On September 27, 2018, this little boy named Thomas was relinquished to The Grumble Farm. His owners had just purchased him from a pet store in Colorado. Shortly after coming home he began coughing. They took him to an emergency clinic where he was diagnosed with Parvovirus and pneumonia. Not expecting nor prepared to spend almost $4000 on their new addition, his owners decided to find a rescue that would be able to take care of Thomas’ veterinary bills and give him a chance at survival. Thus begins the story of the beautiful 9 week old boy who touched the hearts of so many.
When I saw Thomas sitting in his oxygen cage, connected to intravenous fluids and a tube in his nose that provided him nutritional support, I couldn’t help but cry. I saw his radiographs and knew he would be battling 2 potentially fatal diseases making his prognosis even more guarded. On September 27, he could not sit up for long without having a difficult time breathing. On September 30, he was failing. His radiographs looked significantly worse and he was struggling to breathe in the oxygen cage. If I continued treatment, he would suffer and most likely die a slow, painful death. Instead, that morning, I came to hold him and say my good byes.
Thomas’ fight touched so many people around the world- a baby boy given a second chance, but ultimately too sick to win the fight of his life. I was so thankful that his former owners tried to save him by finding someone else who could give him this chance. However, I was also saddened that they could not keep their new baby due to the financial aspect of his emergency care. Now, while I understand that veterinary care is expensive, I also understand the bond between a dog and it’s owner can be one of the strongest bonds that exists. Finances should not be the deciding factor as to whether you are forced to end your companion’s life or not! There are so many options available, whether it be low-cost clinics, GoFundMe pages, or possibly even friends or family that can help. For Thomas, his owners chose to give him up, but for many (myself included), that decision is out of the question. With Thomas’ passing, I promised to help families faced with an unexpected emergency be able to provide care for their companion. As many of you know, I announced that The Thomas Fund would be set up in an effort to raise funds for families who have exhausted all resources (CareCredit, ScratchPay, friends, GoFundMe campaigns, etc). The goal is to keep families together and not have people choose euthanasia just because they cannot afford the unexpected emergency bill.
This is Thomas’ legacy-The Thomas Fund. In order to see that every donation is used appropriately, I have specific requirements for how the funds are used:
*All funds in The Thomas Fund will only go to families who have exhausted all other financial assistance programs (CareCredit, ScratchPay, GoFundMe campaigns, etc).
*Funds from The Thomas Fund are not to be used toward any animal cared for at The Grumble Farm (we have a separate account for these residents).
*The Grumble Farm will be the only governing body that can quality a family for help from The Thomas Fund.
I hope you would consider donating to Thomas’ legacy. If you have any questions as to how the donations will be used, please ask! I am based out of Colorado and I believe that in order for the funds to be safe, the recipients of the Thomas Fund will be Colorado-based.
The link to The Thomas Fund via Pay Pal: https://paypal.me/mushugaipugg
The Grumble Farm 