8/31/23 – Kobe was just rescued today by our friends at Make A Difference Animal Rescue https://makeadifferencerescue.com/. Kobe was left behind when his family moved. We were happy to help with his heart worm test and vaccines. If you are interested in adopting Kobe or any of the beautiful dogs they have rescued, please contact them. – diana
https://www.facebook.com/MakeADifferenceRescue
4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080
8/31/23 – Mobile homes were being removed and the stray cats were being kicked out. Bob was one of those found hiding under a trailer which was scheduled for removal. He appeared to be in a great deal of pain. His story was posted on August 15 and he was scheduled to be seen at Patterson Veterinary, Clinton Twp., on August 22. Last night I received this update from his rescuer, Carolyn:
“Bob had his initial appt last week at Patterson and his follow up checkup yesterday and he is doing amazingly well, so much better that I even thought he would be. The vet at Patterson said she couldn’t bear to see Bob suffer a moment longer and pulled his teeth at his first appt. He had stomatitis and a painful infection. I was so astounded by their level of caring there, I truly didn’t even know what to say. That level of empathy seems to be missing at so many vet offices these days and it literally made me tear up to see it. They took such good care of Bob, cleaned him up as much as they could, treated his ears and everything. Bob was like a new cat that very night. He was no longer hissy and was kneading his blanket and bumping his forehead up for pets. And a week later, he is doing amazing! He is eating dry food again and grooming himself on a regular basis. This is such a transformation that I didn’t think was possible. I think Bob is ready to let go of his outdoor life and become a loved indoor kitty to some lucky adopter.
Another miracle made possible because of you Diana and 4 paws 1.heart!! And Patterson Vet! They are truly wonderful there, everyone that works there. As are you!! Please….tell me what I can do to thank you! I appreciate you all so very much, thank you, thank you, thank you!! -Carolyn”
We couldn’t do this without our donors and our veterinary doctors and staffs. Thank YOU – diana
With sincere gratitude,
4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080
Dee Brown Gudenau is one of our very committed Board members and although the mission of 4 Paws 1 Heart is to just fund medical treatment for stray, abandoned, and abused animals, the majority of our Board members are very active in their own efforts to rescue, care for colonies, and find homes for the homeless. And, of course, as with the many individuals who contact us for assistance, we will always be there to assist our Board members in their individual efforts.
Nala & Nash…well maybe. Nash may be a girl…but I want their story out there and to let you know that 4 Paws 1 Heart is doing amazing things AGAIN!
N & N came from a colony were I co-feed. Last year I TNRed 17 kitties at this colony along with we removed kittens that were socialize & now have wonderful homes (all medical taken care of by 4 Paws 1 Heart) We watched these new babies grow up with their Mother in a crate by the feeding area. We were very careful to peek and pet when their Mommy was eating and not seeing us doing so….well it was time to grab them….Mommy did her job…kittens are about 6 weeks old. I lined up a foster (thank you Debbie!! New to the foster world!) , so last Friday, before work I grabbed them…they went to work with me…what a work perk! I have them temporarily until next week and they are doing fantastic! Eating, having beautiful poop (at least for now), playing and are practicing to be on wrestle mania! They are going to have their happily ever after. Thank you at 4 Paws for backing their medical. Never too early to put in your application for these lovelies! Please contact me for more info! Dee Brown Gudenau
4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080
8/29/23 – One day she showed up in a cat colony. Cleo was in pretty rough shaped and smelled of infection. For 3 days the finder tried finding a rescue but no one stepped up. Finally, Stevee P., who we’ve helped on several occasions, contacted the finder and secured Cleo. Stevee is a vet tech and was able to have her seen by a doctor but couldn’t afford the care she needed for a severely infected ear which was leaking pus and blood. We took care of the medical treatment for her ear and now that Cleo has recovered from the infection, she is being spayed and vaccinated with our assistance. – diana
4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080
