Our Blog

In November, 2014, the Montoya family’s dog Blue was having problems.  “He was showing signs for about a week,” Vera Montoya said.  “He lost his appetite and stopped eating.  I thought he might have eaten some of the kids’ Halloween candy. But then he didn’t eat for two days and he had a fever. Then he had a seizure. “

Mrs. Montoya, who was not working at the time, said that she didn’t have pet insurance and not much money to spend.  “I felt kind of helpless.  I didn’t want to take him to the hospital, knowing I didn’t have any way to pay for it.  I didn’t know then that there were places that offer people financial aid in those situations.”

But Blue, a pitbull, was shaking and feverish.  So she took him to an emergency hospital near her home in Santa Ana. “They took x-rays and found a small piece of metal that had punctured his intestine. And they told me that he needed emergency surgery.”

Vera told the doctor that she could not pay a surgical bill. He told her he would not do the surgeryH and he gave her the names of hospitals that he thought could help. The next day, she took Blue to one of the hospitals. The doctor said he could not do the surgery without payment and wanted $70 for the consultation.  “It was kind of hard right there,” she said.

In the meantime, she had gotten a call from one of the other hospitals – Mesa West Pet Hospital in Costa Mesa. “They said that they could treat Blue. So we rushed right over there.  The doctor took him in to emergency surgery and she did what she could for him.  She found a piece of metal and we tried to figure out what it was.  After careful consideration, I think it was from a spiked collar we had bought for him but never used. It was hanging on a door knob and one of the spikes was missing. He loved to chew on anything he could get ahold of and we think he chewed on the collar and swallowed it.”

The hospital suggested seeking Angel Fund help. Vera filled out the forms and was granted nearly $500 in assistance. She is grateful for the help that gave Blue a chance to live.

The hospital did not have 24-hour staffing so Vera was told that she should take Blue home at night and bring him back in the morning. “The first night, we brought him home on a gurney because he was heavily medicated. . . . He woke up at 4 a.m. and I offered him some water but he didn’t want a drink. The next morning he seemed to have bounced back – very resilient. He seemed almost himself but he was weak. We took him to the clinic and he looked at me like he didn’t want me to leave him.  I was planning to pick him up and bring him home later that afternoon.

“But at 2 o’clock I got a call from the clinic. The doctor said: ‘He didn’t make it.’ She said he had had a seizure and didn’t survive.”

Today the Montoya family has another dog, a Rottweiler-pit bull mix. “We got the dog because my five children were so heart broken. We mourned for several weeks and it just seemed like we couldn’t get past it. We’d never had to deal with death before and it was so hard. I got the new dog to try to help us recover.  It’s still a very hard thing to discuss.

“Blue slept in my oldest daughter’s bed.  He was close with the entire family.  When I was pregnant with my two-year-old, he knew it and when I came home from the hospital, he was very welcoming of the baby.”

Vera now is employed in a medical office and her husband, Bladimir, works in maintenance and as a janitor. Their five children range in age from 2 to 20.

“In my culture we celebrate Day of the Dead,” Vera said. “So it was ironic that it was on November first [when Pulse initially contacted her]. And I thought it was really surprising because I was doing the best I could to remember Blue – all the wonderful things about him.”

On March 2, 2016, Dr. Seuss’ birthday, the tables were turned on seven Adams Elementary READ teams when the handlers helped the school celebrate the birthday by reading stories to the students, with their dogs in attendance.  John Adams Elementary in Santa Ana, CA, has had AHF teams in their classrooms for eight years as reading dogs, with additional teams participating in the Adams monthly Saturday library program.  On March 2, a combination of weekday and Saturday handlers brought their dogs to school and read books to the students. The participating teams were Gretchen Scott with Luna, Tammy Heider with Gracie, Suzanne Davidson with Juneau, Daleen Comer with Macy, Jim and Dorothy Taylor with Stryker, Geneva Comer with Bonnie, and Jane Horsfield with Kiss.

During the entire school day, 8:30 – 1:30, dog teams were on campus going to different classrooms for 20-minute sessions, during which the handlers read stories to the students, and allowed time for all the students to pet the dogs. Throughout the day, 24 classes of students were visited by the dogs and their partners. The dogs were in the spirit of the event, wearing Seuss fabric bandannas made by one of the members of the group. The books read by the handlers varied: some chose childhood favorites, some selected books their own children had loved, some picked dog-themed books, and some read the new Dr. Seuss book, “Which Pet Should I Get?” The students appreciated seeing the handlers in a more active role, and the dogs enjoyed the novelty of visiting multiple classrooms during their visit. One teacher commented, “Besides having the dogs in their rooms, the students were so excited to see the different dogs walking around the campus.  If you all felt as good about it as we did, this definitely needs to be an annual event.” The READ teams agree!

March 10, 2016 — Nestle Purina has announced it is voluntarily recalling select lots of its Beneful and Purina Pro Plan wet dog foods because they may not contain the recommended level of vitamins and minerals.

He displays amazing antics that make you laugh out loud, I mean belly laugh. That is truly therapeutic. The love and complete devotion he has for you as he stares up at you with his beautiful soulful amber eyes . His need to lay on you even though he is 80 pounds of pure muscle and lick your face until you can’t breathe. His amazing athleticism as he jumps up, twists around and catches the ball with all four paws off the grass. His enthusiasm of love whimpers and insanely fast wagging tail when you pull up to the house after you have been gone10 minutes or 5 hours. His 5 minute nesting ritual with numerous pillows, blankets, and any other object close in proximity. His desire to sleep under the covers; close to you at all times. Bottom line, he loves to love you, forever and ever, amen.

Name:  Little Bear

Nickname:  LB

Breed: Labrador Retriever

Place of Birth: Calgary, Alberta Canada

Favorite Activities: Sleeping, going on walks, getting petted & brushed

Favorite Yoga Position:  Downward dog

Favorite Other Dogs: His brothers Duke and Canuck

Favorite Thing to Chase: Birds and tennis balls

Favorite Sport: Swimming

Favorite Place: Bed and the beach

Favorite Food: Hot dogs

Breed: Dark yellow labrador

Birthday: 9/14/2013

Human mom: Jane

My name is Noodle. Please shake my paw. I’m a puppy at heart- don’t mind my 85 lbs of brawn and beauty. When I’m not flexing, I’m quite squishy and comfortable to nuzzle against. I’ve acted in roles such as blanket, pillow and foot rest. I’ve mastered the art of balancing things on my head, and my runway strut rivals that of super models. I love going to the beach, the dog park, on walks and places to make new friends- both human and dog. I hope to call you my new human friend.

Goofy’s owner is homeless and Goofy is the only family she has:  “…he is my son and the other half of my soul…”  When Goofy was attacked by a German Shepherd while on a walk with his owner, she didn’t know how she was going to pay for the needed veterinary care for Goofy.  Thanks to Drs. Weatherford and Toro at the Tustin Santa Ana Veterinary Hospital applying for an ANGEL FUND Grant from the AHF, Goofy is recovering from his wounds!