Author Archives: Diana

10th Anniversary Celebration

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8/18/20 – Happy 10th Anniversary to 4 Paws 1 Heart!!! In honor of our mission which is to “Reduce the Number of Unwanted Companion Animals By Funding Medical Treatment for Abandoned, Stray, and Abused Animals” the 4p1h Board is sponsoring a $1,500 donation match. All donations made between today and August 25, 2020, up to a maximum of $1,500, will be matched. Because of our many supporters which include residents, businesses, and veterinary staffs, we have been able to pay $930,000 in medical bills for over 7,000 companion animals. This does not include the thousands of animals who will no longer be born on the streets because every animal touched by 4p1h is spayed/neutered.

This is the only ‘companion’ animal who was not a dog or cat and was helped by 4p1h. I recently checked in with the great veterinarian who took in this cutie after the surgery, and she tells me that “Pygmy” continues to be doing great on her farm and, by the way, actually isn’t a pygmy goat. Oh well, Pygmy was an animal in need in a horrendous pet shop which was eventually raided and the owner did end up doing some time after many of us showed up in Court to protest his existence as an animal abuser. Again, thank you to our Village. What we’ve been able to accomplish together is no less than life changing. – diana
4paws1heart.org/donations/
P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080

Pygmy Goat – 10th Anniversary Flashback

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8/18/20 – Happy 10th Anniversary to 4 Paws 1 Heart!!! In honor of our mission which is to “Reduce the Number of Unwanted Companion Animals By Funding Medical Treatment for Abandoned, Stray, and Abused Animals” the 4p1h Board is sponsoring a $1,500 donation match. All donations made between today and August 25, 2020, up to a maximum of $1,500, will be matched. Because of our many supporters which include residents, businesses, and veterinary staffs, we have been able to pay $930,000 in medical bills for over 7,000 companion animals. This does not include the thousands of animals who will no longer be born on the streets because every animal touched by 4p1h is spayed/neutered.

This is the only ‘companion’ animal who was not a dog or cat and was helped by 4p1h. I recently checked in with the great veterinarian who took in this cutie after the surgery, and she tells me that “Pygmy” continues to be doing great on her farm and, by the way, actually isn’t a pygmy goat. Oh well, Pygmy was an animal in need in a horrendous pet shop which was eventually raided and the owner did end up doing some time after many of us showed up in Court to protest his existence as an animal abuser. Again, thank you to our Village. What we’ve been able to accomplish together is no less than life changing. – diana
4paws1heart.org/donations/
P.O. Box 84, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080

Dexter – Flashback

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8/17/20 – It seems like only yesterday when Gina contacted me while I was bowling. She was so upset because she just learned that the little baby she fostered from the time he was days old, had been given away by the adopter to a person unknown and un-vetted by Gina. Fortunately, our friend, Dennis, was with us and after a little thought decided he would take Dexter into his home if Gina could save him. Ten years later and Dexter is still the ‘wild one’ and Dennis always says that “it’s the Gina factor”. Without our Village, stories like this wouldn’t be possible. – diana
4paws1heart.org/donations/Dexter 2010 - Before and After

Gronk and Sunny – Adopted

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8/16/20 – Happy, happy news for two abused babies! And, it couldn’t happen without the Village — the rescuer, the foster who provides love and care and searches for the furever home, our donors, the adopters, and our veterinary partners. Usually the term ‘perfect storm’ is negative but in this case, the “Purrfect Storm” is what it’s all about.-diana
4paws1heart.org/donations/

“Hi Facebook….Gronk here…oh wait…correction…SUNNY here. I guess that just gave it away….I have been ADOPTED! Adopted into the purrfect family – 3 crazy young boys so I fit right into the craziness and the family adopted a pretty girl kitten just my size – we are going to be BFFs! So…I must turn over my Foster throne and it goes to Stefan James who also was rescued off the streets of St Clair Shores and is in the same foster home with Momma Dee and Daddy Rick.

