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If your pet is urgently ill and you can’t afford the medical care, Thorin's Promise, a new non-profit based in Delaware, may be able to assist with the cost of lifesaving medical treatment.
Pet owners are too often forced between difficult choices when they can't meet the financial cost of a pet's medical care. They either have to surrender the pet to a special needs animal rescue or they must euthanize the pet to alleviate its suffering. Thorin’s Promise was established in October 2021 to help give pet owners another option:
"We help ease the financial burden for pet owners who are facing unexpected critical care costs for a pet's medical condition," explains Lisa McGrath, founder of the non-profit Thorin's Promise based in Wilmington, Delaware.
"We create fundraisers and have a network that we can tap into to help offset the costs of urgent medical care so that a pet does not need to be re-homed, does not get sent to a shelter, or have to be euthanized," McGrath explained.
"In most all cases, we are working on behalf of a pet that is well-loved, whose owner does not want to lose their beloved pet, but the financial burden of critical veterinary care forces them into one of those options."
Since launching in October 2021, Thorin's Promise (a 501C-3 organization) helped save five pets and ease the financial burden of medical care for their families. A few examples are:
Luna J, a one-year old Husky-Retriever mix that was born with an intrahepatic portosystemic liver shunt, a condition in which the liver doesn't filter blood and toxins build up and absorb into her body. Lusa was desperately in need of surgery. Thorin's Promise is in the process of raising the balance of funds needed to pay for a her surgery, which is will cost close to $8,000.00 and is scheduled for May 2022.
Finn, a two-year old mixed-breed went to the vet for a routine physical and was diagnosed with non-regenerative anemia, which requires multiple blood transfusions and ongoing medical observation. His owner is a graduate student who receives grants and loans to attend UGA. She had adopted Finn for emotional support and already covered $2,500.00 of his medical costs. Thanks to Thorin's Promise, Finn is getting the care he needs.
Thorin's Promise works with cats as well as dogs. Silas and his family had relocated for his owner's new job. During a visit to the vet for a suspected urinary tract infection, it was discovered that Silas had a blockage that was life-threatening. His owner provided the balance for the surgery and Thorin's Promise raised funds for the balance. Silas had surgery in January 2022 and is doing very well.
When you need someone in your corner to help you provide the urgent medical care your pet needs at a time when they need it most, Thorin's Promise may be able to help. The organization has rolling applications for financial support for emergency and critical medical care.
The Inspiration for Thorin's Promise
Thorin was a stray dog that came across Lisa's path while she was walking a Weather or Not Dog Walkers client dog. She noticed him walking across one of her canine client's yard alone, cold, and hungry. Here was this weak, undernourished dog who was having much difficulty moving his hind legs. Lisa had searched for an owner nearby and also had the dog checked for a microchip; there wasn't one. She also posted on Facebook, but no one claimed the dog. Lisa nursed this stray back to health, naming him Thorin. He became her constant companion.
Thorin, however, had Intervertebral Degenerative Disk Disease (IVDD). Three months after Lisa and Thorin found each other, he lost the use of both of his hind legs. With the aid of acupuncture and exceptional medical care, that also came with a high price tag, Thorin regained use of his legs! Less than three years later, during the summer of 2021, Thorin ate something he shouldn't have and ended up with a blockage in his intestines. He made it through the surgery and was expected to come hime but he developed aspiration pneumonia. Thorin didn't make it; Lisa's heart was broken but not the bond she and Thorin had developed. He is the inspiration for Thorin's Promise.
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