Cataract Surgery for Munkie, my rescue Pomeranian
Donation protected
Sweet little Munkie (pronounced Monkey) was found on March 5th wandering highway route 60: lost, cold, blind, shivering and afraid. She is so lucky to be alive, that is a really busy highway.
A kind man saw her, picked her up, and took her to the local shelter. My friend saw a post about a stray black/white pom on Facebook and tagged me in it thinking it was my black/white pom that had gotten lost, but my little man was home safe and sound.

The moment I saw her post, my heart crumbled, and I wanted to do everything I could to help this little one. I shared her post and direct messaged it to my family for them to share as well so that she could hopefully be reunited with her owner(s).
I checked back multiple times per day to see if there was an update. Several days went by, then the shelter updated her post to say that she had not been reunited with her owner, and that she was going to be available for adoption on 3/10/19. I felt strongly led to go meet her; I had not felt that strongly about anything in a long time.
At the time, I knew rationally that I couldn't adopt her myself since I'm moving to Boston in May to start PA school and I already have my pom, Cubbie, that's coming with me. But I could not sleep thinking about her and how scared she must be. It's scary enough for dogs who can see to be separated from their owners, much less a blind dog who cannot take in their surroundings outside of tactile and auditory senses. She was all I could think about. I had to go meet her and at least spend some time with her to make her feel loved.
So, I went to the shelter with the intent to just meet her and give her some love that day, and find out if they had heard any word from her owner(s). I was really hoping she'd just gotten lost and was maybe reunited with her owner by that time.
What came next absolutely BROKE MY HEART.
I found out from someone who worked at the shelter that her owner had called in, told them her name was Monkey, and that she was on her way to come get her...
She never showed up.

The shelter holds animals for 5 days before they're available for adoption, and the owner never showed up or called again during that time. After they didn't see or hear from her again, the shelter workers inferred that her owner was just calling to tell them her name with no intention of actually coming to pick her up. I truly cannot wrap my head around the fact that someone could just "discard" their dog that way. My little Cubbie is like my son, so I just cannot fathom it. It struck me like a knife to my core.
As soon as they placed little Munkie in my arms that day at the shelter, we bonded instantly. She started wagging her tail and giving me kisses. My heart melted! It was love at first lick. I took her for a slow walk on the "path of hope" next to the shelter, and showed her she could trust me to guide her. Then when we went back inside, I took her into one of the rooms and worked with her on getting her to follow my voice and come to me from across the room. She bumped into a chair here and there, but she did fairly well considering she can't see.

https://youtu.be/3cb2Qa9tt_A
(^^video at shelter - working on auditory cues)
After that, I spent about an hour brushing her knotted/matted coat out, carefully avoiding the sores and scabs on her back, legs, and tail from what appeared to be a previous untreated flea infestation. It appeared that her owners never brushed her, bathed her, trimmed her nails, or gave her any kind of flea/tick preventative or treatment. Luckily, she received a flea treatment and vaccines upon arriving to the shelter.
Then, I gave her a nice bath with some soothing oatmeal shampoo to help ease the pain, discomfort, and itchiness. I spent the next hour or so just holding her and brushing her out while her coat dried. I couldn't help but cry as I sat there. I was just so in shock that someone had abandoned this sweet girl. I spent nearly 5 hours at the shelter that day, and although I didn't know how I was going to manage it all, I simply could not leave there without her.
https://youtu.be/6nS_3BfglgM
(^^she was so happy after her bath and brush out! she gave me lots of kisses :)
The shelter said they ideally wanted her to go to a home where she would be able to receive the cataract surgery she needs, but that they could clearly see from my actions that day that I would take wonderful care of her. I told them that I needed some time to try to figure out how I was going to come up with the money for her surgery since all of my money is going to savings for PA school, but that I would do everything I could to come up with a solid plan. I brought her home on a foster basis, and told them to let me know if anyone reached out about her and was able to commit to getting her the surgery that she needs in order to see again... that was over 2 weeks ago, and no one has reached out about her that's willing to get her the surgery she needs.
I've decided to adopt her, and I am going to do everything I can to get her the cataract surgery she needs, and give her the best second chance at a happy, healthy life!

