Special Needs Pets Are Special In Many Ways!

This is a new section that will be featured every month and will be dedicated to our Furry Kids with special needs.  According to an article on VPI Pet HealthZone, of the millions of animals that enter shelters each year, countless thousands have injuries or behavior issues that qualify them as special needs pets.  Special needs can be a disability or a chronic medical condition or even behavioral issues.  Animals with special needs can be incredibly adaptable and despite their needs can still become a loving, playful companion. 

“There are those animals out there who have had no good life, no love, may have medical issues or behavioral issues that CAN be worked through with a little dedication.  It is so intrinsically rewarding to take in a dog and see them flourish and thrive in a new found loving environment.  You can see so many positive changes in both health and behavior, simply because the animal has learned what life CAN be like and SHOULD be like, you know?  It can be a time when you find a dog who knows they have been rescued and will never leave your side. 

Taking in a special needs animal can be hard, though, because you have to take the good with the bad.  You have to take on the responsibility, knowing you are likely to have veterinary expenses…and knowing that it will take time and commitment…  So you aren’t taking in a healthy puppy that will live 10 or 15 years – but you are doing a good deed and a good service by helping an animal in desperate need.  Whether it is a dog or cat that has been neglected or abused by previous owners, a puppy mill dog, or a senior dog or cat…they all need us!” ...Kim Accurso, President of Furry Kids’ Refuge.

Each month we will highlight one of our very special Furry Kids who is in need of a caring, understanding home.  Let's meet this month's “special” Furry Kid...
Lucy was rescued when her family moved away and simply left her behind. She’s a great family dog and loves kids and other dogs. We can’t figure out any good reason why they did this! Lucy is a fantastic family dog who is about 8 years old. She know lots of tricks including sit, down, shake, stay, drop it, bring it back and speak!

Lucy is "special" because she has had bilateral ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) repairs and she......need info here

Read more about Lucy on her Petfinder page!

Bayer Corporation Employees Make HUGE Donation to Furry Kids!

A big THANK YOU goes out to Kim Bila and her husband who nominated Furry Kids Refuge to be the beneficiary of the Bayer Corporation's Employee Bi-Annual Fundraiser for animal rescue groups. Janet Kirk's hard work and dedication kept the Furry Kids' name "out there" and as a result, we were chosen as the lucky recipients of Bayer employee generosity! Julie Poe spear-headed the event at Bayer and made sure that all the donations were delivered to Janet Kirk's house so that we didn't have to drive to Shawnee, Kansas. THANK YOU Janet & Julie ...you both ROCK!!!!

With all of the donations, a truck bed, a Suburban, and a van were needed to haul away all of the items. As you can see from the picture above, the Furry Kids' Refuge Van is filled to the brim with bleach, Dawn soap, laundry detergent, paper towels, doggy treats, dog & cat food, a case of Advantage & Advantix products, dog & cat collars, leashes, etc. Of course, all of these items had to be unloaded and thanks to my wonderful husband Mike they were!  This picture shows what my garage looks like....and this is only a portion of what we received! 

The Bayer employees also donated over $400 in cash and we received a $100 gift card from the company. WOW!!! This huge donation was so needed and very much appreciated. Our group goes through tons of cleaning supplies in the boarding area and we are always in need of the other items. THANK YOU TO ALL who made this happen!!!

~Written by Carla Wing, Furry Kids' Refuge Founder

Isabella came to us a broken soul.  She'd been hit by a car along the highway and had a compound fracture in her front leg!  Good samaritans stopped to save her, surely she would have died otherwise.  She was battered, bruised and scared but nevertheless, never flinched at her rescuers.  Furry Kids took her in, fixed her up and cared for her during her long recovery from the broken leg.  Her foster mom must be commended for all the trips back and forth to the vet's office and for the long hours spent helping Isabella recover from her injury. 

Isabella is a sweetheart - loving and loyal.  She is scared of some men which is indicative of a questionably abusive past.  We have worked with her and she is improving with this issue.  She only shows fear, absolutely no aggression at all - we believe she has a wonderful temperament and we've seen her shine in foster care.  She deserves a wonderful home!  

