10/18/2026
💔 TWO EMERGENCIES. ONE NIGHT. AND A RESCUE THAT IS BARELY KEEPING ITS HEAD ABOVE WATER. 💔
Village, I don't even know what to say anymore. 😭
Tonight, our shelter managers were at the shelter after hours, getting a kennel ready for a mama dog and her babies who are currently living outside on a chain. They were trying to prepare a safe place for this little family when they noticed that our Turkey Leg wasn't acting like himself.
He seemed very out of it, disoriented, and was displaying what appeared to be post-seizure behavior. Something was clearly wrong, and our managers immediately began trying to figure out what was happening and how to get him the medical attention he needed.
And while they were dealing with Turkey Leg, someone dumped a cat at our shelter.
An approximately 8-month-old kitten named Junie, left in a carrier with a handwritten note.
According to the note, Junie is not spayed, has only received a rabies vaccine, and has been bleeding from her va**na and uncontrollably urinating since yesterday.
Her family wrote that they had tried everything and just wanted to give her a chance.
And now here she is. 💔
So tonight, instead of one animal heading to the emergency hospital, we have TWO.
Turkey Leg needs to be evaluated for his concerning neurological symptoms, and little Junie needs immediate medical attention to determine why she's bleeding and having urinary issues.
And I am sitting here wondering how in the world we are going to financially survive another night like this.
I'm going to be incredibly transparent with all of you.
We are barely treading water right now.
Our medical bills have been absolutely relentless. Every single time we think we might have a moment to catch our breath, another emergency happens. Another animal needs us. Another hospital visit. Another estimate. Another bill that we have absolutely no idea how we're going to pay.
We don't have an extra $3,000 sitting around for another emergency veterinary bill. We just don't.
But here we are. Again.
Trying to figure it out because these animals are here, they're suffering, and they deserve medical care.
And while I understand that Junie's family may have felt like they had no other option, abandoning a sick animal outside a shelter is not the answer. Our staff happened to be there tonight. What if they hadn't been? What if nobody had found her until morning?
This is the reality of rescue that so many people never see.
Our managers were there after hours preparing to help a mama and her babies living outside on a chain. They ended up discovering one of our own animals in medical distress, and before they could even get through that emergency, another sick animal was left at our doorstep.
Three completely different situations unfolding in one evening.
And somehow, we're supposed to find the space, the staff, the medical care, and the money to make it all happen.
And Village, can I just say something from the bottom of my heart?
We HATE having to ask you for money over and over again.
I cannot even begin to explain how horrible it feels to constantly come to our community asking for donations. Believe me, if there were another way, we would take it in a heartbeat.
But here's something I don't think everyone realizes.
A ReJoyceful Animal Rescue receives ZERO government funding to operate our shelter.
None. Not a penny.
We rely solely on adoption fees and the generosity of people like YOU to keep our doors open, our animals fed, our staff paid, and our veterinary bills covered.
That's it. That's our financial lifeline.
And when emergencies like tonight happen, when two animals suddenly need emergency veterinary care at the same time, there isn't some magical account we can pull thousands of dollars from.
There's no government check coming to cover it. There's no emergency fund sitting there waiting to save the day.
There's just us, trying to figure it all out, and our incredible Village that we find ourselves turning to time and time again.
And I feel absolutely terrible having to keep asking.
I know how hard everyone works for their money. I know families are struggling. I know you see fundraising posts every single day, not just from us, but from rescues everywhere.
Trust me, I get it.
But the reality is that our shelter doors remain open because of the generosity of this community. Every life we save, every surgery we approve, every animal we pull from a terrible situation is made possible because someone believed those animals were worth helping.
We've been doing this for nearly 20 years, and I cannot tell you how many times this Village has carried us through some of our darkest moments.
But right now, we're struggling. Really struggling.
We're not asking because we want to. We're asking because we have to.
And the hardest part? Knowing there are animals who desperately need us while wondering how much longer we can continue operating at this pace.
Village, we desperately need your help.
If you can spare $5, $10, $20, or anything at all, please consider helping us tonight. If you cannot donate, please share this post. Every little bit matters right now.
We have over 400 animals depending on this rescue, and we are doing everything in our power to keep showing up for them.
But we cannot do this alone.
Tonight, Turkey Leg and Junie are both heading to the ER. We don't know what we're facing medically or financially yet, but we do know that two little lives are counting on us.
And somewhere out there, there's still a mama dog and her babies living outside on a chain, waiting for the safe place our managers were preparing for them tonight.
This is what rescue looks like behind the scenes.
There is no clocking out. There is no convenient time for an emergency. And there certainly isn't an endless supply of money to make it all happen.
Just people who care deeply about these animals, doing everything they possibly can to give them a fighting chance.
And somehow, someway, we're going to try to figure it out.
Because that's what we do.
But Village, we need you now more than ever. 💜💚
🐾 WAYS TO DONATE:
💜 Zeffy (No Fees):
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/help-us-keep-rescuing
💚 PayPal:
[email protected]
💜 Venmo:
(Business Account)
💚 Zelle:
[email protected]
💜 Cash App:
$rejoycefulrescue
If you cannot donate, PLEASE share this post. Sharing costs nothing, but it can make an incredible difference in reaching someone who can help.
Please keep Turkey Leg and Junie in your thoughts tonight. We will update everyone as soon as we know more.
Thank you for continuing to stand behind us, especially on the nights when it feels like we're barely holding everything together.
We don't ever take your generosity for granted.
We are fighting to keep our doors open for the animals who have nowhere else to go. But we cannot keep doing it without you.
It takes a Village. And you are ours. 🐾💜💚
Remember to Share Joy wherever you go.
A ReJoyceful Animal Rescue
