There are so many things perfect about this moment. Many reminders too. Hurricane Harvey hits all of us hard, my heart breaks moment after moment, despite the hopeful moments, I still hurt. And that’s why I quickly worked on a plan to get to Houston to help. I had to be there, I absolutely had too. But others said no, they were firm; my job is here, so we found other ways to help in Houston. It still felt wrong, because how do we balance the grace that we are blessed with when so many others suffer? Then Belle called. Already facing many months of homelessness, battling serious medical issues on top of that, yet she’s on the phone because her little buddy, Prince, is out of food. Right now out of food. Some other homeless folks told her about Pongo, so she called. Belle and Prince have a car, and thankfully they were located just a few blocks from one of our downtown distribution locations. So this one would be easy, or so we thought.

Three cats and a dog and the woman who guides them. In the midst of tragedy and turmoil we get the calls that bring us back home, to why we Pongo. Because although we help as many as possible from afar, we are still here first to help our neighbors. Nearly 7pm, we answer the phone. The caller, a disabled senior bound to a wheelchair for 15 years, shared that she will run out of cat food tomorrow, and her dog food supply will run out the day after. She needs help, but just until the 3rd, that’s when her SSI check comes, a check that pays her bills so she and her animals can remain in the trailer park home they have known for years. But sometimes the money runs out before the days in the month do, and this is one of those times. Her small food stamp allotment has run out too. She said she will go anywhere for pet food if we can suggest it, her wheelchair will not keep her from feeding her animals. But we will go to her, because that is the right thing to do. As we asked her the questions to complete the paperwork for our Emergency Kibble Response Team, her voice began to break up. That’s when she knew that help would be on the way. She did not expect our help, she said thank you, thank you, thank you; she had no idea we existed until a local government hotline directed her to us just moments before she called. Asking for help is not her way, yet she did, and we answered. It was not what she expected, yet somehow her prayers have been answered.
For Calvin, Blue, Taryn and Oreo, help is on the way.
And this is why we Pongo.
#pongofund #portland #hunger #cat #love
(photo is stock photo and not woman in story)

GREAT NEWS! Thank you to everyone who stepped up to help Hank. Your kind words, blessings and financial contributions hit the spot and we’re pleased to tell you that Hank is scheduled for surgery in the next few days. This will be a complicated surgery with an equally complicated recovery, but we are incredibly hopeful. Thank you again for being there for Hank, and we invite your continued kind words and blessings for him and for our animal friends everywhere. “Whoever said that the eyes are windows to the soul must have known a Pug.”
Being there for Hank.
And this is why we Pongo.
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
#hank #pug #thepongofund #portland #rescue #canineparalysis

Myla’s 13 and serving community one good deed at a time. She found The Pongo Fund last year when she and her friend Emmy teamed up to Pongo for a school service project. And when she decided to pursue her Girl Scout Silver Award, the Second Highest Award of the Girl Scouts of the USA, she turned to The Pongo Fund again. So for the past several weeks she’s been Pongoing with us, while also orchestrating a pet food drive. Yesterday she brought in the second food delivery, a whole pallet of food, and there’s still more to come. Thank you Myla, for Pongoing for those less fortunate. We are honored to be included in your Silver Award.
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
#pongofund #charity #love #hunger #myla #portland #girlscouts#silveraward #rescue

These three, in their vintage lime green Pongo shirts; I love these people. You’re looking at more than 20 years of Pongoing experience between them. They’re part of our Pongo Power Pack, the nucleus that keeps us Pongoing. Chelsea, on the left, she’s been Pongoing since Day One. Darla arrived a few weeks later, and Stefan, just a little bit after that. He was a ride along one day, agreeing to Pongo because his girlfriend, now wife, invited him to help. He’s still here. We’ve been through a lot together, babies and bunnies, dogs and cats and more, we’ve welcomed them home and we’ve helped say goodbye; there have been weddings and funerals, new jobs, new cars, new homes and new dreams. And lots of laughter. But through it all, together we’ve Pongoed.

He fell out a window. I’m writing fast, please ignore the typos and fractured grammar but I warn you now; this one’s not going to be easy. He fell out a window last week, his back limbs immediately paralyzed. His people were not there, others nearby heard him crying in pain. The next day he went to a local emergency hospital for some pro-bono care, the injury was severe. For those of you who know spines, and for those of you who know pugs, you understand the recommendation to euthanize Hank. Because Hank’s family faces extreme financial hardship, The Pongo Fund got the call to see if there was anything we could do. And that’s how we came to meet Hank.

