Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund was inspired by a sweet mutt who suffered from a chronic, life-threatening lung condition. We adopted her at 5 months old, after she had been found wandering the streets, barely breathing and terribly shy. Within 3 months after adopting her, she was hospitalized three times with pneumonia. It was discovered she had a rare lung condition, which required that she have treatments for the rest of her life. While we were fortunate to have been able to afford her extensive medical treatments, it was heartbreaking to sit in ER waiting rooms and watch many people-- who loved their pets as much as we did—who could not. They were forced to make devastating decisions because they were unable to afford necessary medical care. To address this tragedy, in 2015 Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund was created. Our companion animals give us an unconditional love that we get nowhere else. They are an integral part of our families. No one should be put in a position where they must decide to euthanize or surrender a member of their family. Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund was established as a legacy tribute to Ellie, in recognition of the special bond we shared. Though she passed in 2021, her loving spirit lives through every beloved pet who is saved and every family that is kept together.