A message from Hazel's Mom:
We were terrified. The ICU care she needed was far beyond what we could afford, and we were out of options. Then Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund donors stepped in. Your kindness didn’t just save her life—it saved ours. We will never forget it.
To see your dog sick and to hear the price tag go up and up while you're so stressed about her well being is very mentally debilitating. We were all overwhelmed with worry.
I am not one to ask for help. Neither is my husband. But Hazel is our family glue. She not only helps me feel safe and lessens my anxiety. She also plays a significant role with each of our children, ages 16, 12, 7 and 4.
She joined our family 9 months ago when I saw her picture on a “Buy Nothing” page on Facebook. We’d talk briefly about getting a pet. But when I saw her photo, I KNEW she was ours!
I called and they said she was already spoken for. How could that be? She just had to be ours. Thank goodness the other person never showed up to meet her. For us it was love at first sight. It was like we had known her for ages.
From the moment Hazel arrived she took on the roll of family protector. I used to be afraid to go out for walks with the kids. Not with Hazel on the job! We now take several walks a day. My 16-year-old has a normal, crazy schedule. But he slows down to be with Hazel. What a gift it is to see them cuddle-lounging on the floor together daily. Or to hear them howl together when my son first gets home.
We have a blended family. Every time our middle son comes back from his mother’s, Hazel gets so excited. She shows him he’s an important part of the family.
And with our two ”littles”, Hazel constantly makes them belly laugh. Our 7-year-old doesn’t have a sister so Hazel steps in to be her furry sister. She dresses Hazel in outfits, or at the minimum in glasses and headgear and I swear Hazel loves it! And the kids love to play in the water with her. It’s a favorite of all three of them.
Life has been hard the last couple of years. My husband working two jobs. Us buying our dream home, only to all become ill due to a problem with mold. Flooding that ruined our HVAC system. My dental issues and problems breathing. Well, you get the idea.
Hazel has really helped us all to see the joy in the simple things and just to have fun.
So when she started throwing up and passing bloody diarrhea, we were panicked! The funds needed to do diagnostics and treat her in the ICU were going to be impossible. We paid all we had but we ran out of funds before she was better. We were going to have to take her home, most likely to die. Or end her life immediately.
Then the donors of Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund literally saved our lives. You are so beautiful. To share your resources to help another pet family in need. I’ve never felt so vulnerable. Or so thankful when we learned you had our backs. I can’t begin to tell you what your generosity means to our kids—to us all. We will never forget your kindness.
