Hero Highlight, Tony Ranieri
AMAZING NEWS!
A huge shout out goes to the AMAZINGLY GENEROUS students at Fairmont High School who raised $10,000 for Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund during Spirit Chain, an annual competition against Centerville High to raise funds for local nonprofits. This year Fairmont kicked butt—and pet loving families in our communities reaped the benefits through the students’ incredible fundraising success!
Roy LeMaster & Bill Yowler
My husband Bill and I live an environmentally-friendly life. We recycle, have two compost bins and have two rain barrels to use considerably less water so going solar was just the next step for us. Solar is Freedom, the solar company we got our solar panels from, is not only the number one solar company in Ohio, but also a corporate sponsor of Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund.
Hero Highlight, Tony Ranieri
What do you do in the midst of a pandemic when you hear that a kitty is going to be put to sleep because the family who adores her can’t afford her emergency surgery?
If you’re Tony Ranieri you ask “how much is needed?” and make the donation that saves her life! Tony thought about how often that happens and imagined what it would be like if it was his furry family member. And he said, “my corporation wants to help! Every month we want to help keep a family together by saving their pet’s life.”
Kevin Lively
In 2018, Kevin Lively’s family came home to find their beloved Beauceron, Cheick, disoriented and unresponsive. They were shocked to discover he had a rare calcium deficiency disorder that would have killed him, if not for the generosity of ERDF donors who made it possible for him to remain in the ICU until he was stabilized.
What if you were living the life of your dreams? You used to be lonely but NOW your favorite people are always around and they’re paying lots of attention to you! OR, what if your nice quiet home has been invaded and you feel like you never get your quiet time alone? Either way, in our fur kids’ lives things are about to drastically change.
Pat Smith
We’d like to introduce you to Pat Smith, a resident of Cleveland who grew up here in Dayton. She’s a big time cat lover who knows firsthand the power of the bond we build with our furry family members.
Pat recently changed her giving status and became a supporter through our Faithful Friends program. Faithful Friends offers you the opportunity to set up monthly giving as an easy, budget-friendly way to keep families together by saving their pets.
BorealisPress.net
We’d like to give a shout out to the animal lovers who run borealispress.net.
If you’ve never seen their lines of cards, you’re missing out! To me, they strike just the right balance of simple, meaningful, and profound.
I reached out to them to let them know how much they mean to our recipients whose furry family members cross the rainbow bridge. They responded by providing us with a stock of pet sympathy cards!
Camilla Ferguson
We offer our gratitude to two amazing individuals. The first we don’t even know. But we want to say a huge thank you to the anonymous donor who gave ERDF $15,000 through the Charity Navigator website. Your generosity has resulted in keeping eight families together by saving their pets’ lives!
The Staff at Bigger Road Veterinary Center
Please join us in sharing some love for the staff at Bigger Road Veterinary Center, most of whom have chosen to designate Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund to receive the benefits of their purchases on Amazon Smile.
Beth Anticoli from Bigger Road says “I use Amazon Smile for Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund, because it is an easy, convenient way for a percentage of my purchase amount to go back to a charity that is close to my heart. Every penny makes a difference in the lives of pets that need it the most.”
Alan & Tammy Collins
This month we’d like to say a HUGE thank you to Alan & Tammy Collins for their faithful financial support. They were one of our first monthly donors, making it possible for us to KNOW we can count on having the funds available to help save the lives of companion animals like Lily.
Kerry Corthell
A BIG shout out to ERDF volunteer Kerry Corthell who says:
“I don’t have a lot of money to give to non-profits, so I like to make my dollars count. I love supporting Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund because I know how important my dog is to me and cannot imagine having to say no to critical vet procedures because I could not afford the fees. So, buying Dragons tickets in support of the fund and giving them to foster parents and their kids gives me a bigger bang for my bucks. I have great respect for anyone who fosters – what a hard job! Just knowing I am doing two good things in one action makes me feel like I am doing my little part to make this world a tiny bit better. Hey, anyone else care to join me in buying a block of tickets?”
Hayley Botkin
We want to thank Hayley Botkin for doing a Facebook fundraiser for Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund in memory of her beloved miniature dachshund, Phoebe. She was a hound dog through and through, chasing every yard intruder out with fury. But her sweet, soulful eyes and snuggly demeanor won over everyone she encountered. She brought her family endless laughter and joy, and was especially close to her litter mate brother, Zeke, who is still wondering where his lifelong playmate and security blanket went.
Phoebe recently died after a 7-month battle with Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA), a devastating autoimmune disease in which the body attacks and destroys its own red blood cells. It is an extremely complicated, merciless and costly disease to treat, often requiring hospitalization, extensive lab work, blood transfusions and costly medications.
“Even though it was a tremendous hardship and the outcome was not what we so hoped for, I am very grateful that we were able to make the choice to give her the best chance possible to beat this disease. Many families faced with critical diagnoses like IMHA have to make the alternate choice to immediately euthanize their beloved pet as initial treatment costs are high. Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund strives to prevent families from being forced into that decision. We feel compelled to help other families to stay together through saving their pets’ lives as an ongoing way to honor and remember Phoebe.”
For more information on IMHA, visit:
Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia: Management Challenges
Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs (IMHA) Facebook Group
Photo caption (if needed): Moira and her beloved canine sister, Phoebe, after undergoing spleen removal surgery, which is sometimes a treatment option for IMHA.
