Successful Tails

Positive Tails, working in conjunction with VERG of Brooklyn is so excited to be making an impact in helping families and animals in New York. We are saving animals through Walter’s Tail who have been victims of abuse, supporting displaced animals through Broccoli and Toby’s Tail, as well as assisting those individuals and families unable to afford life-saving procedures that their animals so desperately need through Ebbet’s Tail.

It is only through the support of our generous donors that we are able to offer grants to these animals in need.  Please consider becoming a Positive Tails Story Teller today by making a donation to support our critical mission.


Abbott and Costello

These two funny guys right here are Abbott and Costello.

Abbot and Costello were rescued off the Brooklyn streets by rescuer extraordinaire Bradford TNR: All Species Animal Rescue when they were only a couple of weeks old.

They were put into immediate foster but now are ready for their forever homes.

Before this happens, they needed to be neutered because as Abbott and Costello can tell you life on the streets if you’re a kitten is hard and spaying and neutering prevents this from happening to others.

Thanks again to our veterinary partners at Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group and specifically Drs. Bae and Kalein for performing these procedures for this sweet duo.

— with Bradford TNR: All Species Animal Rescue and Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group at Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group.


Mia

Our latest #positivetail is Mia.

Sweet Mia had a terrible accident and fell four floors while chasing a ball (something she did everyday, but if we have learned anything from working with so many emergencies it is that accidents happen and are never predictable)

Tragically this accident happened while her family was out of town, so her dog sitter rushed her to Veterinary Emergency and Referral GroSee More

— with Kristin Coleman and Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group at Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group.

 

 

 


 

Penelope

This is the story of Penelope and her #postivetail
Penelope, a sphynx cat was saved by the wonderful people of AMA Animal Rescue.

Penelope’s story is all too common. She was intentionally bred, purchased, and then discarded as soon as she showed signs of being ill. This circle has to end and people have to #adoptnotshop and take lifetime responsibility for the animals in their care.

Thankfully Penelope has finally learned what life can be and is receiving the care she deserves from her #amaanimalrescue family.
Penelope will be going to her forever home, but before that could happen she needed to be spayed which she received courtesy of Positive Tails.

Her procedure was performed at Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group by Dr. Schliselberg because breeding is never the option.

Thank you to all that have been part of her #postivetail


 

Harold

Harold, now also going by “Harry Little.”

Harry was abandoned in his greatest time of need. He had a perianal hernia that was trapping his intestines. If left untreated he could have died a slow and painful death.

Lucky for him his medical team at Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group didn’t let that happen and reached out to #PositiveTails for help. His case was quickly approved and he received his surgery which was a great success. He is currently making a full recovery in his foster home.

Before his surgery, Harold could barely walk, now he is able to romp around the woods as if nothing ever happened.

Now that’s a Positive Tail!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Blue-Positive-Tails-2014-03-27-007

Photo by Maria Moss Davidson

“Blue” Greaves

When Blue’s owner came home from work and didn’t hear Blue barking excitedly to say hello, she knew something was wrong. And when she found the fence to the backyard broken with an empty yard, she suspected the worst for her 2 year old Pit Bull. Miraculously, Blue made her way back home after several hours, covered with the tell-tale bruises of being hit by a car, dragging her back leg. A trip to the ER thankfully revealed no immediately life-threatening injuries, but x-rays showed why she was lame – her right femur had been traumatically dislodged from its socket. Even with immediate efforts to try to pop the hip into place, dislocated hips can have a high chance of popping back out due to blood clots in the joint and changes to the anatomy. For her owner with financial hardships, Blue’s future was uncertain. Thankfully, a Positive Tails grant helped fund the cost of a FHO – femoral head ostectomy – a surgery in which the head of the femur – the “ball” of the ball-and-socket apparatus of the hip – was removed. Now, Blue’s hip can’t keep popping in and out of its socket and her leg and thigh muscles are more than enough to keep the joint stable enough for running, jumping, and staying out of trouble!

 


Gabriel-Then-and-now_2 Gabriel

When a Good Samaritan found Gabriel laying on the side of the street against a curb in the middle of winter, he initially thought that the young Rottweiler had passed away.  He was a third of his normal weight, had pressure sores over his body, and was just barely holding on to life.  He was kept overnight in a pet store to warm him up and give him some food – before being transferred into the care of VERG South.  A medical assessment revealed severe emaciation, intestinal parasitism, and bloodwork abnormalities consistent with prolonged starvation.  Over the next two months the dedicated staff helped nurse him back to health and as he started to regain his ability to stand, walk, and play, his sweet personality emerged.  With the financial assistance of a Positive Tails grant to help defray costs, Gabriel found not just a second chance at life, but also a wonderful forever home with his new family who followed his tale over social media.  Now, we get to enjoy regular updates and videos of Gabriel playing and running!


