Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Scooby O’Chusid.
“There are good ships and there are wood ships,
the ships that sail the sea.
But the best ships are friendships,
and may they always be.” — Irish Proverb
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
In loving memory of Scooby Chusid.
August 31, 1994 – February 14, 2016.
Please celebrate responsibly.
Please don’t drink and drive.
(Design credit: David Kruger)
Today Ben turns 9. And while he’s busy at school we’ll tell you a bit more about this young, kind hearted philan-thropist. You’ve seen his picture here before; you may already know the story.
Ben is the Chairman and CEO of Ben, Inc., a humble and love-based comglomerate of micro-businesses all dedicated to delivering kindness to those less fortunate.
The photo shows Ben hard at work three years ago, when he was 6, manning his Lemonde Stand that netted big bucks for some of his favorite causes.
He began donating before he turned five. And now at the age of nine he’s a veteran giver. He’s helped Dutch and Big Hunk and Bella and pretty much every time there’s a need, Ben is right there to help The Pongo Fund meet that need.
And he does it the old fashioned way. He shows up. In person. Oftentimes visiting The Pongo Fund to deliver another donation that we will use to help others when they need us most, both two and four-legged alike.
But that’s not all.
Because Ben and his younger brother Owen give lots more than money. They also create the custom artwork for the dogs we rescue while they stay at Sniff Dog Hotel.
When I asked Ben why they did this, he looked me straight in the eye and told me because their artwork will make the dogs happy when they’re alone. Of course!
In 2025 Ben will be off to college. No telling what the world will be like in 9 more years. But if Ben has his way, it will be a very kind place.
Last year many of you donated $8.00 in honor of Ben and his 8th birthday. If you would like to $9.00 for his 9th birthday, please click here: https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/ .
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. Happy Birthday Ben! thepongofund.org
Today marks four weeks since 150-year-old Scooby crossed The Rainbow Bridge. I still expect to see him in all the usual places. And that means everywhere I am. Because we were like that.
He was my Starsky.
This morning’s breakfast of French toast included some tiny Scooby French Toast pieces too. I cut them instinctively, forgetting in that quick passing moment he was not here with me.
They are waiting, on one of his plates, on the counter. Just in case he stops by I’ll have them ready. Funny as it sounds, I like that.
I know he’s not here. Not physically. But those moments that I forget he is not here, brief as they are, those are good moments
I write this today for those of you who do not yet know. Because not everyone reads FB the same. And too many of you have expressed surprise and sadness because you did not know. You asked me to post this reminder.
I’m happy to do this. It connects me even closer to something that I’m already so deeply connected to. But the shock is still fresh. Not sure if that makes sense or not.
The thousands of cards and messages that arrived during these past few weeks are still waiting to be opened, to be read. I will. And I look forward to them. Because they will bring me that many more moments of remembering and celebrating The Scoobs.
And that is a good and healthy thing for my soul.
In loving memory of Scooby Chusid.
August 31, 1994 – February 14, 2016.
“You’re off to great places. Today is your day.
Your mountain is waiting, So get on your way” — Dr. Seuss
Farewell my friend. Safe travels.
‘til we meet again.
–Love Always, Larry
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
It’s been three weeks and two days. That’s when Scooby passed away. On February 14th. He was 150 years old. It seems like yesterday. It seems like forever. It seems like it never even happened.
But then something reminds me that it’s real. That he is gone. I can’t keep those moments away. And sometimes they hit with such force that they knock my entire being.
A few days ago I stood at this very spot, greeting the morning and the mountain. It was a place that Scooby and I frequented. It feels different now. Right down to my balance. It was off.
Because holding a leash in my hand really did keep me balanced. Maybe not the way you think. But it did. And I miss that balance.
We gazed toward the mountain together. I knew he was not there physically. But emotionally, spiritually, he was still right there. Close by. And it felt good.
Then everything changed.
A woman appeared, she stood a few feet away. She was softly crying. She was physically alone. Although at her ankles she may have been surrounded by lots of happy memories, just as I was.
A moment later I asked if she was ok. She said she was. That she was crying for a friend. I thanked her for doing that. I told her I did that too.
