Ollie’s Story
Ollie’s StoryWhen Ollie was three years old, his first family had to surrender him. Rather than let him end up in a shelter, Stephen and Terri stepped up to foster him. Forty-eight hours after Ollie arrived at their home, they knew he wasn’t going anywhere. That was seven years ago. Now 10½, this handsome mixed breed is the heart of their home in New Jersey: a source of love, joy, and comfort every single day.
About a month ago, during one of the routine body checks they do because Ollie is prone to cysts, the family found a lump that felt different from the benign ones he’s had before. They took him to West Orange Animal Hospital the very next day.
Cytology results on February 25 confirmed what they feared: while one nodule was a benign epidermal cyst — consistent with Ollie’s history — the second was diagnosed as a sarcoma, a type of soft tissue cancer. The diagnosis was confirmed by a board-certified veterinary pathologist.
There
Is Hope — But Time Is Short
There
Is Hope — But Time Is ShortThe good news is that Ollie’s veterinary team believes the cancer was caught early. Surgery to remove the tumor is scheduled for March 23 at Oradell Animal Hospital, a specialty referral hospital in New Jersey. With early intervention, Ollie has a real chance at more good years with the family who loves him.
But the financial reality is daunting. Like many multi-pet households, Stephen and Terri don’t have pet insurance. When the family had three dogs, the cost of insuring all of them was simply prohibitive. Over time, it became something they stopped thinking about. Since most pet insurance excludes pre-existing conditions, purchasing it for older dogs with documented medical history is often not recommended. It’s a situation millions of pet owners find themselves in, and it’s exactly the kind of gap that leaves families vulnerable when a crisis hits.
Without coverage, the family has already had to turn to a CareCredit loan just to cover the initial consultations and diagnostic work, which cost $1,400+. Now they’re facing a surgical estimate of $4,016 to $6,105. The Petworking Angel Fund has stepped in with a $2,000 commitment — but the family still needs help from the community to close the remaining gap.
The Financial Picture
Oradell Animal Hospital’s estimate for Ollie’s surgery includes hospitalization, anesthesia, the mass removal procedure, injectable medications, nursing care, histopathology to confirm the tumor type post-surgery, radiographs, and take-home medications. The total estimate ranges from $4,016 to $6,105 depending on Ollie’s specific needs during and after the procedure. The Petworking Angel Fund has committed $2,000 toward this cost, and we’ve set a community fundraising goal of $6,000 — with any funds raised beyond Ollie’s surgical costs going directly to the Angel Fund to help the next family facing an impossible choice between their pet's health and their financial wellbeing.
All funds raised through this campaign are donated to the Rescue Spot Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3), and are tax-deductible. The foundation then directs funds to Oradell Animal Hospital on the family’s behalf. Donations never pass through the family.
Why This Matters
Stephen and Terri once opened their home to keep Ollie out of a shelter. They gave him a family when he needed one most. Now, seven years later, the family that rescued him is fighting to save his life. They’ve already endured the heartbreak of losing three dogs in the last ten years — including one to cancer. They know this pain intimately. And they know they have to do everything humanly possible to give Ollie more time with the people who love him most.
“We feel we have to do everything humanly possible to save Ollie and give him more good years with the family who loves him so much.”
Ollie’s story is exactly why the Petworking Angel Fund exists. No family should have to choose between their finances and saving a beloved pet’s life. When the only thing standing between a treatable diagnosis and a devastating outcome is money, this fund steps in to help close that gap.
How You Can Help
Community Fundraising Goal: $6,000
The Petworking Angel Fund has already committed $2,000 toward Ollie’s surgery — because we believe no family should face this decision alone. Now we’re asking the community to help us raise $6,000 to fully cover Ollie’s care and begin building the resources to help the next pet in need. Any funds raised beyond Ollie’s surgical costs will remain with the Petworking Angel Fund to help the next family facing an impossible choice between their pet's health and their financial wellbeing.
Every dollar donated through this campaign goes to the Rescue Spot Foundation, which directs funds to Oradell Animal Hospital on the family’s behalf. Through PetFundr’s secure platform, your contribution is tax-deductible and goes exactly where it’s needed — so you can give with complete confidence.
With surgery just days away, any support — whether $10, $50, or $100 — brings Ollie closer to the operating table and back to the family who loves him with all their hearts.
If you can’t donate, sharing this campaign makes a tremendous difference. Every share puts Ollie’s story in front of someone who might be able to help.
About the Petworking Angel Fund
The Petworking Angel Fund operates through the Rescue Spot Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The fund was created with a single mission: to prevent economic euthanasia by providing financial assistance to families facing emergency veterinary costs they cannot afford.
Ollie is the Angel Fund’s very first case — and the fund is leading by example with a $2,000 commitment of its own. With your help, his story can set the tone for every family we help going forward: proof that when a community comes together, no pet has to be lost to a financial gap.
All charitable donations are tax-deductible and processed through the Rescue Spot Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3). The foundation directs funds to the veterinary provider on the family’s behalf via PetFundr’s secure payment platform. Donations never pass through the family.
Help Ollie stay right where he belongs —
with the family that rescued him and never looked back.
The Crisis of Economic Euthanasia & Surrender
Every day, beloved pets are euthanized not because they can’t be treated, but because their families simply cannot afford the cost of care. Rising costs are making veterinary services increasingly inaccessible for many pet families. In the past ten years, the inflation rate for veterinary services has increased at twice the rate of the consumer price index.
An estimated 500,000 animals fall victim to economic euthanasia each year – a tragic situation where treatable medical conditions become death sentences due to financial constraints. This number doesn't include pets that are surrendered to shelters because their families cannot afford necessary care.
The Petworking Angel Fund has been established to create a financial safety net for pet owners facing impossible choices. We partner with shelters and veterinary clinics to help pets and pet families confronted with an unexpected veterinary emergency where they cannot afford treatment.
|
500,000
Pets Lost to Economic Euthanasia Yearly |
2.7x
Higher Suicide Rate Among Veterinarians |
100%
Preventable with Proper Support |
The Petworking Angel Fund strives to prevent economic euthanasia and surrender, with a focus on keeping families together when veterinary costs become insurmountable.
Recent data reveals a crisis: one in five pet owners carry over $2,000 in pet debt, veterinary costs have risen 60% since 2014, and most pet parents cannot afford more than $1,000 for emergency care. The result? Pets are euthanized or surrendered not because they're untreatable, but because families can't afford the care.
The Angel Fund addresses both sides of this heartbreaking reality—helping families afford necessary care AND reducing the moral distress veterinarians experience when forced to recommend euthanasia for treatable conditions.
How Proceeds Are Used
Through our 501(c)(3) partnership with the Rescue Spot Foundation, 100% of ticket proceeds go directly to the Angel Fund. The Angel Fund partners with veterinarians and shelters to make grants to families can't afford necessary lifesaving veterinary care. Your support will:
- Provide emergency funds to families facing impossible financial decisions
- Reduce veterinary burnout by giving vets resources to save treatable pets
- Create a sustainable model that can be replicated nationwide
- Address a crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of pets annually
Together, we can ensure that no family has to say goodbye to a beloved pet simply because they can't afford the care.
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