8/29/23 – “It’s too much sadness for me” they say. And my response is that every life matters. On a personal note, I have done many eulogies for family members because I’ve always believed that no one should leave this earth without their life being remembered. I feel the same for animals who give us so much unconditional love but are so often mistreated or left behind. Yesterday, I received a call from our friends at Orion Animal Hospital about a dog, Prince, who had been brought in by a very kind couple. Here is what Emilie wrote to me after we agreed to cover Prince’s visit:
“My fiance found 2 puppies on the side of the road in royal oak. I scheduled him an appointment for the vet for today at 5:20pn to get him checked out but Saturday night he started throwing up and having diarrhea and was not eating or drinking. We took him to an emergency hospital Sunday morning and they tested him for parvo which was negative. They gave him fluids and an anti nausea medicine but because we did not have $1000 for further medical services we had to take him home and wait for the vet appointment today. When we woke up this morning he had a seizure at 730am that lasted less than a minute and one again at 10:40 that lasted even less. Our vet nor any of the hospitals or vets we contacted between Farmington and Lake Orion would not see him without us paying for the treatment up front. I do not get paid until Wednesday and my fiancee doesn’t get paid until Thursday but I don’t know that he will make it that long without treatment. We finally reached out to Orion Animal Hospital and Courtney referred me to you. She stated she would call as well which resulted in her calling us back and telling us to bring him but I still wanted to reach out. – Emilie”
When Courtney contacted me after talking with Dr. Zalac I told her we would cover the exam and to let me know what was needed afterward. Unfortunately, it turned out that Prince was in the late stages of distemper and his prognosis was not good. The doctor spoke to Emilie and her fiancee and it was decided to end his suffering. Once again I want to thank the amazing and caring people in our communities who don’t ignore an animal in need and the many veterinary staffs who work with us. Prince is no longer suffering and will be resting in peace. – diana
P.S. I did ask Emilie about the other puppy and she advised that she was trying to reach the person who took that puppy to let them know what happened with Prince.
4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080
I was contacted by a colleague for help with these 7 babies who were born on a roof in GPS. The mom was killed by a coyote and the kittens were taken in by a resident who offered to provide food and shelter until finding forever homes. There are males and females, all are very well socialized, and 4 Paws 1 Heart has covered exams, age appropriate vaccinations, and we will be scheduling spay/neuter surgeries next. If you are interested in any of the 7 please let me know and I will put you in contact with there rescuer. If you would like to help towards food and litter they are going through an enormous amount daily, and that would be super helpful for the rescuer.
Thank you, Gina. [email protected]
4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080
This very sweet boy is still healing from his neck wound. I’ve been doing regular bandages and the wound is shrinking. Doctors suspect it was from some sort of trauma or infection. Some very awesome technician friends are helping me with watching him on days that I’m not available. He has the largest jowls I’ve ever seen and he is a ham. It will take a little time for him to adjust but I’m sure he will be an amazing pet. His rescuer is willing to keep him if he is not combative with ger existing cat. That’s how FIV is transmitted, and he is positive. For more information on Snow please Email me. [email protected]
4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080
8/28/23 – Poison, was an outside stray who showed up in Martha’s backyard in January of 2022. It was bitterly cold and he was crying and crying and he looked very sick. He was foaming at the mouth. Martha was afraid to help him because, as she said “his sickness was so scary”. She named him Poison because she thought maybe he ate a poison rat in that she lived in an area with a huge rat problem. Martha put food for him and he ate a little and then got into and sat down in the dish. The other cats had an abandoned garage that she had put straw in but he didn’t have anything. So, she made a little pad with an old blanket so he could get his feet off the cold cement. Then she ordered a small tent from Amazon for him. A couple of days later she put a heating pad in there for him. The first 5 to 7 days he spent most of meal time chasing the other cats away from the food. He was afraid there wouldn’t be enough. He soon figured there is plenty for everybody. He quit foaming at the mouth but his breathing continued to be awful. Martha was able to get him in a trap and take him to a vet one time but she couldn’t afford all the treatments they wanted to give him. So, they gave him the antibiotic shot and she took him back home where he continued to live outside.
