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
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Peanut today:
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. 
Again, thank you for your long-time support. Please know that you have made a significant difference in many lives. – diana
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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
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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
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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
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8/11/20 -It’s not about thinking you can save them all (and I hate when people say that), because anyone who truly does this knows the heartbreak that comes along with it..
We get the reality and watch many of them die..
The hardest thing to accept is not having an answer for why they died.
Did you did everything right..did you do something wrong..could you have done something more…
It’s even harder when you see improvement because that gives you hope..
There is no preparation for death and it hurts to watch a kitten or a puppy waste away before your eyes. It sucks to hold them and watch the life fade from their tiny body…and it burns your heart inside to have no choice but to accept it.
They are so dependent on your every move, your every decision, and your ability to make the right choice. To not allow suffering…and to not be selfish.
How do you not get attached to the concept that you are saving a little life for someone to love and cherish.
That’s really what it’s all about. Each life you save changes someone else’s life forever.
This one is hitting me hard. I think it’s because I saw improvement which gave me hope.
With everything going on right now Cinder was a little spark of light in my life and I was so excited to get her started on her new journey..but it didn’t work out that way.
I woke up to check on her at 4 am and her little 1 pound body was deceased… Thank you all who kept rooting for her. 💔💔💔
Gina
8/11/20 – Bentley was living in a car with a homeless person. That person apparently dropped him off at another home and during that time he was attacked by another dog and suffered a severe gash very close to his eye. The rescuer had been trying to get Bentley from this person for a month because of suspected abuse and was finally able to get the person to surrender him. Bentley was taken to our partner emergency hospital where the wound was treated with antibiotics. He also received his vaccinations. Bentley is currently in a safe home. – diana
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8/10/20 – Look at our boy, Zeus. I think his ears are bigger than his body. One moment there was no way we thought he would make— now look at him. Lots of love and the support of our donors!! – diana
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8/10/20 – Cinder update:
Today she is hooked up to IV fluids for extra support because she is still not eating on her own and she is weak.
Paws crossed🙏Gina
8/9/20 – 
On Tuesday this baby was found in a house fire in Detroit. A firefighter rescued her and took her to the station. His daughter posted 911 help and a kind person named Molly offered to foster. Everything was going great until 48 hrs later when the kitten began to have bad diarrhea, she stopped eating, and rapidly declined. By morning she was ubable to move.
That’s when I was contacted and I offered to take the kitten if she could be transported to the vet hospital right away.
Molly rushed the kitten to where I was working. The baby was barely breathing and she had just seizured. I immediately placed an IV catheter and after lots and lots of aggressive hourly care for over 48hrs, this baby is finally making baby steps of improvement.
You can see the before and after pic here.
We don’t know exactly why she crashed, but we do know she was infested with worms and she got sick with horrible diarrhea.
A 1 pound kitten cannot last long when they are that tiny. She became dehydrated and critical fast. Her tiny body has been through a lot and the goal is to get her eating on her own. I’m thinking of calling her Cinder.
I’ll keep everyone posted. ♡ Gina
