OUR HISTORY

Mandy's Story

In 2018, Mandy was rescued from a Virginia Humane Society and became the constant companion to her newly adopted “mom”. Mandy, the beagle with the sweetest disposition, was already advanced in age and had myriad health concerns. Having never been spayed, Mandy had developed several mammary tumors and had a massive hernia (picture baseball size!). Hoping one surgery would provide life-saving relief, Mandy and her guardian started her on a journey to achieve good health. Two surgeries and a year of kidney disease treatment later, Mandy was a happy and loved dog. She found her forever home and settled comfortably into it.
Then, the devastating news came during the holidays in 2019. Mandy had aggressive lymphoma. For those who have experience with this insidious disease, you know that without treatment a dog’s life expectancy is approximately one month. Continuing in her long journey, Mandy began weekly chemotherapy and maintained her amazingly upbeat spirit throughout. Unfortunately, two months into treatment, it was clear that the cancer was just too strong. Mandy passed away in March 2020.
The past year and a half have been eye opening. The cost of veterinary care for chronic or life-threatening illness can be far higher than animal guardians are equipped to handle. Sadly, pets often go without critical care or medication which can leave them in pain or shorten their lives. Mandy’s mom was fortunate to have resources to help her pup in times of need, and this foundation was started to provide fortune and hope to others.