Help Support Dania & Her Furry Crew!
Donation protected
Our friend Dania is, in a word, amazing. She has been doing cat rescue for 20 years, volunteering with VOKRA and going above and beyond to save the lives of animals in need. She was single-handedly responsible for VOKRA's fundraising calendar for years and has always been counted on to do whatever she can to raise money, visibility and support for the organization and rescue cats in general. If you've ever asked for contributions, held a fundraiser or just needed help for you and your pet, chances are extremely high Dania has been there for you. Now it's our turn to be there for her.
We are asking people to help us raise $3,000 (or more!) to help cover Dania's recent unexpected and overwhelming vet and cat care costs.
Dania has fostered and cared for many cats including a few who were considered unadoptable due to behavioural or medical concerns. Lucky for those kitties, Dania didn't see them as others did. She has adopted the unadoptable many times and has taken excellent care of them when no one else would. Here are a few of those cats:
Lua survived a spinal cord injury when she was only a few weeks old. This left her partially paralyzed and unable to walk. She does get around with her front paws but requires specialized medical treatment, regular bladder expression due to her partial paralysis, physical therapy and, when Dania can afford it, acupuncture and laser therapy. She is a very special, headstrong little cat who doesn't let her mobility issues hold her back. Dania even wrote a book, The Book of Lua, about how Lua sees being differently abled is an opportunity, not a disability. You can find out more about The Book of Lua here: https://thebookoflua.com/
The Curl, Bear, Speed, and Cordelia (aka Deedle) are four are siblings who were brought to Surrey SPCA as newborns, immediately after their birth, without their mother. Because they didn't receive the colostrum from their mother with all of the antibodies it contains, they all have an autoimmune condition. The symptoms of this condition include stomatitis, necessitating extensive tooth extraction, plus ongoing treatment with an antibiotic and sometimes a steroid. This condition is incurable so it's a matter of management for their entire lives.
The Curl also has a thyroid tumour and recently underwent radioactive iodine treatment at North West Nuclear Medicine. This involved a very stressful week where he had to be at the clinic and away from Dania and his cat friends.
Mouse is a sweet girl who came to Dania as an orphaned kitten requiring round the clock bottle feeding back in 2005. She and her siblings had been chucked in a dumpster but, luckily, someone found them and, even luckier, they ended up being fostered by Dania. Now 14 years old, unfortunately Mouse also has a thyroid tumour and, this week, is undergoing the same treatment as The Curl did. She hasn't been away from Dania ever so this week has been very hard on both Mouse and Dania. Mouse will be coming home Friday after her treatment!
Feeling overwhelmed yet? Well, hold on to your hat.
Dania's vet bills for September were over $7,000. October's estimated costs will be at least $3,000 as Bear needs dental surgery, Deedle needs a geriatric panel, Mouse needs follow-up treatment, etc.. This is just vet bills and doesn't include food, litter, extra heaters for the chilly house Dania and the cats just moved into, etc. And these are just the cats in Dania's care with urgent medical needs. We can all agree that this is too much for one person to shoulder alone.
Dania takes the responsibility of pet guardianship very seriously. She took on these cats and has taken care of all their needs, including financially, for many years. She has never asked for help and, in fact, when we have offered in the past, she has refused. Because she's a self-reliant, responsible human. And also because she's as stubborn as an old mule. In addition to the stress caused by her cats' medical needs, Dania has had one hell of a year full of personal upheaval and change; some of it good, but much of it very difficult. Despite being self-employed and newly single, Dania would never ask for help with her cat care costs. But she needs it. And she needs it now.
So a group of us bossy cat ladies who love Dania (BCLWLD for short...we really need a better acronym as this one's kind of hard to pronounce) told her we were stepping in. We said we would not hear her protests and that to fight us would be futile. We told her she has helped all of us, supported us, inspired us, and been there for us when we needed her and now she needs to sit down and let us return the favour. There may have been more threatening and rude words involved but that's the gist of what we said. She laughed, she cried, and she finally gave in.
Which brings us to this Go Fund Me campaign. We'd love to raise $10,000 and cover all September and October costs for Dania's furry crew. But we'll start with a goal of $3,000 which would make a good dent in her expenses.
Every contribution will help. If you can manage $20, that is amazing. If you can give $100, that will help so very much. If you've got an extra $1000 burning a hole in your pocket and can help Dania, you will make us all cry happy tears and then do a jubilant, slightly erotic, definitely embarrassing dance of joy. Regardless of the amount you contribute, we will make you an honourary member of the BCLWLD Club. (Please note, you do not need to be a lady to belong to the BCLWLD Club.)