A few seconds later she turned toward me, not all the way but just ever so slightly, and said “I loved Scooby and I miss him too.”
Then she turned and walked away. I didn’t even have time to respond.
She said what she needed to say. I’d never seen her before, wouldn’t know her if I saw her again. The words were the memory.
When I got home a sliver of sun was shining through the window. It was focused directly on Scooby’s dining room bed. The very reason that his bed was placed where it was. Because he loved to nap in the sun.
But the sun also spotlighted the dust on the floor. And the Scooby fur too. Because since that day three weeks and two days ago I have not vacuumed.
I’ve not wanted to dislodge the presence that I still so much want to keep near.
I got down on the floor to better see it. The dust and the fur. They glowed in the sunlight. They looked happy. They did no harm.
Then a cloud bumped the sun and it moved. And that spot on the floor dimmed. But it reminded me that Scooby was still close by.
I had the morning and the mountain. I had the tears from another that joined my own inside. I still have the dust and the fur. I have the memories everywhere. So many memories.
They may not seem like enough but they’re all I have. And for that I am grateful.
I can’t smoosh his face the way I used too. I can’t give him tummy tickles and I can’t fold his ears up like a bonnet. I can’t rub the magic spot on his forehead. I miss him but I’m still lucky.
Because I knew him.
Because I got to be at one with him.
Because I loved him.
And it was even better because you loved him too. Thank you for that.
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
There is a Secret Place filled with Secret Kitties. Ferals. Strays. Street Cats. Hospice Cats. Each and every one of them a Survivor.
We cannot tell you where this secret place is because privacy is crucial to their work. But it is run by Angels.
And when they needed emergency help with food a few years ago, they turned to The Pongo Fund. And 1,000 cans of cat food were on the way to them post haste.
Because being able to help Angels helping kitties is a good thing to do.
Kitties that purr and meow and are happy and healthy as can be. Most of all, they are safe. And they are loved.
But they will never leave this beautiful place because their needs are too great. Which is not a bad thing. Because this secret place is indeed a beautiful place.
These brave and battle-scarred and wonderful kitties that have survived against the odds. They have found their Nirvana. Their sad tales and toughest days are behind them now.
And The Pongo Fund continues today to help keep them fed whenever we are needed.
And that’s why when we got another request for more food we were on the job fast as could be. Because more cats had arrived from a troubling situation and because so many of these cats were struggling with dental issues the plea came for more wet food.
That, along with the extra-large feral community that had taken up residence in their back acreage. All of them trapped and fixed. And all of them hungry.
So when that love-filled plea for more cat food arrived, we couldn’t have been happier. Because we had an extra pallet of love-filled cat food ready to share. Another 1,000 cans just like the ones in the photo. And a big batch of dry food too, because some of those kitties still love to crunch.
Thank you to each and every one of you for being there during the toughest times to help The Pongo Fund help the hardest-working special needs rescues meet their greatest food needs. That’s what you do when you donate.
We do this work with you. We do it because of you. But most of all, we do it together.
Helping the kitties that didn’t have a chance. And now they do. How could we say no to that?
And this is why we Pongo.
If you’d like to help, please donate here:https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
A look back at hope. There was something about that call. Something that said we needed to find a way to get there.
Our Emergency Kibble Response Team was loaded and on the way within the hour. And for a call like that we were prepared with everything we might need for both person and pet.
She said her dogs were named Harry and Sally because that movie always made her laugh and she said her dogs did too. She laughed when she said it. And that was good enough. Because any laughter was a good thing considering the situation. Because things were not so good.
Her temporary home was inside her car at a freeway rest stop. The rest stop was like so many others. While thousands came and went, she stayed. How long she was there was not important.
What was important was that she was there due to problems that exceeded her ability to fix. Problems she had not caused. And now she was trapped. Luckily she did have somewhere else to go. She just needed help getting on the road again.
The Pongo Fund is a Pet Food Bank. We’re here to help keep pets fed when their own families are temporarily unable to keep them fed. To keep those animals safe and out of the shelters during the toughest of times. But this one needed more than just pet food. This one needed hope.