 “Max” Ulloa

“Max”, a handsome 2 year old Shih Tzu, can see with both eyes today thanks to Positive Tails. He had developed a corneal ulcer in his right eye which quickly progressed over a few days to a descemetocele, meaning that only a millimeter of cornea was all that was keeping his eye from rupturing, causing permanent blindness if untreated. Given the severity of the ulcer, a surgical intervention called a conjunctival pedicle graft was recommended. In this procedure a small piece of healthy tissue by the eye is grafted into place over the ulcer, acting like a living eye-patch, allowing the defect to heal over time. Due to severe financial limitations, Max’s owner was unable to afford treatment. Because he was a young dog with a correctable condition (as well as having a long future ahead of him!), Max was able to secure funding through a Positive Tails grant. The procedure saved Max’s eye and vision, allowing him to continue to be a comfortable best friend to his owner.


Princess“Princess” Coleman

Princess’ mother received the phone call on the first night of her hospitalization that everyone dreads – that her 13 week old Yorkie/Shih Tzu puppy might not make it through the night.  She had been fine that morning and then over the next several hours watched as the young pup started progressively breathing rapidly and in a labored fashion.  Princess was brought to her vet, and then the ER, to try to figure out why she was declining so rapidly that she was now coughing up blood.  X-rays suggested non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema – a respiratory emergency usually caused by biting electrical cords, near drowning, seizure, or toxic injury.  Princess was treated aggressively and needed to stay in an oxygen cage for days as her lungs healed.  A Positive Tails grant helped to fund the medical care during this critical period, and with time, Princess’ lungs started to heal.  Today, Princess is back to full energy, and while a definitive cause was never found, all of the electrical cords and wires in the household have been puppy-proofed as a safeguard.

 

 


Sapphire1
Photo by Maria Moss Davidson

“Sapphire” Vasquez

When Sapphire, an adorable 6 month old Yorkie, was brought to a Cardiologist for evaluation of a heart murmur, her owner hoped that it was innocent – meaning causing no problems. Sapphire certainly didn’t show any signs of illness and was busy running around making friends with the technician during her appointment. So you can imagine her owner’s shock and sadness when the source of the murmur was identified – Sapphire had a congenital heart abnormality cause pulmonic stenosis, or a narrowing of the heart valve in the major blood vessel directing deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs to replenish itself. Left unattended, this condition would almost certainly cause problems down the road – from fainting spells, tiring easily, heart failure, and in some cases, sudden death. While this type of congenital heart condition is fixable, the surgery to correct it is often quite expensive. A single mother, Sapphire’s owner would have had to make the difficult decision to watch and hope for the best due to finances. When Positive Tails heard about Sapphire’s case, we wanted to help fix this puppy’s broken heart. After a successful grant application, Sapphire had a balloon valvuloplasty – a procedure where a small balloon was used to open up the strictured heart valve, allowing a normal flow of blood afterwards – the same type of procedure used to correct some heart valve problems in children and adults. Sapphire recovered well and is now able continue to run around and be a puppy, thanks to Positive Tails!


sweetdee“Sweet Dee” Mullin

“Sweet Dee”, a 10 year old Pug, was given a second chance after her owner rescued her after finding her emaciated, abandoned, and tied to a tree. However, that second chance almost got cut short when months after being rescued Sweet Dee started vomiting, was eating less, and started drinking excessively. Examination at the ER revealed the cause for her signs – Sweet Dee had a pyometra, or infection of her uterus. Left untreated, this condition which can affect intact females can lead to severe illness, sepsis, and death. Unfortunately, Sweet Dee’s owner could not afford the emergency surgery required to save her life in such a short amount of time. Thankfully, a Positive Tails grant was able to be secured to help pay for the surgery. Positive Tails – and Sweet Dee – are happy that this cute gal can enjoy her third chance to spend her days comfortably with her family.

 

 


 

Tort_2“Tortolini” Squires

Tortolini, a mischievous young FIV positive cat, was given a new chance at a full life when she was adopted into a loving family.  She immediately became friends with both her family and new dog, and the two would wrestle and play together for hours.  Unfortunately, that play may have gotten a bit rough as her owners found Tortolini one morning with a broken leg.  In order to give the best opportunity for the leg to heal, surgical repair was recommended.  Owing to severe financial limitations, a Positive Tails grant was awarded to help this young cat keep her leg.  Tortolini is at home convalescing now, with strict orders for bed rest and no more dog wrestling in the future.