Dr. Do More Fund
Dr. Do More
At Heartland, our mission is to help the most vulnerable animals that may not survive without us. But the number of sick and injured animals we can save depends on your support. If you have your own pets, you know the cost of veterinarian care has skyrocketed. Over the past 10 years, according to a recent New York Times article, it has increased by more than 60 percent, compared with 30 percent for other costs.
Increasing costs make helping animals so much harder. Still, every day, animals in crisis come through our doors—sick, scared, and in desperate need of medical care. We never know who will arrive next, but we do know one thing: their survival depends on us being ready to act, no matter the cost.
Our resources are stretched thin, but we refuse to let money decide who gets to live. That’s why we created the Dr. Do More Medical Fund—so we can always say yes when a sick or injured animal needs us.
Your donation to Dr. Do More is more than a gift—it’s oxygen for a struggling dog, medicine for a kitten with panleuk, and hope for the next life hanging in the balance.
Read about some of the sick and injured dogs and cats we have helped over the past few months, thanks to your support!
About Dr. Do More
Every animal adopted from Heartland has been spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated before they are adopted. While adoption fees cover these expenses, there just isn’t funding in our budget to cover extraordinary expenses as a non-profit organization with limited resources.
The Dr. Do More Fund was created to enable Heartland Animal Shelter to provide care for treatable animals that require specialized medical or behavioral care and rehabilitation. This helps us save more homeless pets that we would not otherwise have the resources to save.
The Start of the Fund – Esther’s Tale
On March 27, 2007 our staff members met a three-month-old Spaniel/Dachshund mix puppy in need of rescue at Chicago Animal Care and Control. This puppy, who was later named named Esther, was born with backwards twisted front legs. As she sat alone in her cage with the saddest look in her eyes, we couldn’t just walk away and leave her behind. We knew the road ahead would not be easy, but we had faith that Heartland supporters would help us do what was needed to give Esther a second chance.
Dr. Claude Gendreau, DVM, one of the top veterinary orthopedic and neurosurgeons, agreed to perform the surgery at a reduced rate. Dr. Gendreau and his staff at the Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove quickly performed the surgeries before growth spurts could complicate the procedure and agreed to provide lifelong follow up care. Happily, Esther was adopted into a loving home and is a frequent guest at Heartland events where she is an inspiration to all!
The Dr. Do More Fund was originally created to help Heartland with the medical costs and therapy Esther would need before she could find her forever home, but over the years it has evolved and has allowed us to save and treat hundreds of special needs animals.
Donate now and be part of a healing journey!
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