Case of the Month

Sandra Russell never dreamed she’d be a dog owner. As a matter of fact she had quite a fear of them. So no one could be more surprised than she was when she walked into a pet shop in Huntington Beach just to take a look around. She found herself quite taken by a tiny Pomeranian and thought she’d be back the next day to pick him up. Little did she know that when the next day rolled around, she’d be bringing not one, but two, Poms home with her!

“That next day, when I went in,” said Sandra, “for some reason, I walked in all the way to the very end of the store and saw Katan all by herself in the corner, and I just HAD to bring her home with me.”

Sandra’s doggies’ names were divinely inspired. Witnessing for her Christian beliefs is a part of Sandra’s faith and right after she got her pups, she had approached a stranger to give her a religious tract. As the two women talked, Sandra discovered that her new acquaintance happened to belong to a congregation down the street from a new home Sandra had just moved into. Sandra attended a service and while she was there she struck up a conversation with another woman about naming her new dogs. The woman, listened to Sandra describe how cute and little her female Pom was, and the woman suggested that Sandra call her “Katan” which is a Hebrew word for “little.” Sandra thought that was just perfect, and wanting to keep thetheme, she next chose the name “Moshe” for her male pup.

For the past sixteen and a half years, Sandra, Moshe, and Katan have been a loving, tightly-knit family. While Mo has more of a quiet temperament and Katan has more of a lively one, they’re both happy, fun dogs, and Sandra loves them dearly. “There’s a Bible verse that says ‘Every good, perfect gift comes from above,’” said Sandra, “and that’s very true about my dogs.”

               While Sandra’s dogs have been perfect for her in every way, unfortunately, Katan’s health never was perfect. Born with a trachea issue, Katan had bad episodes of coughing and catatonic at times because of breathing problems. During one of these episodes, Sandra rushed Katan to the Aliso Niguel Animal Hospital to see her vet, Dr. Rachel Tuz. Dr. Tuz determined that Katan had severe dental disease and badly needed some extractions.

Without the financial resources to afford the surgery, Sandra knew she was going to need help. After learning about her situation, Dr. Tuz let Sandra know about the Angel Fund and they filed the application. To get the rest of the money necessary for the work Katan needed, Sandra turned to her women’s prayer group at church and was astounded and highly gratified when one of the group’s members offered to take care of the remaining amount needed for Katan’s surgery.

               “By God’s grace and through the Angel Fund, miracles took place and my Katan’s life was saved,” said Sandra through grateful tears. “I don’t have any other family than Moshe and Katan and I will never forget the help that was given to me.”

It’s been a year after the dental extraction and Sandra, Moshe, and Katan continue to be in good health and happy spirits as they continue to provide love,  support, and good company to one another in their lives.