From our grantees at @nehumanesociety
A sweet puppy, just 5-months-old, came to the Nebraska Humane Society (NHS) this spring with an injured leg. Radiographs confirmed a femur fracture of her right hind leg. A local veterinary clinic specializing in orthopedics performed the surgery on the puppy’s (now Ghost) leg. Following surgery, Ghost went to an NHS foster parent’s home to heal. After 6 weeks of recuperation, Ghost was adopted into a home where she is loved and the center of attention.
The Doris Day & Terry Melcher Foundation’s incredible grant paid for Ghost’s surgery and medical treatments, which totaled $4,258. Ghost can now frolic and run and be a puppy. What a wonderful gift! From Ghost and all of us here at NHS – THANK YOU!!!
#dorisdayanimalfoundation #ddaf #nebraskahumanesociety #nebraskahumane
From our grantees at @heart_of_phoenix_equine_rescue
Meet Marguerite!
The 70 year old owner of this young pony found herself in need of assistance. At her age, she realized this little mare truly would be best served in a new home able to give her the time and care she needed.
Because of the grant from the Doris Day Animal Foundation, Marguerite, the Chincoteague pony, named from the Beloved Children`s books about these island equines, was able to be picked up by Heart of Phoenix, receive a veterinary assessment and begin the next steps on her journey to adoption!
#dorisdayanimalfoundation #ddaf #heartofphoenixequinerescue
From our grantees at @almarescue
Panda was found on the streets of Tijuana. He was taken in, medically vetted, sterilized and immunized. Once he was ready for adoption, we brought him to Oceanside. He was lovingly, fostered and taken to an adoption event where his new family fell instantly in love with him. We couldn’t be happier!
#dorisdayanimalfoundation #ddaf #almarescue
From our grantees at @hoohaven
Update on our baby badger- Bucky’s New Beginning
Named after the infamous Wisconsin Badger mascot, Bucky certainly lives up to his name. With his fearless spirit, powerful digging claws, and curious personality, he’s every bit the determined badger his name suggests. It’s hard to believe that this little orphaned badger has been calling HOO Haven home for five whole months now!
Every day starts with one of Bucky’s favorite things—breakfast. He eagerly sniffs around for tasty mice, eggs, insects, and other nutritious foods that help keep a badger healthy and strong. His dedicated volunteers make sure he enjoys a balanced diet that closely matches what he’d find in the wild. After breakfast, it’s time to explore! Bucky loves to dig. With his strong front claws, he spends hours creating tunnels, uncovering hidden scents, and searching through logs and leaf piles for insects. Digging isn’t just fun—it’s exactly what badgers are built to do!
Some days, Bucky can be found soaking up the sunshine before retreating to his cozy den for an afternoon nap. Other days, he’s busy investigating a new enrichment toy or sniffing out hidden treats carefully hidden around his habitat by the volunteers who care for him. Over the last five months, Bucky has grown more confident and comfortable in his learning place. His playful personality shines a little brighter each day, and his volunteers have learned all of his funny little habits—from the determined way he digs to the excited wiggle he does when mealtime arrives.
At HOO Haven, Bucky has everything he needs: a safe place, nutritious meals, enriching activities, and compassionate volunteers dedicated to giving him the best care possible. Every rescued animal deserves a second chance. For Bucky, HOO Haven is where he’ll happily grow until he’s tough and ready for the Midwest wild. In the meantime, his days will be filled with digging, exploring, mastering the skills needed to thrive completely independent of humans. Soon, his soft whimpers will transition into the confident growls of a grown badger ready to claim his place in nature and he will do just that!
From our grantees at @cwrustichollowshelter
Meet Cosmo, a resident at C & W Rustic Hollow Shelter, a special needs feline sanctuary in Nashua, IA. The sanctuary cares for felines with: chronic medical, physical, immune, neurological and behavioral issues as well as senior cats displaced by the death of their guardians.
Cosmo came from Lincoln Nebraska in 2023, he`s about 8-9 years old. He unfortunately has bad potty and behavioral challenges that would have made him unadoptable, but his former guardian wanted him to live out his life somewhere where he could "be himself", bad habits and all. He loves to play with toys, lasers, stimulation/noise toys, wands toys, etc. Anything that moves, he`s interested! Cosmo recently had extensive dental work done. Dental work is so important to the health of a cat.
#dorisdayanimalfoundation #ddaf #c&wrustichollowshelter
From our grantees at @harpsaveslives
Looney Tuna was part of an unaltered group of indoor-outdoor cats, cared for by a large human family who lived in pet-restricted housing. Without the resources to provide the cats with lifetime care and shelter indoors, they surrendered them to HARP in hopes they would be adopted.
When Looney Tuna was being prepped for her spay surgery at HARP, it was discovered she had an abscessed wound on her neck, and because of her mysterious outdoor escapades, this needed to be considered a “wound of unknown origin” (WUO). Healing a WUO is greatly complicated by the potential that the animal could have been exposed to the rabies virus, and the subsequent risk of transmission to human handlers or other animals.
