medication would be purchased at a later date to ensure the medication would not expire.
It allowed our organization to redirect the funding used for Ellie's medication to other animals in need without sacrificing her well-being. The grant allowed us to also waive Ellie's adoption fee without negative impact to the organization's financial status. It improved Ellie's adoptability. It also covered some of the past veterinary expenses associated with diagnosing Ellie's condition.
How many pets did this grant help?
One
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Ellie was originally rescued by Bond County Humane Society from an animal control facility in southern Illinois. The animal control person had thought Ellie was pregnant because she had a distended stomach. BCHS had x-rays done nine days after her arrival to determine her medical status. At that time, there was no sign of puppies. The x-rays were repeated in two weeks. Again there was no sign of puppies. Ellie was then spayed. A few weeks later, she was diagnosed with atypical Cushing’s disease. An ultrasound was conducted and results from that indicated that Ellie had an enlarged liver and spleen. It was also determined that she was 8-9 years old, much older than originally thought. The veterinarian recommended that Ellie remain on the prescribed supplements and medications for the rest of her life.
Later on, Ellie was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism and prescribed a medication that would be required for the rest of her life. There was also a suspicion that Ellie had an adrenal tumor, but surgery was not recommended because of the fatality rate, and side effects if she survived. Ellie was a happy dog and always ready for a walk and sniffing out rabbits. Ellie was living in a foster home until she suddenly passed away on June 26, 2018.
