Dana Jacob is well known in her community as a cat rescuer. As a foster mom for an animal rescue group in Elk Grove, California, she often takes in strays and nurses them back to health. One evening, some neighborhood children found an injured kitten in the street; they brought her to Dana’s house and left her at the doorstep. When Dana carried the kitten inside she realized the tiny cat had no use of her front left leg. The next day, she took her to the vet clinic for an exam and learned that the leg had permanent nerve damage. The vet recommended amputation but Dana was stretched financially and could only afford a portion of the cost. She reached out to UAN’s LifeLine Rescue Grant Program and received a $150 donation to help defray the cost. Dana was very appreciative for the help and told UAN, “Thank you again so much. Everyone just loves Juna… I truly believe she is an angel.”

Cayenne
Sarah and her husband decided it was time to open their home and their hearts to an animal who needed them. At No More Homeless Pets Utah -- a nonprofit shelter in their area -- they found Cayenne, a sweet orange tabby who was adopted as a kitten then abandoned to live a hard life on the streets. Once found, he was returned to No More Homeless Pets Utah, where staff discovered he had stomatitis, a nasty mouth infection that made it painful to eat and could cause organ failure if untreated.

Even knowing that Cayenne was going to need special medical care, Sarah and her husband committed to helping him get better. After the first expensive surgery to remove some of Cayenne's teeth failed to remove the infection causing the stomatitis, they turned to United Animal Nations and the LifeLine Grant program for help. With a $200 grant they were able to have all but Cayenne's canine teeth removed. Once the teeth that were trapping the infection were gone, Cayenne could finally heal. "We are so very grateful for all you do for animals and for your contribution to Cayenne's health and comfort," Sarah told us.

Daisy
This spunky seven-year-old Shih Tzu-Lhasa Apso mix is the love of her mom, Krissi's, life. Daisy is known all over Springfield, Oregon and according to Krissi, “She has tons of friends she loves to go see, and she’s obsessed with dog biscuits from drive thru windows.” Krissi adopted Daisy in May 2010 after learning that her previous owner had plans to surrender Daisy to the animal shelter. The owner had grown tired of Daisy peeing in the house, something the pup had just begun to do recently. When Krissi spotted blood in Daisy’s urine, she knew something was wrong. She took Daisy in for a checkup and the vet discovered a golf-ball-size stone in Daisy’s bladder, saying it had probably been there for quite some time to have grown as large as it did. Krissi reached out to UAN’s LifeLine Rescue Grant program when she learned surgery, even at a greatly discounted cost, would be $500. Grateful for the help, Krissi told UAN, “You guys are my heroes and will forever be in my heart...thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Baylee
Kelly heard about Baylee, a six-month-old pup who needed a new home due to medical issues, and happily stepped in to help. Baylee was very underweight and had bilateral inguinal hernias -- she needed surgery to close the hernia sites and keep her organs and intestines healthy. Kelly was referred to UAN's LifeLine Grant program by her local shelter and asked us to help her make Baylee’s surgery happen. Thanks to a $200 grant and a rescue-friendly veterinarian, Baylee had her hernias corrected and is firmly on the road to recovery and adoption.

In June 2010, Kelly officially started Carolina Coonhound Rescue, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of hounds. Kelly told us, “Baylee is gaining weight now and is all fixed up and waiting on her forever home at the rescue I started to help dogs like her! Carolina Coonhound Rescue is happy to have her! Thank you so much for helping Baylee through your LifeLine Grant program! ”

Diego
Diego was surrendered to an animal shelter in Illinois when he was just six months old. It was there he met Virginia Jacobs, an employee at the shelter. Virginia agreed to foster the young pup temporarily until an adopter could be found. She and her daughters fell in love with him instantly. Everything was going well until one day when Diego took a tumble down the staircase, managing to break both of his front legs. Virginia reached out to UAN for a LifeLine Grant when she learned treatment would cost more than she could afford. Grateful for the grant, Virginia told UAN: “Thank you guys so much for helping. As of last night I got him home he has figured out how to walk on his hind legs. My girls were so excited to get him home. He is in great spirits.”

