(some names and photos have been changed to protect privacy)

“I thought, ‘I’m not giving up on him!’ There’s no way. There’s got to be a place that will help me.’” 

Deborah has long been invested in finding a way for those who’ve been given up on by others. She has spent years taking in and training rescue dogs, and knows first-hand the emotional costs to animals that have spent years being cycled through the rescue system. This explains why Deb fought so hard when Killer, her Chihuahua, injured his leg and needed veterinary care that she could not afford. Faced with the difficult choice of either surrendering or euthanizing her ‘baby’, Deb felt very alone. 

“Maybe that’s a solution for some people, but not for me,” Deb insists, recalling other obstacles that she encountered last year. After her mother’s passing, she received the terrible news that her son, Matthew, had been hurt in a severe car accident. Never one to give up on her own kin, Deb did what she could to help her son get the care he needed to recover.

So, when another one of her ‘babies’ accidentally broke his leg shortly after, Deb’s emergency funds had already been severely depleted. When her veterinary clinic told her that they would need to amputate the leg – and that it would cost upwards of $1200, on top of the hundreds she had paid already for the diagnosis, Deb applied the same determination to find help for her canine ‘baby’. 

Her two Chihuahua babies mean the world to her – she would do anything for both Killer and Peanut. “They’re like my children; I love them to death,” Deb says, adding that Killer is known for his great smile, and Peanut for his devotion and protection towards both his mom and his little brother. 

The little guys didn’t have an easy life before her, explains Deb. In fact, much like with her other rescue pets, Deb had to nurse them back to health after her (human) son rescued each from an abusive home. When Killer injured his leg jumping off the sofa, however, he needed her care and dedication more than ever. 

“I’m a strong person,” explains Deborah, noting how rough the year had been for her. “I’ve never in my life begged so much… in the last 11 weeks, I have begged so much for people to help me with this dog.” 

It wasn’t easy to find help, though. Many of the usual options were presented to her – she could surrender the animal, euthanize him, even apply for a loan or a payment plan. She tried contacting other pet groups in the province, none of which were set up like Tails of Help to support seniors and low-income citizens to obtain essential veterinary care. Sadly, some wouldn’t even answer her; she was desperate for a break. 

Thankfully, her persistence paid off: eventually Deborah heard about Tails of Help, and Dr. Taryn Ng at the Animal Care Centre of Strathmore, the veterinary clinic that was treating Killer, said they could submit an application for aid. They helped with the necessary forms, and within just one day the funding approval came through easily.

“You guys never hesitated to help me. You didn’t email me 20 times and say ‘well, we’re going to have to look over this paperwork’ or that,” Deborah recalls thankfully, wishing that more people knew about this life-saving charity. “It was a yes. I handed in the papers, they were sent, and ‘yes’!” 

Sadly, the vets were unable to save Killer’s leg, as an infection had eaten the skin right down to the bone. It has been a big adjustment for a little dog whose favourite pastimes include running and chasing his best friends. He has had to learn to walk all over again, but his best friend Peanut has been there for him, helping along the way. 

“They’re inseparable,” Deb says, noting that Peanut stayed by Killer’s side throughout the ordeal, making sure he wouldn’t hurt himself again and supporting him when his wounds needed tending. Surely they will all be playing ‘hide and seek’ again soon (Killer prefers to to hide while Deb and Peanut do the seeking). 

“What I do with these dogs, it’s because I do love them,” says Deborah, thinking about what she might have had to do if Tails of Help hadn’t been there. “I would sell everything I own just to make sure they’re healthy, and that they’re with me. They make me happy.” 

If there’s anything Deborah hopes for now, besides good health for her babies, it is that more people like her can find out about Tails of Help. She hopes others can avoid the hopelessness that she felt when she thought no one would, or could, help her. 

“There are so many dogs that are put back into the [adoption] cycle because their owners can’t afford [treatment]. They love their dogs so much and they don’t want to put them down or give them up, but [they believe they] have no choice.” 

Tails of Help is doing their part to prevent pets from returning to this cycle, not only for the sake of humane societies and the animals they serve, but also for the many owners whose pets are irreplaceable and treasured members of the family. 

“You saved our lives,” Deb says gratefully, “Now the healing process begins.”