He is the polar opposite of me…NOT CRAZY – he was feral now lays on laps instead of hiding in the corner, he traded his hisses for purrs,…a lot of purrs…like really loud purrs… he must be happy to be off the streets too. He had it tough…something tried to bite his head off- true story. The tip of his ear is ripped off and he has 4 scraps on his head that match up to a bite. But he is a tough dude THAT PURRS SO LOUDLY…he can keep a crazy dude up at night. So this Wednesday both Stefan and I go to the vet…me for my second shot and Stefan for his 1st medical visit….all compliments of
4 Paws 1 Heart…They rock don’t they? Well I got to go join my crazy boys! And remember….don’t turn your back on an animal in need…our lives matter too. – Dee”
4 Paws 1 Heartgronk 8:16:20

Snickers – Found in an Icy Puddle in the Alley

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8-16-20 – On August 18, 2020 I will be announcing the beginning of our 10th Anniversary Celebratory Donation Match. In the mean time, here is another case that, at first, broke our hearts and then. It seems like only yesterday when I came home from a visit with my parents only to find a lot of activity on fb about a little kitten needing emergency medical assistance. A mom of a caring little boy, who had no transportation, worked her fingers to the bone to find some help for this near death baby. The Village came together and today, 7 years later, Snickers is loved and the family member of our Board member, Dee, and her kitty-loving husband, Rick. The many journeys of these animals are captured on our website just in case you’d like to learn more. – diana
4paws1heart.org/donations/SnickersUpdate

Peanut – Neglected and Left to Die in a Corner of the House

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8/16/20 – As we move towards are 10th Anniversary on August 18, 2020 and the announcement of our Celebratory Donation Match, I want to highlight some of the many difficult cases we’ve faced over the years. This is Peanut. He went from a “rag” in the corner of his owner’s home to a very much loved pet who has since spent his life living between MI and FL and enjoying boat rides and much love. – diana
4paws1heart.org/donations/peanut 2010 to 2014

Peanut today:peanut 8:16:20

10th Anniversary of 4 Paws 1 Heart – Hercules and Katniss

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8/15/20 – Can you believe that on Tuesday, August 18, 4 Paws 1 Heart will be celebrating our 10th anniversary!! I swear it only seems like yesterday when Gina DeLuca came into our lives because she was the vet tech at a veterinary hospital we had decided to use for our very sick kitty. At the time, the vet hospital had a small kitten rescue which Gina took care of. The relationship with Gina became a little stronger when she took in a hours-old kitten who had been left at our doorstep by an outside cat who had 4 kittens that morning. Gina named that kitten ‘Mouse’ and Mouse became her constant companion for a number of weeks.
Unfortunately, Mouse did not survive but her mom became our cat, Sophia, one of her babies moved in with my mom and dad, and her other two babies found homes

Tony, my husband, and I remembered Gina and her kitten rescue and when we had some extra money from a family fundraising event, we decided to donate it to Gina. But when we contacted her, we found out that she had moved on to another job at an emergency hospital in Harper Woods, MI.

Gina told me about her experiences there and that was the beginning of our discussions as to how we could make a difference for those stray animals being brought into the emergency hospital. The majority of those animals were injured or ill and had no one to care for them, let alone pay for the medical treatment. Gina and I did some research and learned that there was no organization in our region who was committed to funding medical treatment for stray animals. At that point, I was able to convince a few of my colleagues from Leadership Macomb to join us in our mission and the rest is history.

We applied and joyously received our 501c3 – non-profit status and since that very beginning, we have paid $926,961 in medical bills for over 7,000 stray, abandoned, and abused animals. We continue to be humbled by the amazing support we have received from our communities, our donors, and so many veterinary hospitals. There are many cases that stand out for me but I think that two of the most prominent, which brought attention to our organization, involved Hercules and Katniss. Their stories were so heartbreaking that they brought awareness of the cruelty of some humans and the plight of those most vulnerable in our society. Hercules’ back legs were broken by his owner and Katniss was left out in the rain, at the street curb, with the garbage.

