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Lily was abandoned at Chesterfield Animal Control not because she was a
naughty dog, but because she had a mammary tumor. Lily had previously
had a benign mammary tumor removed but after it recurred her family of
six years decided they could no longer keep her. Poor Lily languished
for three months at the loud and over-crowded shelter before finally
being rescued! By the time she was adopted the tumor was causing her lower nipple to bleed. Her new mom didn’t have much money but was determined to find help for this sweet dog. Her friend suggested she contact P.A.L.. Our veterinarian removed both the tumor and the breast. Fortunately, the tumor was benign. Thanks to our Special Surgeries Fund we were able to provide Lily’s surgery and antibiotics for free. It’s been over 6 months since Lily’s surgery and so far there are no signs of recurrence. Lily’s new mom says it was like she was meant for this family. Lily adores her older brother, a Shih Tzu named Zach, and he adores her. Zach will not come in from the yard without his sister. His mom says he just sits at the top of the stairs until Lily joins him to go in. |
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 Buddy was referred to Prevent A Litter for neutering by the Richmond SPCA when they discovered he had a heart murmur. P.A.L.’s veterinarian, Dr. Asbury, strongly recommended a complete blood panel before putting this eight year old Pomeranian under anesthesia. Buddy’s mom agreed so we sent off a sample to our lab. While waiting for the results, Buddy’s mom noticed that he was having a difficult time urinating and that he had blood in what little urine he could get out. She took him to an emergency veterinary hospital where Buddy was diagnosed as having a bladder stone. Not wanting him to be under anesthesia twice, Buddy’s mom asked if we could remove the stone at the same time we neutered him. Dr. Asbury gladly performed both surgeries. Unfortunately, Buddy’s mom had spent a great deal of money having this condition diagnosed and could not afford the entire cost of Buddy’s surgery. Thanks to our Special Surgery Fund donors, Buddy was able to receive all of the treatments he needed. Buddy is back to his normal self – following his mom everywhere she goes! - and has not had any additional bladder issues.
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 Callie, a nine year old Golden Retriever, is described by her dad as being the friendliest dog he’s ever met; “She loves all people and all animals!” Her family loves her too which is why when they saw that her ear was all puffed up they wanted to get her to a doctor straight away. Callie’s mom heard from a friend that P.A.L. could help without breaking the bank. We were happy to oblige. Callie’s “puffed up” ear was the result of her earflap filling with blood. This condition is called an aural hematoma and can be caused by trauma to the ear, vigorous scratching of the ears, or repeated shaking of the head. P.A.L.’s veterinarian, Dr. Asbury, inserted a drain in to Callie’s ear to prevent it from filling up again and to facilitate clotting. Thanks to our Special Surgeries Fund donations we were able defray the cost of Callie’s treatment . Within several weeks Callie had made a full recovery! She’s back to being her sweet self and is enjoying playing with the newest family member, a retriever puppy named Cody.
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This handsome feral is Lucky indeed! He was a member of a colony of cats
living in a ravine behind a Fredericksburg hotel. The compassionate
women who had long been caring for this colony noticed that Lucky was
limping. The limping got worse over time and soon he couldn’t bear
weight on it at all. The injury made it difficult for Lucky to maneuver
down the ravine to rejoin his colony. Although I’m sure Lucky did not
realize it, being stranded at the top saved his life! The caretaker was
able to easily trap him once he was separated from the group. The caretaker had been to P.A.L. with a feral cat organization called Shadow Cat Advocates. She knew we were non-profit and friendly to ferals so she called to see if we could help. Thanks to our Special Surgeries Fund donations we could! Although it is impossible to know what caused the initial injury to Lucky’s left front leg, Dr. Asbury suspects that it resulted in nerve damage which left the limb atrophied and useless. Because the limb was severely hindering Lucky’s movement, it was decided that the best course of action was to remove the limb. During his month long convalescence Lucky’s caretaker tried to tame him and help him adapt to an indoor life amongst humans. This proved impossible. Not wanting to re-release a three legged cat to the wild, Lucky’s caretaker secured a place for him at the animal sanctuary, Rikki’s Refuge, where he can safely live out the rest of his years. |
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 This
mischievous kitty, appropriately named Tabby, had a funny way of
sitting. She would extend her right rear leg out and put her weight onto
the left side of her body. Her mom began to think that this behavior may
not just be one of Tabby’s many quirks but, in fact, she may have a
problem. Her full service veterinarian diagnosed Tabby as having a painful hip issue that necessitated a surgery called a femoral head ostectomy (FHO). If you imagine the hip as a ball and socket, an FHO removes the ball of the joint. In lightweight animals like cats and small breed dogs, the surrounding muscle and connective tissue work to support the joint. This procedure allows most animals to return to normal function and a pain-free active life. The charge for this procedure with her full service vet was estimated at $800.00, which was simply beyond the family budget. Tabby’s mom had heard of P.A.L. one day while out buying cat food. She decided to call and find out if we could help her beloved kitty. Thanks to our Special Surgeries Fund we could! Now fully recovered, Tabby’s mom reports she’s up to all of her old tricks again: jumping on top of the china cabinet, playing with pipe cleaners, and loving up her human sister Chelsea! |
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