Luckily we had hope to give. For two and four-legged alike.
Despite a situation that cried out for help, we were instead greeted by a delightful, optimistic yet cautious woman who believed that greetings of joy were the most important.
As she described them, rather than talk about them as her problems, she described them as simply life. Like the ebb and flow of the tide, some moments better than others.
And what was bad now would be washed away and replaced with good. At least that was the positive nature she shared.
But the look in her eyes also told us she knew the tide was not in her favor right then. And that some help, any help, would be welcomed.
We could see that she was hurting.
But her dogs? Her dogs looked great!
Her car was tidy and provided a compact home for the two wiggly, waggly mixed breeds that doted on their Mom. Just as she doted on them. And not a single one of them voiced or barked a complaint.
She said she was on her way from north to south and passing through Oregon was part of her route. She had a plan and a purpose and both revolved around her dogs. They were her family and the number of times she looked them in the eyes and gave each a kiss made it clear that they were the best family anyone could ever hope for.
We know we can’t fix everything. Sometimes things are simply what they are. Maybe just as they’re meant to be. But we can still help. We can ask. We can offer. We can do more. We can leave the situation better than it was. Or at least we can try.
And that’s what The Pongo Fund has become.
What began as a Pet Food Bank has blossomed into a volunteer-driven and bootstrapped organization that has found a way to be more and to do more than we ever expected.
And it’s all because of you and the support you provide to us. Your kind words, your hopeful words, your contributions of love and blessings and money.
On that day for that woman and for her beloved Harry and Sally we got it done. After confirming where she was headed and that she had a place to stay, we helped them get back on the road.
All thanks to a few kind people that pulled together on the spur-of-the-moment to help in anyway they could.
What we did for them involved more than just a bowl of kibble. But there was that too. Many of them, actually.
Because sometimes a bowl of kibble is the force that both keeps a family together and saves the lives of the animals they love.
Being there for a woman that despite it all retained her optimism. And being there for the dogs that she loved. The dogs that made her laugh through the toughest of times.
We do this work with you. We do it because of you. But most of all, we do it together.
And this is why we Pongo.
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
Scooby loved flowers. Sniffing them. Touching them. Being with them. He never rushed. Carefully and patiently getting to know each one, each bloom, front to back, side to side, all around.
Because as I learned from Scooby, one flower, one little tiny bloom, still has lots of different parts. And it’s important to say hello to each one of those parts.
He treated them all so delicately. It was as if for Scooby, every single one of them was sacred. Of course he was right.
He especially liked climbing inside busy blooming shrubs and becoming one with them. Maneuvering himself inside so deep that I could not easily get him out. And sometimes I could barely even see him; his version of Where’s Waldo?
It was as if the flowers and the leaves and the branches had been expecting him, with his special Scooby Spot ready and waiting.
Watching all those flowers and leaves and branches giggling and dancing this way and that as Scooby gently tunneled his way inside and finally found his place.
And then, at that moment in time, The Shrub and The Scoobs became one. He was now yet one more flower on the branch.
He loved it. And I know The Shrub did too.
The Scoobster especially loved the fragrant flowers and watching the bees dance with them. We’d sit in the yard for long stretches and talk about them, oftentimes picking a few flowers and bringing them inside for enjoyment.
We even kept a little vase next to his dining room bed and it always had flowers. His flowers. Because he loved them.
Walks through Portland’s rose and rhododendron gardens while in full bloom were extra special. Even while the honey bees were at their busiest, it was as if every single one of them knew Scooby and had to come over and buzz hello.
Literally, sometimes they created little mini-swarms all around him. They totally ignored me, but they just frenzied for him.
Scooby did not snap at them or chase them or even run away from them. They just took their moments, whenever it struck them, and Scooby and his Bees buzzed together.
Maybe in another life Scooby was really Scoobee? After all, you know that his ears looked a bit like wings. And he did like honey.
One time a bee got into the house and try as I might, I could not catch it. I found it the next morning in Scooby’s bed, pushed right up against him. Sleeping Scooby. Sleeping Bee. They woke up about the same time and we all went on our morning walk together. I bet they had stayed up late telling stories.