He presented in pain, lots of pain, back legs not functioning at all. Due to the extreme injury neither his bladder nor colon functioned properly either. And this is where some of you may want to stop reading. Because he continued to eat and drink, his colon and bladder continued to fill. You know the drill from here and it’s life and death. Thankfully our Angel veterinarians Dr. Melissa and Dr. Robin were there for this Pug Angel and they manually emptied his tanks, and let me tell you, this was not easy and they both wore Hank’s pee and pooh. The pain of his ready-to-burst bladder was significant, thus an injection was administered for comfort. It was then that we got the xray we needed to get. And it showed a lot of damage. Some of it hereditary, some of it from the recent fall, some of it from any number of things. It was bad but at least we had something to work with.

And while there was little to celebrate save for his beautiful eyes, during our exam Hank fidgeted just the tiniest bit around his toes. While he had no feeling in his hind quarters at all despite some real serious efforts to get him to sense pain, something called loss of deep pain, he still wiggled a couple of toes.

We had Hope.

This guy had been through hell and now he was wrapped tight in the arms of Dr. Melissa and Dr. Robin, doing all they could to help him find comfort. And that’s when the hardest question needed to be asked. Hank’s Dad was there, a man who loved Hank to the moon and back, but in this moment, the reality was that he could not provide the level of advanced care that Hank needed. Few people could. I asked him a question, the hardest question, and in the bravest of moments, Hank’s Dad said yes. He would surrender Hank so we could get him the care he needed. That was no easy decision and Hank’s bravery clearly came from his Dad, because Hank’s Dad is one brave man too.

This is not a time to judge, this is a time to count your blessings and know that we needed to move fast.

Moments later I was on the phone to a kind soul named Brian, one of Oregon’s Biggest Pug Lovers, and Brian got the ball rolling. The very next day Hank was being fostered by a vet tech, and that evening he lounged in the warm green grass. Still in pain, legs still not working, but warm green grass. What a difference a day makes. You’ve heard those words before, for Hank they could not ring more true.

But that was just the start.

Hank has continued to fight; this guy is Pug Power to the tenth degree and more. Little tiny movements continued to show and despite all of the cards being stacked against him, he proved he was not a quitter. And that leads us to now, just a few days since we met him, because Hank will be going in for surgery immediately, just days after it seemed like he had no hope. Even his neurosurgeon was stunned by his progress and spirit. In the face of enormous pain and adversity, Hank continues to Hank.

This surgery is way beyond our ability; neurological experts will do this work. And even with discounts in place it will cost more than we have in our emergency veterinary care budget. And that’s where you come in, because your prayers, hopes and donations are desperately needed for Hank the Pugnificent. We have a Pug Lover who has agreed to match $1,000 in contributions, meaning that if we get $1,000, we’ll have $2,000.

And that will be a great help. Please donate here and write Hank in the comments: https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/.

Hank’s future is sunny and bright. And that’s why with my utmost respect I plead with you now to please help this guy who didn’t have a chance and now he does. Hank the Pugnificent.

Because when you have Hope, you have everything.

And this is why we Pongo.

Please donate here and write Hank in the comments: https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org

(We beg of you to please share this post so that others will know that Hank needs their help)

Gunshot Billy is doing great. Hank continues to be Miracle Hank. Big Hunk, with the baseball sized tumor hanging from his mouth, remember him? And Bugsy, the sweet pibble shot in the head? Someone asked how many pets The Pongo Fund has provided free veterinary care for, and I told them I didn’t know exactly. Remember, we’re a Pet Food Bank. The veterinary care is a new part of our work, we just help when we can. Directing our care in ways that go the distance, fighting the odds for those who need us most. Sometimes we might be the only help left. That’s when we dig in. That’s what brings us joy. And we’ll be doing it again tomorrow, when Dr. Melissa, Dr. Robin and The Pongo Fund team up to head east to provide care to a homeless camp filled with people and the pets they love. Everything we do is because of you, and the love and support you give us. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
Being there for those when they need us most.
And this is why we Pongo.
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
#Pongo #veterinary #oregon #portland #charity #dog #cat

