Paw Up! Medical Fund
As Labradors
and
Friends began
to
grow, we
realized the necessity of having a designated
medical fund to help shelter dogs in need of medical attention. For these dogs, the only thing standing between them
and their freedom from the shelter was medication, surgery, or other forms of medical treatment. During this time, we
were seeing an increase in the number of dogs with upper respiratory infections, broken bones, torn ACL's, tumors, skin
issues, and other life-threatening ailments. Dogs with these treatable issues were being passed-over for adoption in the
shelter by adopters who preferred dogs in better health and by other local rescues who were looking to save only healthy
and highly-adoptable dogs. We at Labradors and Friends knew that these sick and injured canines were dogs that with
appropriate medical attention and care could go on to be highly-adoptable dogs that would lead long healthy lives as
loved members of a family.
Thus, in January of 2009, to address the plight of thousands of sick and injured dogs being euthanized in Southern California shelters, the Paw Up! Fund was formed. The Paw Up! Fund was created to help this deserving population of dogs who just need a medical "paw up" to make it out of the shelter system alive and receive treatment for their medical conditions before being adopted into their forever homes.
Over the past four years, the “Paw Up!” fund has helped Labradors and Friends save hundreds of Southern California dogs of all ages, as well as dogs from Arizona, Texas, Utah, Taiwan, Baja CA, etc., that would have otherwise been euthanized in the shelter system because of their medical issues. With the help of the Paw Up! Fund, Labradors and Friends has been able to pull these sick and injured dogs from the shelter so that they can receive immediate medical attention, recover in a loving foster home, and then transition to life with their forever families. Recently, the number of shelter dogs needing rescue who require medical assistance is increasing, and Labradors and Friends is proud be able to step up and save so many of these dogs as a direct result of our Paw Up! Fund. Labradors and Friends is committed to making sure that every shelter dog has a “paw up” waiting for them if they should need it, and that no shelter dog should lose their life because of a treatable illness or condition.
Here are just some of the amazing rescues who have benefitted from our Paw Up! Medical Fund.
