It’s time once again for an update from our non-profit charity, The Dr. Jane Foundation. This month, we’re excited to share news of another financial award to a noble group of rescuers based in Marina del Rey, CA. Founded in 2002, Forte Animal Rescue received their first grant from our non-profit in 2011, so this recent application allowed us to see how this group has flourished over the last four years.

Staffed solely by volunteers, this small non-profit has big aspirations. Not only do they save dogs of all sizes and shapes (and the occasional cat, too), they devote considerable time and energy to improving their community with education initiatives while also working to stem the tide of pet overpopulation. Forte rescuers pride themselves in providing a 100% no-kill safety net for abused, neglected and abandoned canines.

When we first encountered Forte four years ago, they provided foster care for between 40 to 50 dogs annually. That number has nearly doubled! When a canine is rescued by Forte, they typically stay in foster care for about four months prior to finding their forever family. Surprisingly, one of Forte’s biggest challenges isn’t finding adoptive homes but identifying foster homes. That’s because so many of their excellent fosterers just can’t say goodbye to the rescue dogs, and end up adopting the pups themselves!

Forte operates a Junior Volunteer Program which offers kids hands-on experience while learning about the importance of compassion and animal welfare. As part of their ongoing commitment to educating their community, it’s an enterprise they hope to expand. Based on its success, Forte is also moving forward on similar programs but which will aid senior citizens and returning war veterans.

Even with no paid staff, they still manage to hold weekend adoption events, in hopes of pairing up their rescues to loving adoptive homes. The bottom line, this big-hearted group will do whatever it takes to locate the perfect forever homes for all of their four-footers.

The grant from The Dr. Jane Foundation made it possible for one very special mixed breed pup to receive the urgent medical care he so desperately needed.

Whiskey

Medium-sized with a plush golden-brown coat, Whiskey is the quintessential American dog … friendly, intelligent and loyal to a fault. It’s hard to believe that such a lovable creature would become the victim of chronic neglect.

The first few years of Whiskey’s life were pretty good. He had a caretaker, but after she had children, Whiskey was pushed by the wayside. For nearly three years, he endured what rescuers referred to as “severe neglect”, spending almost all of his time locked in a small cage. By the time Forte became involved, he was very sad, miserable with pain and clearly fearful of people.

As a consequence of his longtime confinement and lack of care, his dental health suffered greatly. It’s not at all uncommon for caged animals to try to chew their way to freedom. Over extended periods of time, enamel can be worn away, exposing the roots to infection. By the time Whiskey was rescued, his mouth was caked with black plaque, characterized by examining veterinarians as “the worst case of canine periodontal disease they’d ever seen”. The majority of his teeth had to be extracted in a series of complicated dental surgeries. Given the horrific state of his mouth, his caretakers were relieved that he had not developed a serious secondary health problem as is so common in these extreme cases.

Sadly, his dental problems were not the full extent of his injuries. An untreated lesion on his ear was so severe it too required surgery, leaving him with unusual scarring.

Fortunately for this little fella, his foster family proved more than a match for his physical and emotional scars. In spite of his hardships, there was no question that Whiskey had not lost his fundamental love of human companionship (even children, amazing given his experience). With love, patience and loads of quality medical care, Whiskey has fought his way back to health and happiness. As you can see from the photo below, Whiskey has been welcomed into his new forever home. By all accounts, he certainly seems to be loving every minute of his new life. You see, his foster family fell so hard for this resilient dog that they decided to become his forever family.

Forte Founder & President, Marie Atake, had this to say about our award: “Thank you for your support that has helped us bring this happy ending (and a new beginning!) for Whiskey!”

Anyone looking for more information about this amazing rescue can visit their site at FARescue.org or email them directly at [email protected]. Presently, they have 28 dogs and one cat available for adoption, all just as lovable as Whiskey.

From the Board Directors for The Dr. Jane Foundation and all of us here at Life’s Abundance headquarters, we thank this committed group of rescuers for their years of amazing work. And we thank all readers and customers … through your personal donations and continued patronage, you’ve helped make all of our grants possible. Your generosity and loyalty have helped to make the world a better place for abandoned, abused and neglected animals across our great country.

And there’s more good news … we are still accepting applications for funding. If you know of an animal rescue organization that deserves special recognition and financial support, please encourage them to fill out an application. Download here.

Check back next month for more good news from The Dr. Jane Foundation. Together, we’re making a difference!