Fund helps furry friends
Published 8:54 pm Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Ellen Norris of Eagle Harbor Veterinary Clinic with a Flemish giant rabbit available for adoption, as well as a feline patient. The veterinary clinic’s Furr Foundation fundraises for veterinary bills that can’t be paid, and also works with rescue groups to find new homes for pets.
A Carrollton veterinary clinic has widened the scope of a fund it started in memory of an orange tomcat to help animals in need.
“Yellow” was turned over to Animal Clinic of Eagle Harbor by his owners near the end of 2010.
He’d been stepped on by a toddler, injuring his spine and legs, and left to languish in a garage for eight months.
The clinic renamed the cat “Funyun,” and the Funyun Fund — recently renamed the Furr Foundation — was initiated to buy him a set of wheels.
“The Furr Foundation officially started around March,” said Ellen Norris, the clinic’s hospital manager.
“We used to call it the Funyun Fund, but since then, we want to come up with something that encompasses everything.”
The Furr Foundation also operates as a rescue group, Norris said, finding forever homes for dogs, cats and other pets … including rabbits.
Clinic employees found new homes for all but two out of 22 rabbits rescued from what Norris earlier described as a “breeder-turning-into-a-hoarder” situation in Louisiana.
But it also aims to help people who couldn’t otherwise to pay for veterinary care, including at other animal care facilities, Norris said.
“One year from now, hopefully we will be in a position to help somebody’s pet having emergency surgery, and we can transfer funds over to that hospital,” she said.
The Furr Foundation works closely with other rescue groups, Norris said.
Money is being raised to help the foundation carry on its work. T-shirts and bandannas are available for purchase at Eagle Harbour Veterinary Clinic, Unit 3 at 13609 Carrollton Blvd., Carrollton, where monetary donations are also welcome.
A bake sale is being held at the Pet Paradise across the road on Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the veterinary clinic is also running a 50-50 raffle.
While the veterinary clinic is a business, “our goal is to be here for the animals,” Norris said.
“We have had cases where people have surrendered animals — like Funyun,” she said.
“That’s why we have the Furr Foundation, so we can have a reserve and offer what we think we can do.”
Sadly, Funyun died at 2 years of age, after a seizure, in November 2011. He was mourned keenly and is greatly missed.
