I would like to thank those of you who are helping us raise money towards the surgery that Joy will need, the surgery and medical that has been done on her so far, and the daily care that she is getting. We appreciate our faithful and understanding supporters. I know there have been some people that have questioned our motives with Joy, or accused us of creating this as a scam, and all I can say is shame on you. It bothers me a little because these animals rely on us until they are strong enough to move on…and…that is nothing but real. I admire the compassion and commitment that so many of you have shown since our organization initiated.  GINA ♡

9/24/14 – Yesterday’s story on Click-On Detroit:http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/dog-rescued-by-michigan-state-troopers/28202262?treets=det&tid=26514113053813&tml=det_12pm&tmi=det_12pm_1_10500109232014&ts=H

9/23/14 What A Beautiful Fall Day It’s Been — Very Deserving of these two wonderful updates from Gina:
“The little Robin I took in about almost 2 years ago was finally released this weekend. He was originally brought to me after falling out of a nest following a bad storm, a cat had gotten to his leg, and the rest of the baby birds in the nest, unfortunately, did not survive.
I had no intentions of keeping this bird for as long as I did and I contacted several licensed wildlife rehabilitation experts, and I was basically told he would probably be humanely euthanized which was warranted if his leg couldn’t be fixed, BUT, it was fixed by Dr. Amy Maskey who took over his care for the last year.
She did surgery and straightened out the leg allowing the robin to be able to perch again. It took a long time and many ups and downs, but this bird was a survivor! Dr. Maskey released him over the weekend and I’m so happy we saved him!
Princess (aka Madeline), is doing great after we treated her for the Parvo Virus and she is expected to go to her new home Sunday morning! Dr. Rivera has been fostering Princess and spoiling her while we were giving her time to recover. She went shopping with the little Princess today and bought her a DIVA collar and a hot pink jacket. Thank You again to all of our supporters who enable us to give these precious creatures a second chance in life. ~ Gina

9/22/14 – As I mentioned earlier, because Joy will not be ready for surgery for at least a couple of months, donations will be put aside. Thus far over $3,000 has been spent which doesn’t include her medications, so we will continue to seek funds and help when the time comes. In the mean time, we have still set aside money to help the others who need us. This little sweetheart is one of them. A friend of a friend contacted us about 3 kittens she had almost injured when weed-whacking on some property. These little ones were curled in a ball in a small hole. One of the cats appeared to have an upper respiratory infection and the two others appeared to be in pretty good condition. Homes were immediately found for two of the kittens including the one with the uri (who was immediately taken to the doctor), and Kim M, the rescuer, kept one baby (black and white cutie) and also brought her in to be vetted the same day, compliments of 4 Paws 1 Heart. We continue to be inspired by all of the good samaritans who take responsibility for these beautiful creatures. ~ diana

9/22/14  Joy would like to wish everyone a good afternoon. Even tho it has been very difficult to manage her pain (due to her broken pelvis), she is staying comfy her new outfit and enjoying some fresh air.. ♡Gina

We have had a couple of inquiries as to our legitimacy so I thought it would be worthwhile to respond in this open forum rather than private message. First let me say it is not rude or insulting to question the validity of any organization. We all work too hard for our money and no one wants to see their money used for something other than what we intend. As our page indicates, we are a 501c3 organization and we are incorporated with the State of Michigan. We have no salaries and everything you see is done for the love of the animals. Office supplies such as postage, paper, etc. are donated by my husband and I. I am proud to say that, with the exception of Gina’s phone bill, all of the dollars we collect go directly to the medical treatment (and sometimes food and litter) of the animals we help. 4 Paws 1 Heart is in its fifth year of helping dogs and cats (1 pygmy goat, miscellaneous birds,squirrels, and bunnies). From January 1, 2014 through September 15, 2014 we have paid $52,336 in medical bills; this does not include the $1,800+ we have recently spent on our baby, Joy. For those of you who may not remember how we started, the idea for 4 Paws 1 Heart was hatched when, through Gina’s experience at the emergency hospital, we realized that abandoned and stray injured animals had no one to give them a second chance at life. From the emergency, we branched out to helping rescue organizations with some of their medical needs with the hope they could help us with placement, and although we’ve always helped individual rescuers, this year many, many more good samaritans have come to us for help. Most of our funds are spent for abandoned animals in the tri-county area but we have been there to help sick and injured animals as far away as Mt. Pleasant and Oscoda. Because we are not a rescue and do not adopt out animals, our only sources of revenue are individual donations and fundraisers. Co-founding 4 Paws 1 Heart has been one of the greatest decisions of my life (next to marrying my husband, Tony). Although we all see such tragedy and some of the worst of humanity, we’ve also had the pleasure of meeting the most wonderful, caring people who devote their lives to those who must rely on us. Please never hesitate to ask us any questions about our organization. ~ diana

Here is 4P1♡ Princess aka Madeline… I apologize for the delay, but with our recent case “Joy” I’ve been overwhelmed. Madeline is doing super after her Parvo Virus Treatment, and she is ready to go to her FOREVER home. For those that already have emailed me about her, I will send you an update as I know more about potential placement. Gina