Alysha, her children, and their emotional support cat, Abigail, were getting by on their own until their landlord raised their rent.
Struggling to find an affordable, pet-friendly rental with time running out, Alysha used her resources at hand to get a roof over their heads before they would soon be faced with homelessness. She and her family moved into UMOM.
UMOM New Days Center, a shelter for families aimed at supporting parents and their children in overcoming their housing challenges, is how our team at The Arizona Pet Project met Alysha and her family.
Alysha’s UMOM case manager was working on building a budget for her and asked her what major expenses she was currently facing that were keeping their family from moving out of the shelter. Alysha explained that their emotional support cat, Abigail, was very sick and the veterinary costs were beyond her budget.
Abigail, a once sociable and cuddly cat, was not acting like herself and seemed to be having some major pain in her ear.
She wanted to save as much money as she could to get Abigail treated, but the funding she needed for this veterinary care was what was holding her back from moving her and her children out of the shelter and into their new home.
This is when the team at UMOM reached out to The Arizona Pet Project and explained what was going on.
The Arizona Pet Project had Abigail seen by one of our partner veterinarians and covered all of the costs necessary to flush her ears and treat her ear infections.
Moments after reuniting with Abigail after she had her ear flush, Alysha and her children instantly became emotional. Just minutes after receiving her veterinary care, Abigail was back to being herself again—cuddly, affectionate, and vocal, Abigail’s purrs, meows, and kitty snuggles were her way of thanking her family.
Alysha wanted us to thank you for donating to The Arizona Pet Project and making it possible for families like hers to receive veterinary support at no-cost.
Because of supporters like you, Alysha, her children, and their beloved family cat have all they need to begin this new chapter of their life as they transition from shelter housing back into having a place to call their own! Thank you!
Stories like this one are exactly why The Arizona Pet Project has spent over $130,000 this year on veterinary care. The continuing rise in the cost of living in addition to the lack of pet-friendly affordable housing across Arizona continues to wreak havoc on low-income and fixed-income families alike.
But there’s something we can do to help these families and ensure they are having their basic needs met.
The Arizona Pet Projects shelter intervention programs are designed to support families and pets so that pet owners never have to choose between keeping a roof over their heads or caring for their beloved pets.
Each time you support The Arizona Pet Project, you extend a helping hand to families and pets in need in our community—families just like Alysha, her children, and their cat, Abigail. Thank you!
We need your help! Please join The Arizona Pet Project in our GivingTuesday fundraiser, and tap here to help us reach our $5,000 match goal in order to help even MORE families and pets through the holiday season!
Between now and November 30, 2022, your next donation to The Arizona Pet Project will be matched dollar for dollar! Learn more: https://azpetproject.org/giving-tuesday/
