This is the story of a pizza party fundraiser to celebrate the amazing veterinary professionals who care for our pets (and yours!) like their own....
Shiner was a blue weimaraner, rescued from a landfill in December 2012. He was full of parasites. His skin was covered in sores. He was in heart failure due to a severe case of heartworms. And yet....despite all of this...he SHINED. From his first
day in rescue, he craved interaction with people. He was incredibly gentle despite being a large breed not always known for their grace. :) Even as he was being poked and prodded by all of the veterinary professionals who were tasked with saving his life, he took it all with grace and understanding. Despite being at death's doorstep, his body giving out on him, Shiner never seemed to have a bad day. It took a year before he was healthy enough to be adopted, and this is when Shiner joined our family. Despite overcoming the bleakest of odds, Shiner went on to live a very happy, very full life where he was always the center of attention. While our family has always had a 'no people food' policy for our pets, somewhere along the way, Shiner developed a love - no a FANATICISM - for pizza. So much so that resistance was often futile, and he would get a 'pizza bone' - the crust off a slice of pizza. It cannot be understated just how much he LOVED these occasional treats. Even if he was sound asleep in another room, that nose would alert him if anyone dared to reheat a slice without letting him know! Over the years, Shiner continued to prove just how tough and resilient his spirit was, despite being sweetest, most loving dog ever. Several years ago, he bloated (a condition that is often fatal in otherwise healthy dogs). Because of the lasting damage that was left by the heartworms, his chances for survival were even more slim. He was given a less than 10% chance of making it through the surgery. Shiner survived and thrived and never looked back. Last year, we discovered that he had a cancerous tumor on his forearm. Thankfully, he was able to have surgery that removed a large portion of one of the two bones in his forearm, while sparing his limb - this surgery was considered curative and he recovered like a champ! Sadly, as time went on, and Shiner entered his senior years, the lingering effects of the heartworms that we had long ago killed off eventually caught up with him. On October 5, 2021, surrounded by his family and a team of doctors and nurses that loved him, we sent Shiner off onto his next adventure at The Rainbow Bridge. While our hearts were broken, we are comforted in knowing that he wasn't scared, he wasn't in pain. This is a testament to the amazing veterinary team that cared for him over the years, that became like a second family to us. As with the loss of any beloved pet, we find comfort in celebrating the life that they lived for so many years before that final day. We celebrate the things they loved. We have also learned that finding a meaningful way to 'pay it forward' in their memory helps bring joy back to our hearts - which is exactly what our Shiner would want. To honor the memory of Shiner and to celebrate the amazing veterinary professionals that cared for him throughout his journey, we are creating a monthly award called 'Shiner's Pizza Salute'. Through our social media platforms, people can nominate a special veterinary professional - whether it's the receptionist who greets your pet before saying hello to you, or the veterinary oncologist who hugged you as you cried for the unknown future, the nurse who trims their nails so they don't hate YOU, or the primary care vet who keeps them healthy year after year and is often the one there to help you when it's time to say goodbye. Each month, we will select one nominee to receive a $50 pizza gift card so they can have a little pizza party of their own, to recognize them for the hard work they do for the ones we love the most. We figure that celebrating these amazing workers in a way that Shiner would definitely give a paw-stamp of approval is a win-win. Our initial goal is to fund this award for one year, in the hopes of being able to continue into subsequent years and grow with the help of animals lovers and pet parents, probably like yourself. Our initial goal is to fund one $50 gift card for 12 months, beginning tentatively in late November or early December, 2021. This will cost approximately $600. Our stretch goal is to raise $1000 that would allow us to fund a pizza party for a practice or to give recognition to more than one Shiner's Pizza Slice Salute winner each month. Ultimately, we would love to see this program grow in a way that will keep it sustainable for years to come. If 60 people donate just $10, we can reach our initial goal. If 100 people donate $10 or 50 people donate $20, we can meet out stretch goal! Help us celebrate those who care for the pets we love!