Lilly
Lilly was found wandering the streets at the tender age of eight weeks old by her rescuer Tierny. For the next ten years, Lilly got all of the love and care she could ever want and was living the idyllic life of an indoor cat. Then suddenly, Lilly began having trouble breathing, then eating. In the relatively short amount of time it took to diagnose Lilly with a nasopharyngeal polyp, she lost a considerable amount of weight, dropping to less than six pounds. Lilly needed to have the polyp removed immediately if she was to have a chance to survive, but Tierny could not afford the emergency surgery. She contacted United Animal Nations, and with the help of a LifeLine Individual Grant, was able to schedule Lilly's surgery. After the operation, Lilly could eat and breathe easily and she recovered quickly. She is again the beautiful and healthy cat she was before her illness.

Paris
Sheryl, a single mom in Southern California, was spending every last penny she had treating a neck injury her son got after being attacked by a boy at school. The injury left his head at an awkward angle, causing his neck to spasm constantly. Sheryl found a specialist who could correct the problem but the procedure was not covered by insurance. When Sheryl learned that her son’s companion kitty, Paris, was sick, she was determined to find a way to treat him. "Paris cuddles with my son daily and has been a great companion," she said. Paris had a large mass on his back and despite efforts to treat it, the mass had burst and become infected. Sheryl reached out to multiple organizations for help and was grateful to receive a LifeLine Grant from UAN to help defray the costs of surgery. Now healthy again, Paris has resumed important cuddling duties with his family.

The Kris Kelly Foundation took on the care of five dogs seized during the raid of a southern California boarding facility. The animals had been abused and neglected and were in desperate need of some tender loving care. One of those dogs was Monkey, a bully breed mix suffering from sarcoptic and demodex mange, an ear infection, extreme malnutrition and a missing tail tip.

Each of his ailments taken separately was serious, but not typically life threatening. Together they were a huge strain on Monkey’s system and he looked like he was about to give up. Poor Monkey was miserable and needed emergency medical care. Kristine, founder of The Kris Kelly Foundation, turned to UAN for financial help with Monkey’s care. With a LifeLine Rescue Grant and a lot of love, Monkey got the treatment he needed to make a good start on his new life.

Scruffy wound up at the South Los Angeles Animal Care Center as a stray. He had a serious leg injury that needed immediate medical attention, but was expected to make a full recovery if he could get the treatment he needed. As is the case with most strays and owner-surrendered animals, the shelter could only afford to keep Scruffy for a few days before he would be put to sleep. 

Luckily, Martie Petrie, co-founder of Ken-Mar Rescue, stepped in to claim Scruffy. Unsure how her organization would afford Scruffy’s surgery, Martie immediately began networking to raise funds. While browsing the Internet she came across UAN’s LifeLine Rescue Grant program. She completed the application on her iPhone and was approved for a $200 grant within 24 hours.

After a couple months of rest and recovery, Scruffy was adopted by a loving “fur-ever” family. Since his new dad is an avid golfer, Scruffy now goes by the name of Bogey.

Steve Morrow, a United States Marine Corps Veteran, found and adopted his friend Smokey from his local shelter in July 2009. Smokey had an untreated ear infection that Steve was not aware of at the time, but as soon as he found out, Steve took Smokey to the vet for medicine to clear up the problem. Though there were numerous trips to the vet and Smokey was on medications constantly, his ear infection only worsened and he was in constant pain. It was finally decided that the only solution was to remove Smokey’s ear canal to keep the infection from moving further into his head and to relieve his constant pain. While this surgery was very necessary, it also cost $1,200 -- a daunting amount of money to come up with on short notice. Steve worked hard at finding funds for his friend Smokey and received a LifeLine Grant from United Animal Nations and donations from other organizations in his local area. Working together we helped Smokey to settle comfortably into his life with Steve and gave him a great excuse for that “selective hearing” all of our pets have on occasion.