Paul Moyer
What a wonderful way to celebrate turning 50! To KNOW that you have helped a family to get the emergency treatment needed to keep their beloved dog in their family. We want to offer our sincere thanks to Paul Moyer who asked that in lieu of gifts, his family and friends make donations to Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund.
If you’re like most people, you’re not excited about going to the dentist. You probably figure your pet won’t be either. Maybe you think you don’t need to worry about their teeth unless they start drooling or cocking their head when eating. Sadly, by then your fur baby is almost certainly in pain… maybe worse.
There are SO many ways to help Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund to keep families together by saving their pets’ lives. Linda Stephens has been involved in almost ALL of them! She has spent hours tying ribbons for our Holiday Paw Painting Ornaments, faithfully liking and sharing our Facebook posts to keep getting the word out, reading and providing feedback on our newsletters, addressing mail to donors, attending and volunteering at events by greeting people as they arrive. And the list goes on. When asked why she’s chosen to gift ERDF with her time and many talents, this is what she said…
For people that have grown up with pets in their homes, you know how truly special our companions can be for us. The bond between us is something unique, and while some people may poke fun at our “obsession” with our pets, for many of us it enriches our lives beyond compare. Pets are cherished members of our families! They provide us with so many great benefits, both within the family and beyond.
Kris Sees contacted ERDF three years ago when we were just getting started. She said she loved what we were doing for pets and wanted to help however she could. We officially had our first volunteer! Here are just some of the ways Kris has helped us since then.
A HUGE thank you and wishes for the happiest of birthdays this September to: Monica Sakamoto, Megan Furderer, Christine Lilly, and Margaret Sorg who created Facebook fundraisers to invite their friends to help them celebrate by supporting their love for companion animals.
Darlene Miller
Who says one person can’t make a difference? Meet Darlene Miller. Ever since their family/her dog Lucy received our assistance in 2016, she’s been sending a small check EVERY month! Boy, has that added up! Plus, her family comes to every event we hold, and she sends out our event announcements to all her friends. When I asked her about it, she said
Tabitha Guidone is the owner of Decoy Art Center where we held our Summer Art Paw-ty in 2018. Tabitha planned the entire event! She set up the vendors, brought in extra staff, and even secured publicity on radio and TV. When we told her how wonderful we think she is, she said…
“Our dogs are part of our family, and the kindness of Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund kept us all together. Pappy is back to his old self; running, fetching, jumping, and ready to protect his little sister, Lucy, who is due in 2 months. We are so appreciative of ERDF and now our focus is working to find ways to help them save more families like ours.”
– Bryan & Lindsay
Nevaeh
Who says selling lemonade is a thing of the past?
Nevaeh raised $110 for Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund by selling lemonade on a Sunday afternoon at “This Old Farmer’s Market” in Beavercreek. She said she wanted to do it because “I wanted to help a family be able to keep its dog.”
Silver Friends and Golden Paws
Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund would like to express our appreciation to the “Silver Friends and Golden Paws” Endowment Fund through Greene Giving for the $1000 awarded to keep seniors and their pets in need of veterinary care together. This funding helped Toby and his grandma to remain together as a family!
For many of us with multi-pet households, we get caught up in the excitement of bringing another dog or cat into the family. Besides the changes a new pet brings for the humans, the changes can be significant to other pets. To help ease that transition, it is important to think about how to introduce the new dog or cat to other animals in the family.
“You saved Bailey’s life that day and there’s no way I’ll ever be able to properly thank you enough for what you did. Bailey’s a wonderful companion and now he’s getting a proper chance to continue his great life because of you. Thank you to every person who supports your organization for saving my family.”
– Bailey's Mom
“Thank goodness for Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund. I don’t have the words to express how grateful I am. I’m beside myself every time I think of what you did for me and Sophie. Next Fall, when Sophie puts on her Ohio State garb & helps me cheer them to victory, I’ll have you & Dr. Goss to thank.”
– Sophie's Mom
Do you live with a senior?
Have you ever had the experience when someone asks you the age of your fur baby, of saying “oh, about four”—only to stop to count, and realize with some trepidation that they’re really eight? As with older family members, our aging pets need special care and considerations. Their needs change too.
How often do you get to go out to a bar, drink handcrafted beer and hang out with your pooch? That's what ERDF supporters did on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016 at PINTS 4 PAWS. They drank brews, chatted with other dog lovers, had a doggie playgroup, sampled homemade spent grain dog biscuits (the dogs, that is), entered raffles, and just generally had a great time.
How often do you get to go out to a bar, drink handcrafted beer and hang out with your pooch? That's what ERDF supporters did on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016 at PINTS 4 PAWS. They drank brews, chatted with other dog lovers, had a doggie playgroup, sampled homemade spent grain dog biscuits (the dogs, that is), entered raffles, and just generally had a great time.
Sunday, July 17 from 1-5 pm at Pet People in Centerville
Celebrate summer & come to our Garden Pawty!
It’s shaping up to be a great summer! We’re excited to announce our own SUMMER GARDEN PAWTY!!
Bring your four-legged family to create a one-of-a-kind art piece that transforms your pet’s prints into a paw-pourri of blooms!
For only $15, you & your pet can create a lasting treasure while helping sick animals right here in our community get the treatment they need to stay with their people!