Martha, contacted us in early July. At that time, Poison also had a wound along with his continuing breathing issue. Poison was again trapped and taken to a partner veterinary clinic and was diagnosed with asthma and pneumonia. He also has something in his digestive tract that may have been from liver disease. He had maggots in a wound. The veterinary staff was able to remove all maggots and he was given antibiotics for the wound , medication for his asthma/pneumonia, and medication for flea and ticks. Martha kept Poison inside while she needed to give him medication but then he was again released outside. In mid July, Martha contacted me to report that Poison’s breathing was still bad and he seemed to be failing. After two years of struggling with infections, Martha didn’t think there was much hope. We continued to try and get him the help he needed but he was so difficult for Martha to trap and yesterday Martha messaged me that she found Poison, passed away in her yard. He had been to her porch to eat earlier in the day and seemed fine but we guess his illnesses were just too great. Martha saw Poison’s ‘girlfriend’ sitting by his side as he laid in her yard.
Poison has been buried and he is now in peace, no longer suffering. Please keep Martha in your prayers. So many people, like Martha, spend their own money and work so hard to reduce the over population of animals in our communities. And, then, when they find an ill or injured animal, once again they do everything possible to help. I wish we could have done more. – diana
4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080
Thank you so much for the nice memorial on your Facebook page. I love caring for my colony and I feel sad each time one dies. I had 7 cats. Now I have 6. Poison was the king of my backyard and would chase off any new cat that tried to eat at the feeding station. I could not get him nutered because his poor health would not stand the surgery. There are many stray/feral cats around here. Maybe there is room for another to join the colony now. RIP Poison. – Martha
8/28/23 – Last week we were asked to help with Viva whose eye was scratched by litter mates and then suddenly ruptured. Our friend, Emily K., who has helped with special needs dogs and cats contacted us to help out. Here is Viva’s story:
“Viva is a kitten I’ve had since she was 2 weeks old. She came to me as part of a litter of five in absolutely shocking condition, paralyzed to the point she almost couldn’t breathe on her own, and same for the rest of the litter. We lost three to this paralysis when they lost the ability to breathe, but we have two survivors, Viva and Sparkle (my paper towel litter lol). It was determined the babies had botulism – extremely rare, but it does happen and it is reportable to the state of Michigan. Very interesting case! Through their recovery, we’ve struggled with weight gain and lasting neurological deficits, but they are mostly normal kittens now, just extra tiny. Unfortunately, this past week, Viva got scratched on the eye during a wrestling match with her sister. In a matter of 48 hours, the eye went from watery to ruptured and infected, bulging out of her head, despite eye drops and oral antibiotics. Her eye was removed at Orion on Wednesday with your help that we are so very grateful for. Dr Blasses dissected the eye and it appears she had a deep ulcer that must have made it especially fragile. We had no idea she had an ulcer, she had no symptoms before this scratch. She is doing well, healing and back to her normal, goofy self. She is getting warm compresses to help drain some fluid from inside, but otherwise all is looking good. Thank you so much for your help with sweet Viva. She has had such a rough life so far and I want the best for her. We couldn’t have taken care of her eye without your generosity.
I’ve attached before and after photos for you. – Emily”
Please consider donating and/or participating in our fundraisers because without our supporters, little ones like Viva and so many others would not have that second chance at life. Thank YOU – diana
4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080
On August 18, 2023 4 Paws 1 Heart celebrated 13 years of making a difference in the lives of stray, abandoned, and abused animals. But without the generosity and expertise of the many veterinarians who have trusted us in our mission, thousands of animals wouldn’t be alive today. Dr. Catherine Roach has been one of those doctors and today we want to ask all of our supporters to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
On August 22 Dr. Roach’s loving husband, Dr. Mark Lamb, of 25 years unexpectedly passed away. Dr. Roach is a close friend and advisor to our co-founder, Gina DeLuca Jenio. They worked together early on when they both worked in an emergency veterinary hospital. Through the years, Dr. Roach continued to be a friend to 4 Paws 1 Heart and helped when Gina’s loving pets had to cross the Rainbow Bridge. And, even in her loss, she is again thinking about those animals who have no one else. She has asked that Dr. Lamb’s life be remembered through donations to 4 Paws 1 Heart.
Dr. Lamb’s family and friends are in our prayers and we hope that they will find some comfort in knowing that Dr. Lamb’s legacy will live on in the many animals who will be saved because of their love.
Diana and Gina
4paws1heart.org/donations P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI. 48080
