People who know me, know I rarely beg.  I hate to ask for help.  I'm a bit of an overachiever I guess.  But today I come to you begging.  Not for myself but for the hundreds of injured and abused animals that suffer in Berrien County each year.  The ones who slip through the cracks of Animal Control and the Humane Society.  Both good organizations doing good work.  But they deal with numbers.  Large numbers.  Animal Aid's mission for over 30 years has been to deal with the ones that would otherwise be sacrificed for the good of the crowd. 

Most of you know myself and Scott Morris do many of the emergency rescues for Animal Aid.  We take the calls day and night and listen to the pleas for help.  Its a mind numbing responsibility to know that your response time, your actions could mean life or death for a needy creature.  Now Animal Aid is broke and we must worry that without funding we will have to turn away the most sick and injured knowing many will die without care.

I beg for Dobby.  The dog pictured here who was starved, taped into a cardboard box, and left to die on the side of the road.  Animal Aid rescuers were called when she was found and rushed her to the vet for treatment.  This scared, sick little girl was given the opportunity to heal, mend, and become the loving soul she was menat to be.  Thanks to Animal Aid.

I beg for the little unnamed kitty that Scott and I rescued yesterday on my birthday.  A kitten I couldn't talk about yesterday.  I just couldn't.  But today I will tell you that this mere kitten was in horrible shape.  Suffering from many lacerations on its little body it was also suffering from a horrific skull fracture.  Destined to die no matter what treatment was offered.  But Animal Aid was able to change its destiny from a slow suffering horrible death, to a quick and peaceful passing.  Sometimes we can't save them to live, but we can save them from unbearable suffering.  I'll beg for this kitty and the many others who are saved from suffering.

I'll beg for Dolly, a recent rescue who suffered from severe bite wounds and was found lying in the roadway.  The police knew she needed immediate medical care and they knew they could count on Animal Aid to be there.  Once at the vet receiving life saving care it was also determined that Dolly suffered from heartworm and from female issues that threatened her life.  Animal Aid was able to help her and with your help we can continue to help her as she recovered.  I'll beg for Dolly.

I'll beg for Cuddles.  Her vet documentation from her previous "owner" indicates she is close to 20years old.  To have lived to be that old is an amazing feat that shows strength and a will to survive.  Traits Cuddles desperately needed when her owner allowed her boyfriend to kick Cuddles repeatedly down the stairs and into the yard.  What possible reason could you have to kick a 20yr old slightly deaf and blind old girl?  I had to push alot of anger aside for the suspect  and let the police around me deal with him as I knealt on the ground and cared for Cuddles prior to rushing her to the vet.  I'll beg for Cuddles.

I could beg for so many more.  These are just a few souls I've been touched by in the past few months.  There are hundreds more thanks to Animal Aid.

Animal Aid has come by hard times.  But the calls for help have not stopped.  I usually walk and raise money for this cause during their annual Mutt March in September but won't be able to participate this year due to having the hopefully last of 4 surgeries to fix everything from my MC accident.  Animal Aid can't wait til then anyway.  They are broke today. 

So I'm begging.  Not for me but for them.  If you can spare one dollar.  Just one simple dollar you can help us help them.  You will help so that I don't have to say no when the next Dobby or Cuddles call comes in.  So the many unnamed souls we cannot save do not have to lie and suffer as they wait for death to come.  I'm begging for two simple things.

One Dollar and that you forward this plea for help to the Animal Lovers that you know.  If you have ever thought or said "I wish I could do what you do" when I tell you about one of my rescues.  Now you can do something.  I promise you this, as long as the money is there for us to pay for these rescues, I will answer that phone in the middle of something else, in the middle of the night, on my birthday and I will do what I can do, because you did what you could. 

Please I'm begging. Do this today so we can save them today AND tomorrow. Bless you.

Sue Burkhard

Animal Aid Emergency Rescue Volunteer and Cruelty Investigator