I took her to my vet where I take Cubbie to get her a full workup, something it appeared she may have never had. The vet saw the poor state of Munkie's skin/coat, and prescribed some medication to help heal her skin. She checked her eyes, and informed me that her cataracts were very advanced. She ordered blood work to check for diabetes, and performed a pressure test to test for glaucoma, Luckily, she doesn't have either of those conditions at this point. That said, the vet told me that if her cataracts go untreated, she will likely develop secondary issues like glaucoma, which is extremely painful and would leave her with a poorer quality of life than she already has without sight. At that point, the humane thing to do would be to put her down, and I can’t let that happen. Her health is otherwise good, and with this surgery she has the potential to live for many more healthy, happy years!
____________
I have never been one to ask my friends, family, much less strangers for money. Other than passion projects like raising money for breast cancer research after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, and birthday fundraisers on Facebook, I've never asked others to donate to a personal cause. But right now, I need YOUR help.
If I had the money, I would absolutely pay for Munkie to get this surgery without hesitation. But I just do not have the means to make this happen by myself. I'm about to move 12 hours from home and start PA school in May, which I am financing with more student loans on top of the ones I already have . Needless to say, money is very tight.
Munkie has had a really rough life up until now, and it was unequivocally clear when I rescued her that she had previously been neglected in nearly every way. I am committed to giving her a second chance at a happy life, and the ability to see and experience the world around her.
Cataract surgery can bring her that newfound quality of life, and with YOUR HELP, I can provide that care for her.

_____________
I've called around to ask for estimates regarding an appointment with a veterinary ophthalmologist, and for the subsequent cost of cataract surgery. I've outlined the costs below:
--> Current vet expenses: $400
3/13/19 - full check-up, heart worm test, heart worm medication, blood tests to screen for diabetes and to check her liver and kidney enzymes, pressure test on her eyes to check for glaucoma, and a much needed nail trim
--> Upcoming vet expenses:
4/19/19 - Veterinary Ophthalmologist initial consultation ($200) and testing (tests performed may vary): $750-$1000
Date TBD - Cataract removal and artificial lens replacement surgery: $4500-$6000
Any amount that you are able to donate will make a world of difference. Every little bit helps!
Thank you so much in advance from the bottom of my heart.
Munkie girl is just the absolute sweetest, and she's already part of the family. It would mean the world to me, to us, and to her, for you to give out of the kindness of your heart to help her be able to have a great quality of life and have the gift of sight again.
Every cent donated will go toward Munkie's medical expenses and treatment. That is a promise.

Munkie enjoying her plush bed and blankie.