Isabella is a beautiful dog.  She has had extensive veterinary care over the past months but has no long term concerns regarding the injury (she does have a slight limp). She does have a low thyroid level and takes an inexpensive medication for that once a day.  Hypothyroidism is a common disorder in dogs and does not effect her quality of life at all as long as she takes her medication. 

If you are interested in giving Isabella a great home, please visit Isabella's page on Petfinder for more information.

Happy Hal, who is a fantastic dog about two years young, was found abandoned on a country road on Halloween day. Hal has one of the best temperaments you will ever see in a dog. He loves all other dogs and would be a great furry kid to take to your local dog park. Hal has been with small children and would be great with a family either with or without kids. He knows basic commands and walks good on a leash once he gets that initial excitement out :) 

Hal weighs 90 pounds so he is definitely a good sized boy! He has a beautiful, shiny, thick, black/brown coat of fur with white tipped toes and white on his chest.  Hal does have a low thyroid level and takes an inexpensive daily medicine for it.  Please don't let that deter you because you really don't want to miss out on having this wonderful boy join your family!  

Read more about Hal on his Petfinder page!

Pippy was rescued in the country where she was left to fend for herself. She is shy but very sweet and would love a patient person who has the time to give her all the love she deserves.

Pippy is about 4 years old and is spayed, vaccinated, tested, dewormed, microchipped, and has a beautiful coat. Pippy will make a wonderful, loyal companion and a great addition to your family!

Read more about Pippy on her Petfinder page!

Call us or come by an adoption event and we would be happy to microchip your pet with a 24PetWatch™ microchip for just $20. 

Registration is free and easy and easy to update from the internet!

We're working on the plans for our next fundraiser at Applebee's and we're looking forward to another fun event! We will have GREAT raffle prizes and all kinds of other goodies too! You'll enjoy a GREAT breakfast of eggs, pancakes, sausage, and a beverage of your choice ... you're sure to have a GREAT time! We look forward to your participation in this event... we love seeing all our adopters and supporters at our fundraising events!

Look for more details in the next newsletter!!

Saturdays from noon - 5pm at the Petco in Lee's Summit. Visit our website for up to date information!

We often receive emails from our Furry Kids or their new parents letting us know how they are doing in their new forever homes. It is so gratifying to read these wonderful stories!! Here's a recent letter from a very lucky Furry Kid...

Things are GRRREAT around here for me! I have my 3 or 4 places that I sleep and Chris & Terry make me cooked skinless chicken breast mixed with cottage cheese twice a day! I also have occasional snacks of vitamin peanut drops, cheddar cheese and 3 Dog Bakery cookies.
I'm currently dieting on the snacks - I weigh 19 pounds (!).

Recently, I've been walking the Brookside dog trail to keep my shape and be a little more socialized for when I encounter dogs that I've never been introduced to formally. I have even been mistaken for a celebrity by them because of my red manicured toenails and rhinestone bone collar!

I give my Masters lots of kisses and enjoy dancing on my hind legs for their amusement. I sleep at the foot of the bed every night, all night. And I NEVER pee or poop in the house (not even on the papers for an 8 hour stretch). I know I'll be walked when they get home!

They love me very much, petting me more than I can stand and sometimes take me for convertible rides. I'm a very lucky dog but they think they are the lucky ones for finding me!

Thanks for helping me along my way to them!

Ms. Beasley

Please visit our website for more of these heartwarming stories. If you have adopted one of our Furry Kids, please send us your story and pictures. We would love to post them on our Happy Furry Kids Page!

INTERESTED IN ADDING A FURRY KID TO YOUR FAMILY?

What if Furry Kids earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Well, now we can! GoodSearch.com is a new search engine that donates half its revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. You use it just as you would any search engine, and it's powered by Yahoo!, so you get great results.Just go to goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Furry Kids Refuge as the charity you want to support.

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

~Anonymous