If you have a dog trap to loan us, please let us know. This girl needs food, medical attention and TLC. Thanks.

Just when we thought we would take a little time off to rest and recharge, we received a call about a dog wandering the grounds of a plant nursery in west Boynton Beach. To make matters even more urgent is that pups are suspected to be hidden somewhere. We packed our car, downloaded a puppy sound app, and took off. The movie shows some of our first attempt to catch her. We’re going back again in a few hours. Please contact us if you will open your home for fostering. Thanks.

I don’t have a breakdown on how many dogs, cats, people (& other critters) we have helped in 2015 yet. I will get those numbers together soon.

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all of my friends, family, and complete strangers for helping me help animals in need.

My husband, Scott, walking dogs who need exercise and love while waiting for homes in boarding facilities. This is the way my husband spends his free time. I’m one lucky girl. xo.

My husband, in particular, truly makes my work possible. He’s right by my side to feed, trap and medicate street cats. He accompanies me to vet appointments, helps me transport dogs/cats on a moment’s notice. He doesn’t get mad when I pull into the garage with a new furry friend who needs a safe place to chill until a permanent home is found. Together, we experience all of the emotions that rescue work evokes. We cry, we laugh, we say hello, we say goodbye, we thank God for the strength He gives us in order to keep helping others.

I’m so fortunate. I feel so spoiled to be able to do the work I do. I couldn’t imagine going through life without this purpose. Even when I’m crabby, tired, and sad, I know life is so much better with rescue in it.

Happy New Year!

Melissa Wu

Jetson always smiles

I always say that I’m going to just focus on spaying and neutering since that is the only way to stop the pet overpopulation crisis, however, rescue always finds its way back into my life.

While I was vacationing a few weeks ago, I got a text from a friend stating her roommate found a dog who was tied to a street sign with a bowl of water at his feet. Someone literally drove up to a sign on a quiet street, tied their dog up and drove away. Do you imagine what was going through that dog’s mind and heart when that careless person drove away? His heartache breaks my heart.

Thank goodness, my friend’s roommate spotted the dog while pumping gas and drove over to the pooch. She untied him, took him home and named him Jetson. My kind of gal. She took action into her own hands. “If not you then who?” That’s one of my favorite sayings. I try to live by that credo too.

The only problem with Jetson at her house is that she has several cats so he had to be kept outdoors until appropriate introductions could be done. That takes a long time. The South Florida rainy weather made it super tough on this foster situation.

Back to that fateful text from my friend: I told my buddy that I didn’t have anywhere to put the pooch but I would pay for his neuter/vetting. Fast forward a couple of weeks and Jetson was taken to my vet. Before he was to be neutered, he tested positive for heartworm. Of course, he did. That’s not only a brutal treatment for the dog but it’s really expensive for us. We then took him to my other vet that specializes in heartworm and we’re assessing our plan of action now.

I hear he’s a fantastic, loving boy. That doesn’t surprise me. All Pits are. I plan on visiting him tomorrow. If someone can help us with a temporary, medical foster, please contact me. He needs to be INSIDE while going through treatment (& for the rest of his life). I’d be so grateful and so would Jetson. All food, meds and incidentals will be covered by Animal Matters.

Thanks,

Melissa Wu
Executive Director
melissa@animalmattersonline.org

It’s not quite Thanksgiving yet I find myself reflecting on what we’ve accomplished in 2014. Here’s how it breaks down as of today:

18 street kitties spayed or neutered
$732.24 spent on street kitty food
Sponsored heartworm treatment for 3 dogs in order to get them off of death row
Saved 3 dogs from shelter death rows
$2,668.52 in vet expenses
Dog training for 1 dog

We’ve helped to spay and neuter several other cats through an initiative in Michigan. I’m awaiting those numbers (which will be astounding)! Thank you for supporting our efforts. Looking forward to doing even more in 2015.

Animal Matters is dedicated to educating the public about the use and abuse of animals through the content on this website. We do not have a facility for homeless pets. Instead, we use this site to promote animals in our community who need loving homes. We hope you find us a valuable resource for animal-related issues.

Remember, your pet is a lifetime commitment. It’s your responsibility to make it work. If you’re looking to adopt an animal in need (thank you), please visit www.petfinder.com and/or www.adoptapet.com.

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