Pet Products Review - Financial Assistance for Dogs in need of Surgery
If you follow my blog you may know that the past week has been really tough for Champ and more so, me. Champ had to go to the hospital and undergo several tests including an MRI and a spinal tap. With three days in the hospital the total hospital bills have already exceeded $7,000. I'm super fortunate in that not only do I have pet insurance (the verdict on my opinion of pet insurance will come soon), but I also had the foresight set up my own savings account just for Champ's health. Every month, I put aside $25 just in case of emergency solely for pet health. Well, that is now gone, but it sure did help.
What breaks my heart is hearing about pets that are surrendered because their owners can not afford to give them quality health care or vital surgery. And let me tell you, when I was in the hospital, there were many pups who had it worse than Champ. So last night as I dreamed of "what would I do if I won the lottery?" it was clear that I would set up a trust to give financial help to those families who can not afford surgery for their pets. Well, let's hope I win. But in the meantime, there are some fabulous organizations who have the same idea as I:
Care Credit - This is the most readily available and easiest to obtain of all the financing options for CCL repair surgery. They offer a full range of payment plans with low/no interest for a set period, which depends on the agreement CareCredit has with your veterinarian's office. http://www.carecredit.com
Good Sam Fund - Good SAM (Special Assistance and Memorial Fund) was established to create financial aid for sick or injured animals who either are stray or client-owned animals in special circumstances. The fund is supported entirely by outside donations and your pet must meet one part of their criteria to be considered for financial assistance. http://www.goodsamfund.org
IMOM - IMOM is an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 charity that receives all its money used to help animals from outside donations. The organization was founded in 1998 and since then they have raised over $1,000,000 and saved the lives of over 1,470 companion animals. http://www.imom.org
Labrador Life Line - This assistance program is specifically for purebred labs, and their financial assistance includes, but is not limited to, covering various medical costs (surgery, treatment, medication) and help to cover rescue or transportation expenses. http://www.labradorlifeline.org/index.html
The Pet Fund - The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c) 3 nonprofit association that provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need veterinary care. Their mission is to help companion animal owners to avoid the difficult decision to put an animal down or neglect medical needs because of the costs involved. http://www.thepetfund.com
United Animal Nations - Founded in 1987, United Animal Nations (UAN) is North America's leading provider of emergency animal sheltering and disaster relief services and a key advocate for the critical needs of animals. The LifeLine Grant Program offered by the UAN provides funding to Good Samaritans, animal rescuers, non-profit organizations and pet owners to help them care for animals in life-threatening situations. http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=28
Please do check out these fine organizations. And if you can, please make a donation. Trust me the receipients will be ever so grateful.
Pet Products Review - Return Moi Pets - Bringing Your Pets Home .... Pet Recovery
As you all know, I travel quite a bit. In fact, next week, I'll be away on vacation. When I travel, what's my biggest fear? Let's put it this way, I am totally consumed 24 hours a day on where my pet is, and if he's okay. Yes, he is microchipped, and he has pet sitters, but, seriously, thats not enough. You know there are rare times, when out of fear or panic, your dog escapes and runs away. And lets face it, they have 4 legs, and a lot faster than you. Now, imagine, your' a dog walker, or watching a pet, what do you do when this happens. Hopefully the owner left instructions what to do, and who to call.
So that's the basic, I've been introduced to one more level of pet protection and pet recovery that I think is quite ingenious. Its called ReturnMoiPets. I'm going to recommend immediately that you go to www.returnmoipets.com for info. Now, what ReturnMoiPets does is give you a tag with an ID number, then you simply go online and create an online profile of your pet. Hopefully, that will be the end of your relationship with ReturnMoi, but in the case your pet goes missing or is lost, you call them. From there ReturnMoi calls pet owners all over the area and creates a search and rescue alert. Then, they incent people with a special gift pack to look for your lost pet and make a call if they see them.
Here is a short video to describe the service:
ReturnMoiPets is a simple concept but one, I think, is super affective. If you're concerned about your pets' where abouts like I am, and certainly if you're an active traveler, consider ReturnMoiPets. Go to www.returnmoi.com for more info.
If you've got a product you think will pass the Secret Shopper Test, send an email to SecretShopperBlog@gmail.com
Pet Product Review -Medibag4Petz: Pet First Aid
As you all know, I live in New York City, and as a prepared urban dweller, I have my disaster emergency kit. Yes, its a huge portable duffel that contains a week supply of cat food, dog food, people food, water, batteries, a radio, flash lights, all weather gear, duct tape, and enough first aid supplies to run a M.A.S.H. unit. Every January, I go thru the bag to make sure the food and gear have not expired. Today, when I was checking the dates, I realized this is great for emergencies, but what about for everyday? In my car I have a small first aid kit for me, but not for my Sheltie Champ. And Champ drives with me everywhere! With that I searched for the perfect pet first aid kit.
I found it on www.dawginc.com. Dawg Inc. has an amazing selection of safety products; not just for pets, but for people too. I selected the Medibag4Petz first aid kit. Its a great handy size that fits in my car perfectly. There is a larger size, but this kit has everything I was looking for:
(10) 5” X 8” Antiseptic Wipes (sting free),
(1) 2” Gauze Roll Bandage
(6) 2” X 2” Gauze Pads (3 two packs)
(6) 3” X 3” Gauze Pads (3 two packs)
(1) Flexible Cohesive Bandage
(1) 4oz. Hydrogen Peroxide Solution
(2) Antibiotic Ointment Packs
(1) Pair of Scissors
(1) .5 oz. Eye Wash (sterile)
(1) Pet First Aid Guide
(2) Exam Gloves (Latex & Powder Free
(1) ½” First Aid Tape Roll
(1) Tweezers
(10) 3” Cotton Applicator Swabs
(3) Sting Relief Pads
(1) Pet Information Label
(1) Doctor’s Bag Organized Case
Plus I like how it is bright yellow so not to be confused with my first aid kit for people. At $21 per kit, I thought it was affordable, so I bought 2; one for my car and one for my disaster emergency kit bag. http://www.dawginc.com/first-aid/dog_first_aid.php#prod2 is the link that brings you directly to the purchase page on Dawg Inc. Be responsible, buy one.
If you have a product that you think will pass the Secret Shopper test, send an email to SecretShopperBlog@gmail.com
