Written by SICSA’s President & CEO, Jack Omer
When I started as the then Interim-CEO at SICSA just over a year ago, I set a rule for myself. With 3 dogs and 2 cats, I declared my household “at capacity” and no matter how tempted I was, I would resist bringing home any more pets with every ounce of willpower I had in me. Famous final words.
My Team knows this about me- I tend to be drawn to “the broken, elderly, and unwanted”. While these monikers don’t sound too kind, the reality is, in the shelter world, we have many pets who fit within this category. Based on that, you can imagine how heavy my heart felt a month ago when Tycoon came to SICSA. Tycoon is a mixed-breed Chihuahua, a good boy with huge, “satellite-dish-sized” ears. He is also paralyzed in his back legs and moves around with the assistance of a wheelchair. When a rural shelter realized his health issues were more complex than they could manage, both physically and financially, Tycoon and his friends at the under-resourced shelter needed SICSA to be his safe landing place.
Our Guardian Angel Fund allows SICSA to answer the call and say “yes” to more complicated medical cases. From chronic health issues like Level 3+ heart murmurs to acute injuries caused by getting hit by a car, the Guardian Angel Fund exists to support those pets who have a promising prognosis but need significant medical intervention to return to a good quality of life. The reality is that not all organizations have the access to funds or the support of such an amazing community to meet these more complex needs. And sadly, some of these furry friends are medically euthanized. Because of the kindness of donors and supporters like you, we have been able to save the lives of dogs and cats and readopt them into loving homes where they have the most incredible second-chance at the happy life they deserve. These Faces of Guardian Angel are actual pets whose lives have been saved BECAUSE OF YOU. These aren’t “stock” photos. They are SICSA pets who would have had a very different outcome had you not stepped up to answer the call. So we humbly ask you again to support this most worthy program so we can continue to fund these life-saving measures.
Tycoon (shortened to Ty) has a pretty cushy life now…with me. He is adjusting well to life with 4 brothers and sisters. We recently lost one of his beloved cat brothers and he has been a great comfort. Most excitingly, he is not only receiving excellent follow-up care from our award-winning Clinical Team at SICSA, but also going to water-treadmill physical therapy and acupuncture appointments. And I am happy to report that he is re-gaining use of his rear legs again! Simon, one of his canine brothers, was a Guardian Angel recipient some years ago after getting hit by a car. And because I am fortunate enough to have very gainful employment and a spouse who does too, we have replenished the Guardian Angel Fund for Ty’s expenses so that those dollars stand at the ready for the next pet who needs our help.
Technically, I guess I am a two-time “foster fail” now, but when you get the awesome opportunity to permanently enrich your own life while giving a second chance to another life, is it really a failure? I would argue it is actually the greatest win of all. I hope you will join me in supporting SICSA’s Guardian Angel Fund so more animals like Ty can have the second chance they deserve.