Pilgrim
If it were not for the kindness of some concerned animal lovers, this young kitten may not have made it to his six-month birthday. A couple saw Pilgrim being thrown from a moving vehicle and found him lying on the side of the road. They scooped him up, took him home, and gave him a warm bed and some love. Unfortunately, they could not afford to have Pilgrim seen by a vet. They tried desperately to find a new home for the injured kitten, but had no luck. Then one day the couple came upon an adoption event at a local pet supply store. While there, they agreed to surrender Pilgrim to Planned Pethood, an Ohio-based non-profit with over 30 years of service. Nancy Fisher, a longtime volunteer with the group, agreed to foster the kitten. Upon examination, x-rays revealed multiple unhealed bone fractures in his leg. Since the kitten was so young and the old injuries were beyond repair, the veterinarian agreed amputation was Pilgrim’s best option. UAN awarded a $200 LifeLine Rescue Grant to help defray the cost of surgery. Nancy  told UAN, “The grant was so appreciated as now we have rescued another cat who was found starving and also has a bad leg fracture that is scheduled for amputation.” Pilgrim has since been adopted through Planned Pethood’s adoption program. 

Buddy
Buddy was surrendered to Jeanette, the director of St. Seton's Orphaned Animals in Fredericksburg, Virginia . He had been hit by a car and his previous owner was unable to afford the cost of his medical care. Buddy had a broken leg that needed to be fixed with a metal plate. This $2,000 procedure was necessary to prevent his bones from breaking through his skin. Jeanette learned about the LifeLine Grant program through an online search and submitted Buddy’s application to UAN. Combined with a donation from Buddy’s previous owner, and the hard work of the St. Seton’s volunteers, the LifeLine Grant was enough to ensure that Buddy got the treatment he needed. Now in foster care, Buddy is in the last stages of his recovery and will soon be looking for a new place to call home.

Star
Amanda adopted Star from the San Bernardino City Shelter thinking she was getting a healthy and happy addition to her family. Unfortunately, 24 hours later that was not the case. Star had stopped breathing for a short time during the night and was rushed to the veterinarian the next day. Once Star was in stable condition, Amber learned the little dog had pneumonia and would need intensive care. After paying for the emergency veterinary care and the first round of treatments, Amanda knew that she would not be able to continue Star’s treatment without some financial help. She was referred to UAN's LifeLine Grant program by another animal aid organization. With the help of both a LifeLine Rescue Grant and a veterinarian who was willing to work with her to make Star’s treatment costs manageable, Amanda was able to get Star’s pneumonia cleared up. She is now the healthy, happy family member she was meant to be.

Prince
Janet welcomed this Chow/Shepherd mix into her home in 2005 after he was abandoned by a previous owner at the local animal shelter. This big, beautiful boy was living a happy and healthy life with Janet's family until he contracted a sudden and severe ear infection. The infection was so painful that Prince would not let anyone near his ear, and antibiotics alone would not clear it up. Prince needed to be anesthetized so the vet could thoroughly clean out the infection, and the cost of that was more than Janet and her husband were able to pay. With the help of a LifeLine Grant from United Animal Nations, Prince was able to get the treatment he needed. Now he’s healthy and happy once again.

Milo
When Milo's owner passed away, the dog went from being a pet to a free posting on Craigslist -- a posting to which Gina was the only person who responded. Milo, while loved, had not been well cared for by his previous owner. He had a tumor that weighed more than one pound hanging from his neck, and per Gina’s vet it was making him quite ill. Gina, who was at the time unemployed, sold her car to pay for testing, shots and boarding -- but could not get enough to pay for Milo's tumor removal. That’s when she turned to UAN’s LifeLine Grant program and the helping hands of friends and family. With this combined help, Milo was able to have his tumor removed. He has a nine-inch scar as a reminder of the tumor he carried for who knows how long, but it just shows everyone that he’s a survivor.