Knowing Scooby’s love of fleurs makes this photo even more meaningful. Because this past Sunday Pongo Lead Volunteer Darcie greeted me with this gorgeous orchid to help remember Scooby. Thank you Darcie, the orchid is perfect and I know Scooby loves it.
In Memory of 21 year-old Scooby Chusid: August 31, 1994 – February 14, 2016.
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
#scooby #pongo #orchid #bees #friends #portland #flowers
Pongo Lead Volunteer Sherry knew that Love Rocks would be a perfect way to help remember The Scoobs. So she made a batch and we will share these precious gifts around town.
Each one given a Special Scooby Smooch compliments of his smiling mug in this favorite photo. Maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones to find one so you, too, can share the Scooby Love smile emoticon
Thank you Sherry.
In Memory of 21 year-old Scooby Chusid: August 31, 1994 – February 14, 2016.
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
More than 500 pounds!!! He’s got business cards and a mission statement and he’s only 10. But even at that young age Terrance is a veteran of business and philanthropy, having spent the last four years giving up his own Christmas gifts so that he can instead give to others. On top of that he makes dog and cat toys that he sells, funneling that money back into his cause.
His paycheck is the happiness he gets from doing good. From making the world a better place. Helping others he does not even know, this is the true meaning of charity.
And this past Sunday Terrance made his yearly visit to The Pongo Fund, where he presented us with a true mountain of kibble, more than 500 pounds of dog food along with treats and toys and more. Remember, he’s just 10!
The Pongo Fund is honored to have the help of so many Young Philanthropists like Terrance, pounding the pavement doing all they can to make life better for those less fortunate. Profits are measured in lives saved and that’s why they partner with The Pongo Fund. Because together we can save more lives.
Terrance is on our FB page, so please share a kind word for him because he deserves it.
Thank you Terrance. You Rock!
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
#Terrance #pongo #Portland #charity #helping #philanthropy
Here’s the update. With before and after photos. Because we can’t celebrate this sweet guy we call Big Hunk without first remembering what we’re celebrating. So please, let’s do that now.
His Mom reached out to us. The photos were heartbreaking. Her email was brief and profound. She wrote: “I’ve tried to raise money and get help to save him; it seems no one wants to help us. Please, he’s our family.”
For The Pongo Fund, one look at the photos and nothing else mattered.
What mattered was that we are human. We have compassion. And we are in this world to do no harm. We will help when we can. And if we can’t, we will still try. So that’s what we did.
And that’s when you stepped in to help us. Your contributions of emergency medical funds, kind words and prayers made the impossible possible. And that meant that together, we did what no one else would do.
We did it because it needed to be done. Because it was the right thing to do. And what a difference it made. So powerful, that a life was saved.
Saving a life. Those are the times we are most proud to Pongo.
Big Hunk was seen at VCA East Mill Plain Animal Hospital and the very next day he was in surgery. There was no time to wait.
And that next day, when he woke up, his life had changed forever. That huge gnarly and deadly mass was now gone. And this sweet boy could once again play and eat and smile.
You did it. You, and Dr. Alayson and her crackerjack team at VCA East Mill Plain Animal Hospital.
The next step was the biopsy. And that biopsy took much longer than expected because of how large and developed the mass was. So we waited. And then we heard.
It was great news. Not perfect, but a million times better. And that was the goal. Big Hunk will continue going strong while we plan the next steps. I’ll keep you posted.
But for now, please let me reach through the internet and give a hug to each one of you who has been there for Big Hunk. Once again, you got the job done.
Because what we do, we do together.
Please donate to our Emergency Veterinary Care Fund so we can help more like Big Hunk. 100% of your donation will be used for veterinary care. The link is here: https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/
And how’s he doing now? His Mom said he’s doing GREAT! Wagging his tail & playing with his brother, going on his daily walks & playing with his neighborhood friends.
Perfect!
And this is why we Pongo.
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
#pongo #vca #dogs #rescue #tumor #portland #vancouver