1,000th dog
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:Amy Gibson301-929-9270301-758-8082amyfgibson@verizon.net
LABMED Funds 1,000th Dog!Labrador-focused nonprofit reaches lifesaving milestone
PLANO, TX, March 31, 2008 – LABMED, an online nonprofit group that funds medical care for rescued Labradors and Lab-mixes, recently reached an incredible milestone – funding its 1,000th dog.
The landmark dog was Rylee, a one-year-old chocolate male Labrador Retriever who was found wandering in Ohio. A rescue group took Rylee in but was dismayed to find he was infected with heartworms. The rescue group applied to LABMED for assistance with his treatment, and Rylee became LABMED’s 1,000th dog funded.
“I remember our first year, 1996, when we funded two dogs,” says Deb Hamele, a LABMED co-founder who has served continuously on the board. “We were so excited about those dogs. I’m not sure we would have believed it if you told us we would fund 1,000 dogs, for a total of $375,000, in less than twelve years.”
LABMED operates exclusively on the internet, and board members communicate through email. The group’s website, www.labmed.org, guides applicants through the funding process, provides information on the group’s history, and even includes an online store filled with dog and people goodies.
Most funding requests come from rescue groups or shelters with no budgets for veterinary care. Some come from individuals who have found an ill or injured dog. Applicants provide information about the dog and his condition and submit photos, and a board member consults with the veterinarian treating the dog. The entire board votes on each application.
A significant number of LABMED’s cases involve dogs who are heartworm positive. Other cases range from dogs who have been hit by a car, poisoned or suffered injurious abuse or neglect, to dogs with tumors, torn cruciate ligaments, and pups with parvo. For example, “Five-Twenty,” the 1,001st dog funded, had been hit by a car and needed life-saving orthopedic surgery. Sam, the 1,002nd dog funded, was born with a rare condition where an extraneous artery strangled his esophagus, making it impossible to eat; funding from LABMED helped provide surgery to clear his esophagus, allowing him to eat and grow.
In celebration of funding its 1,000th dog, LABMED is launching a “Give 1,000 More Second Chances” donation drive, asking the dog-loving community to give 1,000 dollars, half-dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, even pennies. Each gift will support LABMED’s mission to fund medical care for ill or injured rescued Labradors and Lab-mixes. More information can be found at www.labmed.org.
“Fundraising will always be our biggest challenge,” says Dianne Walsh, LABMED’s president. “With Labradors as the most popular breed in the country, we know the demand for our grants will only grow. We ask the community to support our donation drive and help us fund the next 1,000 dogs in need.”
Founded in 1996, LABMED is an Internet-based non-profit organization created to distribute financial aid to injured or ill rescued Labradors and Lab-mixes, giving them a second chance at adoption and love from a permanent family.
CONTACT:Amy Gibson301-929-9270301-758-8082amyfgibson@verizon.net
LABMED Funds 1,000th Dog!Labrador-focused nonprofit reaches lifesaving milestone
PLANO, TX, March 31, 2008 – LABMED, an online nonprofit group that funds medical care for rescued Labradors and Lab-mixes, recently reached an incredible milestone – funding its 1,000th dog.
The landmark dog was Rylee, a one-year-old chocolate male Labrador Retriever who was found wandering in Ohio. A rescue group took Rylee in but was dismayed to find he was infected with heartworms. The rescue group applied to LABMED for assistance with his treatment, and Rylee became LABMED’s 1,000th dog funded.
“I remember our first year, 1996, when we funded two dogs,” says Deb Hamele, a LABMED co-founder who has served continuously on the board. “We were so excited about those dogs. I’m not sure we would have believed it if you told us we would fund 1,000 dogs, for a total of $375,000, in less than twelve years.”
LABMED operates exclusively on the internet, and board members communicate through email. The group’s website, www.labmed.org, guides applicants through the funding process, provides information on the group’s history, and even includes an online store filled with dog and people goodies.
Most funding requests come from rescue groups or shelters with no budgets for veterinary care. Some come from individuals who have found an ill or injured dog. Applicants provide information about the dog and his condition and submit photos, and a board member consults with the veterinarian treating the dog. The entire board votes on each application.
A significant number of LABMED’s cases involve dogs who are heartworm positive. Other cases range from dogs who have been hit by a car, poisoned or suffered injurious abuse or neglect, to dogs with tumors, torn cruciate ligaments, and pups with parvo. For example, “Five-Twenty,” the 1,001st dog funded, had been hit by a car and needed life-saving orthopedic surgery. Sam, the 1,002nd dog funded, was born with a rare condition where an extraneous artery strangled his esophagus, making it impossible to eat; funding from LABMED helped provide surgery to clear his esophagus, allowing him to eat and grow.
In celebration of funding its 1,000th dog, LABMED is launching a “Give 1,000 More Second Chances” donation drive, asking the dog-loving community to give 1,000 dollars, half-dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, even pennies. Each gift will support LABMED’s mission to fund medical care for ill or injured rescued Labradors and Lab-mixes. More information can be found at www.labmed.org.
“Fundraising will always be our biggest challenge,” says Dianne Walsh, LABMED’s president. “With Labradors as the most popular breed in the country, we know the demand for our grants will only grow. We ask the community to support our donation drive and help us fund the next 1,000 dogs in need.”
Founded in 1996, LABMED is an Internet-based non-profit organization created to distribute financial aid to injured or ill rescued Labradors and Lab-mixes, giving them a second chance at adoption and love from a permanent family.
posted by VFA Maine at 4:16 PM