Thank you for reading this and for supporting Dania and her very special feline companions. If you're not in a position to contribute, please share this campaign and give others the opportunity to learn about and support this strong, inspiring, unbelievably caring human being. We all love her so.
We are asking people to help us raise $3,000 (or more!) to help cover Dania's recent unexpected and overwhelming vet and cat care costs.
Dania has fostered and cared for many cats including a few who were considered unadoptable due to behavioural or medical concerns. Lucky for those kitties, Dania didn't see them as others did. She has adopted the unadoptable many times and has taken excellent care of them when no one else would. Here are a few of those cats:
Lua survived a spinal cord injury when she was only a few weeks old. This left her partially paralyzed and unable to walk. She does get around with her front paws but requires specialized medical treatment, regular bladder expression due to her partial paralysis, physical therapy and, when Dania can afford it, acupuncture and laser therapy. She is a very special, headstrong little cat who doesn't let her mobility issues hold her back. Dania even wrote a book, The Book of Lua, about how Lua sees being differently abled is an opportunity, not a disability. You can find out more about The Book of Lua here: https://thebookoflua.com/
The Curl, Bear, Speed, and Cordelia (aka Deedle) are four are siblings who were brought to Surrey SPCA as newborns, immediately after their birth, without their mother. Because they didn't receive the colostrum from their mother with all of the antibodies it contains, they all have an autoimmune condition. The symptoms of this condition include stomatitis, necessitating extensive tooth extraction, plus ongoing treatment with an antibiotic and sometimes a steroid. This condition is incurable so it's a matter of management for their entire lives.
The Curl also has a thyroid tumour and recently underwent radioactive iodine treatment at North West Nuclear Medicine. This involved a very stressful week where he had to be at the clinic and away from Dania and his cat friends.
Mouse is a sweet girl who came to Dania as an orphaned kitten requiring round the clock bottle feeding back in 2005. She and her siblings had been chucked in a dumpster but, luckily, someone found them and, even luckier, they ended up being fostered by Dania. Now 14 years old, unfortunately Mouse also has a thyroid tumour and, this week, is undergoing the same treatment as The Curl did. She hasn't been away from Dania ever so this week has been very hard on both Mouse and Dania. Mouse will be coming home Friday after her treatment!
Feeling overwhelmed yet? Well, hold on to your hat.
Dania's vet bills for September were over $7,000. October's estimated costs will be at least $3,000 as Bear needs dental surgery, Deedle needs a geriatric panel, Mouse needs follow-up treatment, etc.. This is just vet bills and doesn't include food, litter, extra heaters for the chilly house Dania and the cats just moved into, etc. And these are just the cats in Dania's care with urgent medical needs. We can all agree that this is too much for one person to shoulder alone.
Dania takes the responsibility of pet guardianship very seriously. She took on these cats and has taken care of all their needs, including financially, for many years. She has never asked for help and, in fact, when we have offered in the past, she has refused. Because she's a self-reliant, responsible human. And also because she's as stubborn as an old mule. In addition to the stress caused by her cats' medical needs, Dania has had one hell of a year full of personal upheaval and change; some of it good, but much of it very difficult. Despite being self-employed and newly single, Dania would never ask for help with her cat care costs. But she needs it. And she needs it now.
So a group of us bossy cat ladies who love Dania (BCLWLD for short...we really need a better acronym as this one's kind of hard to pronounce) told her we were stepping in. We said we would not hear her protests and that to fight us would be futile. We told her she has helped all of us, supported us, inspired us, and been there for us when we needed her and now she needs to sit down and let us return the favour. There may have been more threatening and rude words involved but that's the gist of what we said. She laughed, she cried, and she finally gave in.
Which brings us to this Go Fund Me campaign. We'd love to raise $10,000 and cover all September and October costs for Dania's furry crew. But we'll start with a goal of $3,000 which would make a good dent in her expenses.
Every contribution will help. If you can manage $20, that is amazing. If you can give $100, that will help so very much. If you've got an extra $1000 burning a hole in your pocket and can help Dania, you will make us all cry happy tears and then do a jubilant, slightly erotic, definitely embarrassing dance of joy. Regardless of the amount you contribute, we will make you an honourary member of the BCLWLD Club. (Please note, you do not need to be a lady to belong to the BCLWLD Club.)
Thank you for reading this and for supporting Dania and her very special feline companions. If you're not in a position to contribute, please share this campaign and give others the opportunity to learn about and support this strong, inspiring, unbelievably caring human being. We all love her so.
Organizer and beneficiary
Morgan Brayton
Organizer
Vancouver, BC
Dania Sheldon
Beneficiary