09/30/2026
Long post alert, but PLEASE read in it's entirety ๐
There is a reason APL exists.
We take the animals who are often the hardest to place. The old. The medically challenged. The traumatized. The neonatal. The animals who need more time, more patience, more veterinary care and sometimes, a promise that they will never again have to wonder where they belong.
๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ป๐ผ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐น๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป.
But right now, we are critically low on funds. And our current group of vulnerable animals needs us more than ever.
The reality of rescue is that the animals who need us most are often the ones who cost the most to care for. And right now, those costs are coming from every direction.
Here are just a few of the souls currently counting on APL:
๐พ CASH โ 11 years old
Cash came to us in ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ. We were eventually able to pinpoint hypothyroidism, but getting his hormones properly regulated has been a challenge. At each recheck, his levels seem to be either too high or too low.
So we adjust. We monitor. We test again. And we do not give up.
Every visit means an exam and bloodwork, but we WILL get Cash where he needs to be. He deserves this.
๐พ BART โ 5ยฝ years old
Bart came to us after his owner passed away. He is quite possibly one of the sweetest boys you'll ever meet, but he is also living with severe PTSD.
We've tried one medication unsuccessfully and are now transitioning him to something different. Finding the right medication takes time, patience, and veterinary guidance.
He also had a small mass removed from his tail that needed to be biopsied. Thankfully, it was benign. โค๏ธ
And then there are his a**l glands.
For the past several months, Bart has needed them expressed approximately every two weeks. They're not impacted and express easily, so we're changing his diet in hopes of getting to the root of the problem.
But every vet visit adds another expense.
Bart didn't choose his trauma. He didn't choose to lose his person. But we can choose to be patient with him. And we are.
๐พ BABY โ almost 13 years old
Baby may be nearly 13, but don't tell her that ๐คซ She's still a young pup at heart.
She came to us from a local shelter as a stray after no one came forward to claim her. She never deserved to find herself there.
Baby arrived with several mammary tumors and a severe UTI. We were able to remove her tumors but she has continued to struggle with recurring urinary infections about once a month.
We're treating another one right now, and this time we'll need to have a culture done to make sure we're using the right antibiotic. We also anticipate additional testing to determine why this keeps happening.
Every infection means another vet visit. Another round of treatment. Another addition to the bill.
But Baby deserves to feel better.
๐พ MARLEY โ almost 13 years old
Marley found herself in rescue after babies came into her life at home and she struggled to adjust to having little ones around.
She's beautiful. She's sweet. And she's ours to care for.
Marley is currently dealing with elevated liver values. She receives milk thistle every day, and we'll be checking her bloodwork this month to see if it's helping.
She also has a mass on her re**um that needs to be evaluated and may ultimately require surgery. And honestly? A surgery right now is something we are very worried about being able to afford.
But worrying about how we'll pay for it doesn't change the fact that Marley still needs us.
๐พ GRACIE, SLY & ARNIE
Next, are our three tiny bottle babies.
Three little lives who lost their mother when they were just days old.
Bottle babies are incredibly rewardingโand incredibly expensive.
Formula.
Deworming.
Vaccines.
Baby food.
Kitten food.
Potty pads.
Veterinary care.
And eventually, spays and neuters.
Three tiny bodies can require a surprisingly large amount of care before they're ready to find their forever families. But look at them! Of course they're worth it.
Every. Single. One.
These are just the significant medical or specialized care we provide. There are also the everyday costs of keeping every single animal in our care healthy AND happy!
We don't take proper nutrition lightly.
All of our babes are fed Hill's Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, or Royal Canin because quality nutrition is one of the foundations of keeping them as healthy as possible, especially when many of them are already facing medical challenges.
These foods are excellent.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ.
And then there are the vaccines, preventatives, medications, routine veterinary care, supplies, and all of the other costs that come with caring for animals until they're ready for their next chapter.
And yes, we've had a couple of kitty adoptions recently, and we're hoping for a few more! (๐ง๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐, ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ผ, ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ) โค
We're incredibly grateful whenever one of our babes finds their forever home.
But an adoption fee doesn't come close to representing what we've invested in getting an animal to that point. Our cat adoption fee is $150, but we routinely spend well over that $150 on each cat we bring into our care, and that's before considering the animals who require extensive medical care or specialized treatment.
Adoption fees help. They simply don't cover the cost of rescue. And that's okay. Because the goal isn't to make money on an animal. The goal is to give them what they need when they need it most.
That's the thing about APL.
We don't get to pick and choose which animals are worth saving based on how old they are, how complicated they are, how expensive they are, or how likely they are to be adopted.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต ๐ถ๐.
Some of these animals will eventually find wonderful forever homes. Some may be with us for a very long time. And some may never leave.
But we are here to be their people.
If they need us for a few months, we're here.
If they need us for years, we're here.
If they need us for the rest of their lives, we're still here.
No matter what.
That's the promise we make to them.
But right now, we need help keeping that promise.
We are critically low on funds, and the veterinary bills, medications, food and everyday care don't stop simply because our bank account is getting low.
If you can help us, please do. Even $5, $10 or $25 helps us continue caring for the animals who have nowhere else to turn.
If you can't donate, we understand! Please share this post. Truly. Sharing helps us reach people who may be able to help.
We don't take these babies in because they're easy. We take them because they're vulnerable.
We take them because they deserve someone who will say, โYes. We'll figure it out.โ
And right now, we just need our village to help us figure it out. โค๏ธ
They need us. And right now, we need you.
Contributions can be made via:
This post.
The GIVE icon at the top of any page, here: https://www.aplanimalrescue.org/
Venmo:
PayPal:
Or directly to our vet, (Anamosa Vet Clinic) at: ๐ฏ๐ญ๐ต-๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฎ-๐ฐ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฏ
Thank you for helping us continue to show the most vulnerable animals that they are worth fighting for ๐
