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Congratulations to our February 2020 Pet of the Month, Ella Stack!!!
“We are so excited Ella was selected for pet of the month! Ella was born in March 2010 in Jacksonville FL. She was delivered to us 2 months later. Ella has always been a little cuddle buddy, she loves to play catch, she smiles when she is happy, and always wants to be held like a baby. She likes to cuddle with our kids, bark at the neighbors, and once you start petting her she becomes your best friend. She is the sweetest girl and we love her so much!”
Dec 30Congratulations to Babe Babinchak our December 2019 Pet of the Month. Read her bio below!
“Babe is a 12-year-old, 9-pound, Shih Tzu -Pomeranian mix, who was born and raised in the Bahamas. After suffering an unfortunate birth accident, Babe lost part of her left rear leg. But that did not prevent her from walking and living a very purposeful life. As a puppy she went to live with an elderly couple where she remained a constant companion and alert dog to an Alzheimer’s victim, and an osteoporosis patient. Upon their death, she came to live with family in Winter Park. For much of her life Babe suffered chronic bladder ailments. Recently the brilliant doctors at Tuscawilla Oaks discovered that she has Cushing’s disease. After finding the right medication for her, Babe is now living a retirement she deserves with her one eyed 55-pound companion rescue “Lucky Dog.” Thank you Tuscawilla Oaks- you’re the best!”
Nov 01Congratulations to our November 2019 Pet of the Month, Max McBride!!! Read his Bio below!!
“One evening in August of 2008, I was walking my three dogs near the entrance to my neighborhood. Suddenly, my Doberman-mix, Roscoe, rushed over to some bushes along our path. I went to see what he was so curious about and found this tiny kitten. The kitten was so small he fit in the palm of my hand. Even though his eyes were still partially closed, he put up a fight when Roscoe got a little too close. It seemed he was abandoned, so home he went with me and my three dogs.
The next day I took him to TOAH, which is where my dogs had been going for years. After some tests, they found he was a sick little fellow. He was sent home with several medications and not a lot of hope in recovery. It was a tough couple of months because we were not sure he was going to make it. But, with the love and support of the TOAH team, and a neighbor of mine that is a nurse, Max recovered! I felt really blessed that he was given a chance at life. With much wonder, I watched as he grew into a beautiful young cat. Max considered me, my son and the three dogs, his family. When he was almost two, he became sick again. This time he was diagnosed with diabetes. He has been dealing with this for nine years now.
A couple of years ago I adopted another stray to give Max company (our three dogs had all passed away and I knew he missed them). To my amazement, Stella (the new stray) began to teach Max how to be more like a cat. I will never forget the first time he came into the living room with a toy mouse in his mouth, as if he had caught it. He proclaimed for awhile how proud of himself he was. Stella has since taught him even more kitty things.
Max loves to be rubbed on his head and back (especially in the early morning hours). He is very good at chasing and catching lizards and bringing them in the house. He does seem confused about me trying to catch them and put them back out though.
Max is such a blessing and so loved by us all. With all that he has been through, I can’t help but admire how he keeps thriving and being a very loving cat. When I need encouragement and inspiration, I think of Max. He truly is amazing. Thank you TOAH for choosing Max as pet of the month!”
Oct 01Congratulations to our September 2019 Pet of the Month. Jasper Rusnock! Please read his bio below:)
“We were looking for a companion for our lab/boxer mix, Sophie, who had undergone shoulder surgery and was depressed.
On May 15, 2013, at an event held by Pet Rescue by Judy, our eyes met. It was kismet! There he was, Jasper! A year and a half old Irish setter/retriever mix. He had some puppy energy but clearly knew he had to fit in. And he has. Loyal to a fault, he follows us everywhere we go, right by our side. Always has and probably always will.
Jasper’s more recent story begins with TOAH. Returning from a vacation, we became very concerned about Jasper’s abdomen and how it was getting larger and larger. The following morning as Jasper lay on the floor, our cat Oliver (sensing something was amiss), touched noses with Jasper. Perhaps offering him one of his nine lives. We immediately placed a call to TOAH, and were at the office and seen by Dr. McPherson and her team immediately.
After an x-ray of the abdomen, which signaled nothing good, Dr. McPherson made arrangements for us to go directly to see the skillful team at AVS. Within hours, under the caring eyes of Dr. Ellison, Jasper’s spleen was removed, along with a large hematoma and a liter of blood from his abdomen. We thought we were going to lose him. But we did not. Mother Nature had other ideas for him!
He is back chasing lizards and critters in our yard, just as he did before his surgery.
