Bryan and Amanda Bickell Foundation: MyRescue.dog Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
We used the funds from the Petfinder Foundation to hold a "Pit Bull" Health Clinic for the residents of Waukegan, IL, and the response was overwhelmingly positive! Not only did we service 200 "pit bull"-type dogs, but we signed up 70% of those dogs for spay/neuter appointments! We were able to provide distemper/parvo vaccines, rabies shots, microchips, spay/neuter appointments, and brand new leashes, harnesses, and collars because of our support from you! We also traded in improper leashes, harnesses, and collars for brand new ones! In addition, we gave away sample bags of food Earthborn Holistic Pet Food and discussed nutrition with owners.
Waukegan, an underserved and low-income city in the northern suburbs of Chicago, had not previously had any free or subsidized assistance for pet owners. Our program was the first in the city to offer free vaccines, microchipping and spay and neuter appointments. Because of the low rates of spaying and neutering in Waukegan, accidental breeding was common and rates of pets in custody of animal control was very high. We were able to spay and neuter over 200 dogs owned by families that would not have been able to cover the cost. If each of these dogs were to have produced even one liter, we would have been looking at between 16,000 to 20,000 puppies.
How many pets did this grant help?
200
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Max, a 2-year-old “pit bull,” attended our clinic and received vaccines and a microchip. At the clinic, his owner also signed him up for a free neuter through our partnership with a local vet. Upon going to the vet for his neuter it was found that he had a hernia. Had he not attended the clinic, it would not have been diagnosed. The Bickell Foundation not only covered the cost of the neuter, but also the hernia treatment.
In addition, we assisted a dog named Chula who also came to the clinic. She arrived sick and coughing and it was determined that she had an upper respiratory infection. Her owner indicated that she could not pay for the treatment, so we immediately transported her to a local vet and pledged to cover the vet bill. While being seen for her infection, it was also determined that she was heartworm-positive, so we also covered the cost of clearing her of heartworms.
