Stay Giving, San Diego!
Your generous gift helps:
- Save the lives of pets, and give them the second chance at life that they deserve
- Provide lifesaving medical care to pets in need
- Support our mission of “people help animals, and animals help people” through our community programs and services
Your generous gift helps pets like Carmella
Meet Carmella! Despite her tough start as a 'failure to thrive' kitten, she survived thanks to the dedicated care from Helen Woodward Animal Center's Medical Team.
Carmella is a ‘failure to thrive’ kitten; a kitten who faces struggles when they are first born due to separation from their mother. Thanks to passionate veterinarians like the care team at Helen Woodward Animal Center, Carmella was given a chance to survive.
Carmella received specialized treatments designed to improve her health, and overcome her challenges. These treatments included bottle feeding, meticulous medication routines, and a specialized diet, created just for her, designed to restore her gastrointestinal (GI) track. The biggest factor in her recovery though was the constant love and extra attention from our Medical Team.
During her time at the Center, this young, tabby-calico mix was consistently passed from veterinarian to veterinarian, making sure she was coddled throughout the day. They made sure she was always in contact with someone, being able to physically feel the love radiating off them. Carmella was consistently in their arms or the crook of their necks, even being carried around in the front of their scrubs.
Special stories, and carefully crafted treatments by compassionate individuals are only made possible thanks to the generosity of people like you. When you give, your donation supports a team of passionate veterinarians at Helen Woodward Animal Center.
Any size contribution can make a substantial difference in the life of an animal facing hardships.
Without help, animals in need, like Carmella, don’t survive, and never get their chance at a loving home.
And pets like Diamond...
At the start of summer, four-month-old Labrador mix Diamond arrived at Helen Woodward Animal Center with severe fur loss stemming from Demodex, a condition caused by parasitic mites. These microscopic mites live in the hair follicles of dogs.
While usually harmless to dogs, one pre-existing condition can cause these organisms to create a much larger impact: a compromised immune system.
The Oklahoma-based rescue group where Diamond was heard about Helen Woodward Animal Center’s ability to treat unique medical cases like this one. They made a decision to save Diamond's life and send her to San Diego.
Once here, our skilled Medical Team was able to confirm Diamond’s Demodex diagnosis. Treatment began immediately with a much needed bath. It was found the parasitic mites caused extensive hair loss, making her coat patchy and bare in spots. A puppy missing that much fur is never good.
The Center’s Medical Team administered a specialized flea and tick medication to paralyze invading microbes, thus preventing more Demodex mites from attaching themselves. Diamond was also tested for a plethora of other maladies. A test which resulted in a seemingly harmless diagnosis that carried with it much more grim implications.
The full body Demodex infestation was a symptom of Diamond’s immune system not operating at 100%. This prognosis meant if she contracted a secondary infection of any sort, it could prove deadly.
For three weeks, the Center’s Medical Team kept Diamond under constant monitoring and regularly prescribed baths. The Labrador-retriever blend’s fur gradually began to grow back as her personality blossomed into a happy, healthy pup.
The medical team says during her treatment Diamond earned her name. Diamond was chosen to reflect her personality which stood out like a diamond amongst the rough state of her coat.
In July, Diamond was declared fully back to health and ready for adoption. It would not take long, and in a short time she would find her forever home.
Stories like Diamond's prove how crucial donations are. Funding from caring individuals is the only way our Medical Team is able to afford to properly diagnose, and treat animals in need.
Your contributions, big or small, make a huge difference for pets like Diamond.