HARP follows strict precautionary measures and all applicable state laws regarding WUO domestic animal cases, immediately starting a series of rabies vaccinations for the pet while they are quarantined in isolation for 120 days. During that time, they have zero exposure to other animals and can only be cared for by people who have received rabies pre-exposure (PrEp) vaccination protection.
Looney Tuna was well socialized with people which would benefit her during the lengthy stay, but she also faced mounting challenges. She wasn’t adapting well to the confines of a small kennel after the indoor-outdoor lifestyle, was having accidents outside the litterbox, and despite her friendliness, was showing signs of overstimulation and stress behaviors during interactions.
Lucky for Looney Tuna, there were multiple resources to try and help her along this next journey at HARP. First, she went to stay with a rabies vaccinated foster volunteer, enjoying the coziness of a real home again for a while. Back at the shelter, she was moved to a larger cat colony space with furniture and room to roam. She remained a sparkplug of energy but her inappropriate elimination ended and her interactions mellowed. Once her quarantine ended and she was given a clean bill of health, Looney Tuna was adopted just twelve days later into her forever home!
#dorisdayanimalfoundation #harpsaveslives
From our grantees at @whistle_pig_farm
"Abe", an estimated 19 year old Saddlebred paint gelding, came to us as a mandatory surrender case from an equine hoarding situation. As is unfortunately often the case, he had been kept with too many horses on too little pasture. A gentle giant, he was unable to compete successfully for the little food available to the herd. He arrived severely malnourished and exhibited other typical signs of neglect as evidenced by the representative photo of one hoof. Now that he has gained over 500 pounds and receives regular farrier, dental, dietary and veterinary care, he is a happy and healthy member of the herd. Abe is "pair bonded" with Mama (see below).
"Mama" came to us along with her son, Cyrus, following a protracted Court case in which Whistle Pig Farm provided expert witness testimony. A Court-mandated seizure case, Mama and Cyrus were originally found in a barn with four other horses; two were already dead and one severely malnourished. At some point, Mama, an older Arabian mare, had lost the sight in her left eye due to apparent abuse. Regrettably, Cyrus required euthanasia—the only time we have had to do this—because his halter had never been loosened and had restricted the growth of the bridge of his nose. While horses can breathe through their mouths, this is not preferred and the nasal restriction could not be reversed.
For Mama, there is a happier story. Thanks to DDAF, we were finally able afford the necessary removal of her left eye, resulting in considerably greater comfort. With this and consistent farrier, dental, and veterinary care, Mama now enjoys quiet days resting in the pasture (when she is not bossing Abe around !).
#dorisdayanimalfoundation #ddaf #whistlepigfarm
From our grantees at @catsofmoco
AWLMC is very grateful for the support of DDAF and others. It allows us to support the cats in our care for as long as they need it.
Nox is a sweet but shy 10-year-old black cat who was adopted this week after over 2 years at AWLMC! Last year, Nox had a life-threatening urinary blockage which landed him with sizeable veterinary bills and ongoing care, including a prescription diet. Thanks to donor support, we were able to provide the medical care he needed and place him in a loving foster home while he waited for someone who understood his unique needs. Now, Nox`s patience is rewarded and he finally has a family of his own.
Sienna is a playful, social 3-year-old calico tabby who was found sheltering under a parked car. Shortly after being rescued, she gave birth to two kittens, who have since found loving homes. Now it`s Sienna`s turn! She greets everyone like an old friend, loves curling up in laps, watching the world from a sunny window, and chasing her favorite toy. We`re hopeful that her forever family is just around the corner.
Onyx is a handsome, affectionate 8-year-old long-haired black cat who was recently diagnosed with kidney disease and inflammation. While his prognosis is limited, our goal is to make every day count. Thanks to DDAF`s support, Onyx is receiving the medical care and comfort he deserves while living with a compassionate guardian foster, where he can spend his remaining time surrounded by love.
#dorisdayanimalfoundation #ddaf #awlmc #animalwelfareleaguemontgomerycounty
From our grantees at @almarescue
Rover is our second of our 3 Puggle pups to find his forever family. He is already so loved and will forever be. We are so happy for him!
#dorisdayanimalfoundation #ddaf #almarescue
From our grantees at @savethechimps
Nothing says July like a frozen treat!
Ragan is beating the Florida heat with one of his favorite forms of enrichment: a refreshing popsicle. After being rescued from biomedical research in 2002, Ragan now spends his days running, climbing, playing, and enjoying life with Bobby`s family on his island home. Moments like these may seem simple, but they represent something extraordinary: the opportunity to experience comfort, choice, and joy every single day.
We are so grateful to the Doris Day Animal Foundation for its continued support of our mission to provide lifelong sanctuary and expert care to chimpanzees rescued from research, the entertainment industry, and the pet trade.
#DorisDayAnimalFoundation #SaveTheChimps #25YearsOfSaveTheChimps #ChimpanzeeSanctuary #Enrichment #SecondChances
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