Meet Grandpa Lloyd – Planning for Pets After You are Gone 03/22/2024 By Kerry S Found wandering stray on the streets of Hugo, Minnesota, estimated 18-20 years old. This gentleman came into Companion Animal Control matted and deathly skinny. His feet were bleeding from the amount of walking he had been doing, and he was missing a toe. He was dehydrated, horribly matted, and deathly skinny. By every care standard, this old man should not have survived what we can imagine he had to endure, but he had the will to make it, and we are so glad he did! Everyone, meet Grandpa Lloyd! He’s 10,000 years old, deaf, and the biggest lover in the world. He has no teeth but the appetite of a champ. He’s so thin the wind could break him, but his meow could be heard in space. The shelter he was in is under construction and the noise was really stressing Grandpa out. Shelter staff texted our Volunteer Manager, Brittany, around 7pm on Friday. She knew of our Rainbow Fund Hospice Care Program and asked if we could take him. We, of course, immediately said yes, and the Animal Control Officer spent her off hours driving him down that night because they were so worried about him. Our Vet Care Manager, Kate, came in and set up a space for him at our facility where he could find a warm, soft bed waiting and a stress-free environment. Not only that, she examined him for any urgent concerns and sat with him to keep him company. He did have a urinary tract infection, so we started treating him for this, and he is feeling so much better. His blood was taken to see if he had any major health concerns that would lead to him being so thin. We found nothing remarkable. His thyroid was in good shape and only just a small start to renal failure. All in all this senior gentleman is very healthy and just needs to gain weight! Brittany, our volunteer manager, and Kate, our vet care manager, have been taking turns monitoring and loving up on this dude. We don’t know what his future holds, but we do know he’s going to spend the rest of his days wholeheartedly loved as part of our Rainbow Fund/Hospice Program. We often get calls for pets that have been abandoned or left behind after their owners have gone into hospice care or died. Many times, these owners do not have a family to support them, and these pets go to shelters or sometimes, like Grandpa Lloyd, just “let go.” It’s incredibly tragic and heartbreaking, but we see this happen a lot. Pet Haven is here to make a difference and provide the alternative of LOVE for these Forgotten Pets. Grandpa Lloyd getting love! What is the Rainbow Fund/Hospice program? Pet Haven is a safety net for pets who need us most. Pet Haven’s Rainbow Fund seeks to support and honor cats and dogs who have come into our care, are in hospice, or have crossed the rainbow bridge. Often, these animals are the least acknowledged while having some of the highest costs due to long-term and emergency care. Just a few of their stories are below. Consider honoring a pet who is in our hospice and has passed by donating to the Rainbow Fund. We value the life of these pets and believe they deserve a well-loved ending, so as part of the Rainbow Fund Program, we provide in-home euthanasia to pets in our Pet Haven Rainbow Hospice Program. Yes, this is expensive. On average, $350 per pet. We believe in-home services are the kindest gift we can give these senior pets. The last place we want them to be at the end is a cold, noisy shelter with people they do not know. It doesn’t matter if a pet is in our care one day or a year. We provide this compassionate end-of-life service whenever possible. Please consider a gift today to support our Rainbow Bridge Fund Grandpa thanks you!