Munkie and her brother Cubbie (my pom of almost 9 years).
 She loves to be held like a baby when she gets belly rubs! :)
A kind man saw her, picked her up, and took her to the local shelter. My friend saw a post about a stray black/white pom on Facebook and tagged me in it thinking it was my black/white pom that had gotten lost, but my little man was home safe and sound.
The moment I saw her post, my heart crumbled, and I wanted to do everything I could to help this little one. I shared her post and direct messaged it to my family for them to share as well so that she could hopefully be reunited with her owner(s).
I checked back multiple times per day to see if there was an update. Several days went by, then the shelter updated her post to say that she had not been reunited with her owner, and that she was going to be available for adoption on 3/10/19. I felt strongly led to go meet her; I had not felt that strongly about anything in a long time.
At the time, I knew rationally that I couldn't adopt her myself since I'm moving to Boston in May to start PA school and I already have my pom, Cubbie, that's coming with me. But I could not sleep thinking about her and how scared she must be. It's scary enough for dogs who can see to be separated from their owners, much less a blind dog who cannot take in their surroundings outside of tactile and auditory senses. She was all I could think about. I had to go meet her and at least spend some time with her to make her feel loved.
So, I went to the shelter with the intent to just meet her and give her some love that day, and find out if they had heard any word from her owner(s). I was really hoping she'd just gotten lost and was maybe reunited with her owner by that time.
What came next absolutely BROKE MY HEART.
I found out from someone who worked at the shelter that her owner had called in, told them her name was Monkey, and that she was on her way to come get her...
She never showed up.
The shelter holds animals for 5 days before they're available for adoption, and the owner never showed up or called again during that time. After they didn't see or hear from her again, the shelter workers inferred that her owner was just calling to tell them her name with no intention of actually coming to pick her up. I truly cannot wrap my head around the fact that someone could just "discard" their dog that way. My little Cubbie is like my son, so I just cannot fathom it. It struck me like a knife to my core.
As soon as they placed little Munkie in my arms that day at the shelter, we bonded instantly. She started wagging her tail and giving me kisses. My heart melted! It was love at first lick. I took her for a slow walk on the "path of hope" next to the shelter, and showed her she could trust me to guide her. Then when we went back inside, I took her into one of the rooms and worked with her on getting her to follow my voice and come to me from across the room. She bumped into a chair here and there, but she did fairly well considering she can't see.
https://youtu.be/3cb2Qa9tt_A
(^^video at shelter - working on auditory cues)
After that, I spent about an hour brushing her knotted/matted coat out, carefully avoiding the sores and scabs on her back, legs, and tail from what appeared to be a previous untreated flea infestation. It appeared that her owners never brushed her, bathed her, trimmed her nails, or gave her any kind of flea/tick preventative or treatment. Luckily, she received a flea treatment and vaccines upon arriving to the shelter.
Then, I gave her a nice bath with some soothing oatmeal shampoo to help ease the pain, discomfort, and itchiness. I spent the next hour or so just holding her and brushing her out while her coat dried. I couldn't help but cry as I sat there. I was just so in shock that someone had abandoned this sweet girl. I spent nearly 5 hours at the shelter that day, and although I didn't know how I was going to manage it all, I simply could not leave there without her.
https://youtu.be/6nS_3BfglgM
(^^she was so happy after her bath and brush out! she gave me lots of kisses :)
The shelter said they ideally wanted her to go to a home where she would be able to receive the cataract surgery she needs, but that they could clearly see from my actions that day that I would take wonderful care of her. I told them that I needed some time to try to figure out how I was going to come up with the money for her surgery since all of my money is going to savings for PA school, but that I would do everything I could to come up with a solid plan. I brought her home on a foster basis, and told them to let me know if anyone reached out about her and was able to commit to getting her the surgery that she needs in order to see again... that was over 2 weeks ago, and no one has reached out about her that's willing to get her the surgery she needs.
I've decided to adopt her, and I am going to do everything I can to get her the cataract surgery she needs, and give her the best second chance at a happy, healthy life!
I took her to my vet where I take Cubbie to get her a full workup, something it appeared she may have never had. The vet saw the poor state of Munkie's skin/coat, and prescribed some medication to help heal her skin. She checked her eyes, and informed me that her cataracts were very advanced. She ordered blood work to check for diabetes, and performed a pressure test to test for glaucoma, Luckily, she doesn't have either of those conditions at this point. That said, the vet told me that if her cataracts go untreated, she will likely develop secondary issues like glaucoma, which is extremely painful and would leave her with a poorer quality of life than she already has without sight. At that point, the humane thing to do would be to put her down, and I can’t let that happen. Her health is otherwise good, and with this surgery she has the potential to live for many more healthy, happy years!
____________
I have never been one to ask my friends, family, much less strangers for money. Other than passion projects like raising money for breast cancer research after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, and birthday fundraisers on Facebook, I've never asked others to donate to a personal cause. But right now, I need YOUR help.
If I had the money, I would absolutely pay for Munkie to get this surgery without hesitation. But I just do not have the means to make this happen by myself. I'm about to move 12 hours from home and start PA school in May, which I am financing with more student loans on top of the ones I already have . Needless to say, money is very tight.
Munkie has had a really rough life up until now, and it was unequivocally clear when I rescued her that she had previously been neglected in nearly every way. I am committed to giving her a second chance at a happy life, and the ability to see and experience the world around her.
Cataract surgery can bring her that newfound quality of life, and with YOUR HELP, I can provide that care for her.
_____________
I've called around to ask for estimates regarding an appointment with a veterinary ophthalmologist, and for the subsequent cost of cataract surgery. I've outlined the costs below:
--> Current vet expenses: $400
3/13/19 - full check-up, heart worm test, heart worm medication, blood tests to screen for diabetes and to check her liver and kidney enzymes, pressure test on her eyes to check for glaucoma, and a much needed nail trim
--> Upcoming vet expenses:
4/19/19 - Veterinary Ophthalmologist initial consultation ($200) and testing (tests performed may vary): $750-$1000
Date TBD - Cataract removal and artificial lens replacement surgery: $4500-$6000
Any amount that you are able to donate will make a world of difference. Every little bit helps!
Thank you so much in advance from the bottom of my heart.
Munkie girl is just the absolute sweetest, and she's already part of the family. It would mean the world to me, to us, and to her, for you to give out of the kindness of your heart to help her be able to have a great quality of life and have the gift of sight again.
Every cent donated will go toward Munkie's medical expenses and treatment. That is a promise.
Munkie enjoying her plush bed and blankie.
Munkie and her brother Cubbie (my pom of almost 9 years).
 She loves to be held like a baby when she gets belly rubs! :)Organizer
Alexandra Ellis
Organizer
Charleston, WV