South Windsor Veterinary Clinic's Dandelion Fund's a Life Saver for Families and Pets

Maggie’s dog Flora had been on the verge of falling seriously ill for a while - test scores were borderline and symptoms were manageable. But then her husband lost his job and Flora’s health declined.

“We called them and said, “It’s gotten and worse and we have no money to pay for it,” said Maggie, a South Windsor resident.

The dog needed a battery of tests, an ultrasound, partial hospitalization and medication.

Since Maggie was a patient of South Windsor Veterinary Clinic, the staff there said there might be a way they could help – the Dandelion Fund.

The Dandelion Fund, which was established in 2002 and is fueled by donations and clinic fundraisers, is an emergency fund used to help clients who can’t afford to pay for their pets’ care.

In Maggie’s case, South Windsor Veterinary Clinic knew of a rescue organization that was able to make a donation to Flora’s care and the Dandelion Fund matched it. The tests were done, the right medication was found and Flora’s condition has improved.

Of course, Maggie and her family never imagined being in a position where they couldn't care for their pet.

“The thought of being poor and not being able to help your animal hit us all hard,” Maggie said. “The kids were 5 and 8 and it would have been really hard to say ‘We have to put Flora to sleep because we don’t have the money.' … It’s almost unacceptable but what else can you do?”

Flora has a checkup today and the family hopes to be able to give back when they get on their feet again. 

Mittens, a 2-year-old cat, was another pet returned to health through the provision of the Dandelion Fund after suffering serious injuries to her back legs. Mittens had been hiding under the hood of her family’s car when they started it and needed surgery, splint and bandaging to heal deep cuts, a severed Achilles tendon and several broken toes.

Another pet, a 10-month-old Rotweiler mix, was hit by a dump truck and after intensive care recovered from head trauma, jaw fracture and a fractured back leg. The Dandelion Fund helped his family with the mounting costs.

“The Dandelion Fund is just such a nice thing to be able to offer. It doesn’t cover everything but enough to get things going, so when people get the initial shock of my pet’s sick, it’s going to cost that much money they know this will help,” explained Jacleen Kessler, office manager at South Windsor Veterinary Clinic.

Tank’s owner was also out of work at the time of his accident, Kessler said.

“The owners were just so appreciative – the relief in their eyes when we said, ‘We know this is bad but we can help.’”

The fund is used by the discretion of the clinic’s staff and primarily for its patients. Learn more about it or donate to the Dandelion Fund here.