Taz
Lowanna received news from the Pasadena Animal Shelter that Taz, a young Alaskan Klee Kai, needed assistance. When she arrived, she found that Taz could barely walk due to extreme pain. Worse, Taz seemed to be losing the will to go on. Lowanna immediately took responsibility for Taz and took him to her regular veterinarian. There she discovered that Taz had nerve paralysis in his right, front leg, and for the pain to stop the leg must be amputated. With the help of many donations, including a LifeLine Grant from UAN, Taz was able to get his surgery. One week after his surgery, Lowanna says that Taz isn’t letting a little thing like a missing front leg slow him down at all. “I wish I had a picture of him on his walk...he can flat out move!" she said. "Thank you so much for your response and generosity toward Taz.”

In August 2009, Bryan took his beloved service dog, Shadow, in for surgery to remove an 11-pound mass from his abdomen. The initial surgery was a success and Shadow appeared to be recovering well. But the wound was slow to heal and it soon became infected, sending Shadow to the emergency room for the second time. In the ICU following his second surgery, only a feeding tube, round-the-clock oxygen, and Bryan's love kept the droopy-eyed beagle-basset hound mix alive. The veterinarian gave Shadow a 50 percent chance of survival. Bryan was terrified he was about to lose his best friend and beloved companion. With Shadow’s life hanging in the balance, Bryan contacted United Animal Nations (UAN) to apply for a LifeLine financial assistance grant. Continue to full story >>

Copper after


Copper before

A pup can’t get much cuter than this one, but if it weren’t for a team of caring individuals and animal welfare organizations, Muffin was destined to have her life cut short at just four months of age. A family surrendered Muffin to a humane society in New Jersey after realizing they could not afford to pay for her emergency veterinary care. Earlier in the day, the children had been tossing Muffin around like a throw toy and accidentally dropped her. Since the family could not afford to treat Muffin’s injuries, they asked the humane society to put her to sleep. Luckily, Muffin’s life was spared since the family could not afford the fee to euthanize her, either. Instead, Muffin was relinquished to the humane society where she received repair surgery for a broken femur and three weeks of post-operative care.

Heather, a freelance photographer from New York, was looking to adopt another dog. She met Muffin and immediately “fell in love.” Weeks later, Heather learned Muffin would need more surgery to correct the injury. She received estimates ranging from $3,000 to $8,000 and panic officially set in. “I am a paycheck-to-paycheck animal lover who got in over her head!” she said.

Determined to raise funds for Muffin’s surgery, Heather applied for financing through CareCredit, reached out to family and friends, and also applied for a LifeLine Rescue Grant from UAN. Thankfully, Heather was able to raise enough funds to afford Muffin’s second operation. UAN and other contributors now receive regular updates from Heather via the Morning Muffin, a daily e-mail reporting on Muffin’s recovery and adventures. “I feel as if I was put in a difficult situation but the universe has proven to me that I've done the right thing!" Heather wrote. "THANK YOU!!!”

This tiny stray kitten named Poe was brought to her local animal shelter, at just seven weeks of age, with a broken leg. Her leg was very swollen and deeply infected; it was too badly injured to be saved and the doctor ordered an immediate amputation. Lucky for Poe, Friends of the Shelter, a non-profit organization agreed to sponsor her. The organization was able to afford her initial exam and x-rays but was very low on funds and could not afford Poe’s amputation surgery. Friends of the Shelter was relieved to learn of UAN’s LifeLine Grant Program and grateful to receive a LifeLine Rescue Grant to help pay for Poe's surgery. Poe made a miraculous recovery and has since been placed in a permanent, loving home. She lives with a rescued Great Dane named Lex and we’re told the two are the best of friends.

Isaac
Isaac was very fortunate to meet Eileen, a Good Samaritan who helps run a Trap-Neuter-Release program in Cincinnati, Ohio. A fellow volunteer contacted Eileen after discovering Isaac injured and frail. With the help of a LifeLine Rescue Grant, Eileen was able to afford surgery to repair Isaac’s fractured paw. Isaac is now nearly 100 percent healed and, even better, has a new place to call home. Eileen introduced Isaac to Ellie, his new adoptive mom, who said it was “love at first sight” when they first met. Isaac joins Sophie, his big sister kitty, in his new home.