Please check out our website, or are main fb page to read the many cases we have been involved with since 2010. Hercules -2012 too 2013 katniss collage-1 Again, thank you for your long-time support. Please know that you have made a significant difference in many lives. – diana
4paws1heart.org/donations/

Kitty – Found with a Severe Upper Respiratory Infection

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8/14/20 – This little angel, Kitty, was hanging around the home (with others), when the family moved in. From the beginning, the family made room in their garage for the cats to be out of the elements and the family fed and cared for them. A couple of days ago, I was contacted because Kitty was lethargic and having difficulty breathing; the caretaker truly believed he would not make it if he weren’t seen by a vet within a day. We tried every vet who we work with and no one could see Kitty for at least a week. We even tried vets we do not normally work with and they were not available for days. Finally, our partner emergency vet said they could see Kitty — eventually that day—but the wait could be 5 hours. Well, they weren’t lying. The huge-hearted rescuer waited in her car for 6 hours before Kitty was released with meds to treat him for a severe upper respiratory infection. Two days later and Kitty is doing great while a close eye is being kept on the others. Again I say, may God bless all of our vet staffs, the kind people who don’t turn their backs on animals in need, and to all of you who donate and make our mission possible. – diana
4paws1heart.org/donations/

kitty 8:14:20

Van Gogh – Found in a Yard – Dehydrated, Lethargic, and Infested With Parasites

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8/13/20 – Unless you are active in the world of rescue or have a sick pet, you probably don’t know what a nightmare it has been for most animal owners/rescuers to find a vet who can see an animal in immediate need. On Tuesday I received a call from a good friend of 4p1h. She and her husband had rescued a kitten they found wandering in their yard. The kitten was sick and Gina helped with some meds but by Tuesday morning the baby was lethargic, had a high fever, was not eating or drinking, or defecating/urinating. We tried every one of our partner vets, vets in the area who we’ve worked with but not necessarily have a relationship with, and even the emergency hospital we work with — nothing–everyone was backed up and the clock was ticking on this little baby’s life.

In that our friends live in Eastpointe, I called our friend, ACO Pylar, who was happy to help us get little Van Gogh into the hospital the City works with. Van Gogh spent the night at the hospital where he received fluids for his dehydration and also received meds for parasites. He is back home with his rescuers but still not eating as he should so we will be following up to see if some appetizer stimulants might be in order. This has absolutely been a very stressful time for the many veterinary staffs, pet owners, and animal rescuers. The severity of the issues we have been confronting has been like no other time since we created 4 Paws 1 Heart. We are forever grateful to our veterinary staffs and the many kind-hearted, amazing people who never turn their backs on animals in need. – diana
4paws1heart.org/donations/van gogh 8:11:20van gogh w:joe'l 8:11:20van gogh ==8:11:20

Lulubelle – Her Owner Passed Away and Left Her Homeless

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8/12/20 -Lulubelle has lost everything she’s known. Megan interceded with Lulbelle’s medical needs while Lulubelle lived with her elderly owner and now has once again contacted us for help as Lulbelle is homeless and looking for that forever home to live those last days of her journey. Here is Lulbelle’s story as told to us by Megan:

“Lulabelle showed up as a stray about 8 or 9 years ago. Her caretaker did the best he could with what he had. Over the last 3-4 years his health declined and he accepted my help. I provided food and vetting when needed. Last year Lulabelle developed an abscess on her face from a few bad teeth. 4 Paws 1 Heart assisted and she saw Dr Zalac. Lulabelle ended up having a dental and 10 teeth removed. Lulabelle was given back to her caretaker as being away from him proved to be hard on both of them. Over the last few months her vision has greatly declined and the glaucoma is taking over the right eye. It is believed that the left eye lens is detached and needs to be removed in the near future. Last week her life drastically changed. Her caretaker passed away and she was left alone with his body. I now have her. She has been to see Dr Zalac with the help of Diana & 4 Paws 1 Heart once again. Her senior blood panel was awesome but she is blind! Dr Z started her on some eyes drops and meds for arthritis and would like to recheck in a week. She is adjusting well. While I love her and want nothing for the best for her, I know my home isn’t the best fit for her. I have been screening potential retirement homes for her and hope to have her settled this coming week.- Megan”
Diana
4paws1heart.org/donations/

lulubelle w:megan 8:11:20 lulubelle w:megan