AniMeals: Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
AniMeals leveraged the $1,000 Petfinder Foundation grant to increase Luke and Leia's adoptability by covering two veterinary visits, two blood panels to recheck thyroid levels, thyroid medications for both cats for one year, and enough Solensia for both cats for three months.
Unfortunately, they have not received any applications. AniMeals is still holding the funds to cover the cost of Luke and Leia's medical care related to their diagnoses at the time of adoption. We will continue to support their medical journey through our Gaia's Landing Program, which is designed to assist adopters with the care of cats with treatable and/or manageable medical conditions. This will include all medical appointments and bloodwork related to hyperthyroidism, management of their arthritis, and special food.
We have taken proactive measures to boost their profiles. In the last seven months, AniMeals staff moved Luke and Leia to one of the first kennels visitors see as they enter the shelter, promoted them in Star Wars-themed fundraising mailers ("Luke and Leia search for a new hope: a new home"), created a promotion on the big screen at the local nonprofit movie theater, and put signage on their kennel letting the public about the Petfinder Foundation grant and their eligibility for support under Gaia's Landing.
Luke and Leia's medical needs have been vetted and controlled and we continue to monitor their health. They take their medications daily and have been offered opportunities to roam the shelter in a safe and controlled manner. They still maintain sweet dispositions even though they are still at the shelter.
We are committed to finding them a compassionate retirement home.
How many pets did this grant help?
2
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Luke and Leia, a senior bonded pair, arrived at AniMeals when their owner passed away in late 2024. Their companion’s family could no longer travel half an hour each way twice a day to take care of the 14-year-old siblings in their original home. The owner-surrender form indicated suspicions of medical issues, but there were no up-to-date records. We immediately scheduled a veterinary visit for the duo along with bloodwork.
Luke (second photo) was underweight, needed a dental, and was having trouble using his litterbox. He was diagnosed with renal disease, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, and in need of four tooth extractions. His conditions are now managed with a kidney diet, frequent T4 checks, twice daily methimazole for his hyperthyroidism, and Solensia for the arthritis. Luke is feeling a better these days and sits at the front of his kennel chatting with everyone who walks by.
His sister Leia (third photo) was overweight and was diagnosed with renal disease, hyperthyroidism, asthma, and small masses near her spine that appeared to be papillomas. She was also placed on a kidney diet, receives methimazole twice a day for her hyperthyroidism, T4 checks, Solensia for arthritis, and prednisolone for asthma. Leia lets Luke do all of the talking and prefers to hang out in her cat tree.
AniMeals is still actively marketing Luke and Leia as available for adoption, maintaining complete transparency about their manageable medical conditions and good nature.
While AniMeals has successfully adopted out another senior bonded pair into a loving homes within the past six months, sometimes it does take some time to find the right home for these sorts of situations. Luke and Leia’s profiles can still be found on the Petfinder.com website.
