Saving a Life Can Cost Plenty - But Sweet Cleo is Worth Every Penny! 05/21/2024 By Kerry S Meet Cleo Our Phoenix Fund program allows us to take in special needs animals like Cleo, who require extra medical care. Cleo found her way to Pet Haven through one of our Northern Minnesota Rescue Partners. Cleo and her family live in an area of Minnesota that has little to no resources. There are no grocery stores, no pet food or supplies, and no access to veterinary care. The closest Veterinary clinic was 150 miles away. Cleo started having “poop issues” and it was really bad. Her family drove miles to a clinic to get her help, but they didn’t have the means or ability to continue the diagnostic testing or the need for recurring care visits. Options for care were discussed. The clinic told the family about Leech Lake Legacy’s surrender program and Pet Haven’s Phoenix Fund, which helps medical needs pets. Through Leech Lake Legacy and Pet Haven’s support, Cleo could have a chance at a healthy life. The decision to surrender was heartbreaking. She ended up getting very sick and crashing shortly after she came to us. She was deteriorating fast, and we could not figure out what was going on. Cleo ended up rushed to the U of M emergency room, where she needed to be hospitalized, but they saved her life, diagnosing her with a condition called protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) caused by untreated irritable bowel disease over many years. It causes her to lose proteins from her bloodstream into her GI tract faster than her body can replenish them. She needs to stay on medication and a prescription diet for the rest of her life which helps manage these conditions. The University of Minnesota Veterinary Hospital has given Cleo top-notch care, and she loves to visit her friends there! She now has a rich fun-filled life full of new experiences, lots of friends, and a loving foster home. She is ready for her next journey to find her forever family. Cleo’s total cost of diagnostics and continued care to get her healthy was expensive. We are grateful to the individuals who gave generously to save Cleo. We believe Cleo’s life has value. We believe she deserves the chance to know love and a family of her own. We have watched her blossom in foster care, gain confidence, learn to trust, start to play, get the zoomies, and we didn’t want to see that cut short. We wanted to give Cleo a chance at a long healthy life. Because of the generosity of our community, the U of M, and the Phoenix Fund, we were able to provide Cleo with the life-saving care she needed. We are thrilled to report that Cleo is doing great and is up for adoption! Take a look at her ADOPTION PROFILE. We are grateful to give Cleo a chance to live a full life. Please consider a gift to our Phoenix Fund to help dogs like Cleo live long, healthy lives.