Eclipse. Eclipse. Eclipse. Yes, there’s going to be an Eclipse. It’s tomorrow, Monday August 21, exact time depending on where you are. For Oregon, the peak of darkness will hit around 10am. Yes, it will be a rare opportunity to see something special. But please remember that our animals aren’t caught up in the frenzy. Sure, you may want your best four-legged friend next to you staring skyward and that’s cool. But please don’t be frustrated or angry when they don’t share the same intense interest you might have. No, they don’t need glasses. And no, you don’t need to pick them up and point their face at the sun. Just please, let them be, and let them enjoy the moment however they choose. But don’t force them to look, because their eyes can burn just like ours can.

He got shot. They heard the gunshot, he didn’t come home. The next morning they found him, dragging himself across the sidewalk toward their front door. No one knows for sure how far he’d been dragging himself but it was a ways. His back legs didn’t work; yet somehow he pulled himself sideways to get home to the only place he knew. He hurt real bad, they could see it. They got him to the vet, spent $286 they didn’t have to pay for things they never expected to need. Radiographs, pain meds, antibiotics. That’s when they learned the bullet was there, inside that leg, a leg that was shattered. A leg that needs to be amputated.

She worked for many years cleaning rooms in hospitals, one of the unsung heroes. And now at 75, in her golden years, and her social security doesn’t even pay the mortgage. A mortgage that will never be paid off in this lifetime. If she could she’d go back to work, health issues don’t allow it. And her husband, he’s fighting cancer. Their cats, that’s the engine that keeps them going. And now, out of the blue, Billy got shot and they don’t have the money to help.

A local veterinarian suggested they call The Pongo Fund. And she called. I just got home a few minutes ago from visiting them, I needed to meet them. Even in pain, they were both gracious. Snuggled tight against his Mom’s chin, you can see the hurt in his eyes. But he’s home, he’s safe; you can see that too.

It was clear what we needed to do.

We’ve already been on the phone calling the surgeon at home, working on a game plan. Maybe later this week we’ll be in surgery, as soon as possible is the goal. Koby said she has an emergency fund, it’s her water heater fund, that’s the money she has socked away to pay for water heater repairs during the winter. That’s the kind of thing you only do after your water heater has gone out during the winter and you can’t afford to have it fixed.

So that fund, it holds $500 to be used in case of winter emergencies. But it’s August and 100 degrees. She wants to give us the $500 to help pay for Koby. I said no. She said she must. I said thank you.

I will pay $500 too, that’s my water heater fund. Now we’re at $1000, halfway there. I know someone who will give $100, maybe someone else will give $300? That leaves $600, that’s what we need. If you can, please click here and put “For Gunshot Billy” in the comments: https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/

The bullet will be extracted and provided to the police for their report, this is the real deal. And Billy, he’ll put this behind him and continue to Billy On with three legs. And Koby will continue to do all she can for all who need her. For her husband. For Billy. And for three more kitty cat friends who adore her as their Mom. Along with the son she raised who wasn’t even her son, but that’s the kind of woman she is. She helps everyone else, now maybe we can help her?

There’s more to the story, my tears, I can feel them percolating. I need to sign off now. Please help: https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/.

For the cat that dragged himself home, further than any of us will ever know. And for the woman who was there waiting for him.

Being there for them.

And this is why we Pongo.

Will you please share this post so that other cat lovers can help? Because no kitty friend ever deserves to be shot and left for dead.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
#cat #thepongofund #rescue #love #portland #help

It says RM.5B above the nondescript door but its so much more than that. Because they fight hunger there and The Pongo Fund is right there with them. 4th of July weekend, the beaches are packed. Summer at its finest. But in a few weeks the tourists are gone and it’ll be back to normal again, and if your beaches are like our beaches, there’s a lot of good folks there fighting to get by. They work hard but the dollars don’t always equal the effort.

Thankfully places like Cannon Beach Food Pantry are up to the task. This is a special place, staffed by volunteers that deliver every box with extra smiles. But one of the most special things is that they are part of The Pongo Fund Distribution Network. Meaning every few weeks we’ll arrive with another load of high-quality dog and cat food to be shared with hungry people with hungry pets. How important is the pet food? It sits on the shelf alongside other high demand items like canned chile and tuna. And it’s requested hundreds of times every year. The box with the ketchup got some, box 23 did too.