And when we all take walks, he keeps a close eye on Sophie as she gets older and struggles.
He is happy and healthy now and still the great companion we had hoped for.”
Aug 01Sophie is honored to have been selected as Pet of the Month!
From the time we adopted her at 5 months old, she has been a pistol. At 12 years old, she’s still a pistol! She is just as attentive, spunky and playful as she was as a puppy.
Sophie is the self-proclaimed “Princess” of the Braun family. She loves (and commands) attention 99% of the time. She is happiest when she is at home with her family and sitting on the pool deck overlooking her Kingdom! Her favorite activities include going for long walks and stealing mom & dad’s shoes. (if they’re watching TV and not paying attention to her.)
Sophie has always been a picky eater & thin and earlier this year, Dr. Taylor performed some routine bloodwork and it showed that she was anemic. He referred Sophie to see an internist at AVS. An ultrasound exposed masses in her spleen and she needed to have her spleen removed. In addition, she had GI biopsies and was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. She’s has been treated with a low dose of prednisone and is now eating a human grade food.
Currently, she’s doing great, and back to being a pistol!!
Jun 28Congratulations to our July 2019 Pet of the Month!
Maizie Sullivan
We adopted Maizie in 2009, right before we moved to Florida. When she came home with us, she was no larger than the size of my palm – such cuteness! She is a crazy, grouchy cat, but we love her.
Over the years she has been diagnosed with several issues – feline hyperesthesia (watch a video – it’s crazy), multiple allergies, and anxiety. TOAH has always been there to help us with solutions and medications that are best suited for our girl.
Last August, I noticed a small lump on her flank and scheduled an appointment with TOAH. After examining the lump, there was concern as to whether what type of lump it could be – was it a fat deposit or cancer? Dr. Taylor immediately scheduled a surgery to determine the causation of the lump. Although he was completely booked, he made the time to fit her in and get the lump analyzed. There were after-surgery complications, but Dr. Taylor and Dr. McPherson were always available to answer and discuss my questions and concerns I had (there were a ton).
Thanks to TOAH and their referral to awesome radiation specialists at UF, we quickly discovered Maizie had a rare form of fibrosarcoma. Dr. Taylor conferred with the surgical and radiation specialists in Gainesville, and we were able to give Maizie the treatment she needed. It took another grueling surgery, CT scans, and over three weeks of radiation treatment, but she took all the poking and prodding like a trooper.
Maizie is currently doing well and enjoys hissing, eating, and sleeping. She loves to purr and cuddle – when she feels like it.
Jun 03Congratulations to our June 2019, Pet of the Month, Mary O’Donnell!!!
“Mary joined our family in November 2002. She was a rescue kitty from the Seminole County Animal Shelter.
We actually went looking for a black, male kitten and came home with a female Siamese kitten!! She was about 10 weeks old and boy, was she a handful. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t climb.
In the many years since that time, Mary has proven to be a very loving kitty. And, of course, a very talkative one. She always has something to say to anyone passing by and will come talk to us if and when she needs a servant.
Thank you TOAH for nominating Mary. She feels very honored to have been chosen.”
May 01Congratulations to our May 2019 Pet of the Month, Daisy Yonchik. Read her bio below:)
“This is our baby. She is an 8-year-old, 13-pound Maltese. We call her Daisy. At TOAH, they call her “Trooper”. She’s one tough dog!
Daisy came into our lives in the Spring of 2011. She was a gift to my in-laws. Although she only spent a short time with them, she brought so much joy to their lives. After my mother-in-law passed, my father-in-law moved into an assisted living community and could no longer take care of Daisy. So, now she lives with us and visits her first Daddy once a week.
Daisy is the most laid back, lovable Maltese you could ever meet. Whether it’s the FedEx driver, neighbors, or our contractor, Daisy has never met a stranger she didn’t like. She introduces herself (and me) to any human she sees. She wags her tail furiously and pulls on her leash till the new human comes to pet her. Everyone who meets her falls in love. It happened to us, too!
One evening this February, while we were walking, she was attacked by an unleashed dog who flew so fast down the driveway none of us even saw it until it had grabbed Daisy, lifted her up and was starting to shake her back and forth. All we could see was a little white fluff of fur up in the air and yelping in the shrillest pitch I’ve ever heard. We had to take her to the emergency vet for surgery. Brought her to TOAH because we knew she’d get the best care there. All totaled, she had 4 surgeries, some overnight stays, and tons of antibiotics. TOAH got to know Daisy really well and with all she’d been through said she was a real . . . you guessed it . . . TROOPER.”
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