Out of the Cage! (Summer 2008)

Picasso Veterinary Fund in Action: Crystal and Pepper Beat Serious Illnesses, Now Await New Homes

Crystal and Pepper are big fans of the Picasso Veterinary Fund, and for good reason. They are alive today because the fund was there to pay for their medical care and get them back on their feet, ready for new adoptive homes.

Eight-month-old Crystal is a "pocket Pit," an elegant blend of Whippet and Pit Bull. Her optimal weight is 35 pounds. But when the Mayor's Alliance took Crystal from NYC's Animal Care & Control shelter on Staten Island, she weighed only 25 pounds, and her weight was dropping due to unknown causes. The Picasso Veterinary Fund paid for tests that diagnosed Crystal's problem — a pancreatic enzyme deficiency — and for the medications that are bringing her back to health.

Today Crystal is ready to be adopted — all that's missing is the special someone to take her into their home. She's a sweet dog who gets along well with other dogs, cats, and children. She'll need to continue taking her medication for a while, but that's not a problem because she wolfs it down with her food. Crystal walks well on a leash, she's crate trained…and she's just waiting for you!

Three-year-old Pepper is a sweet, black domestic short-hair cat who lost her home when her guardian died. After being passed around, first to a short-term foster home, and then to adopters who gave her up when she was diagnosed with diabetes, Pepper had no place to go. So the Mayor's Alliance arranged for Pepper to be treated by ABC Animal Hospital, a Picasso Veterinary Fund partner, to stabilize her diabetes and prepare her for a new adoptive home.

Today she's ready for that home, where her adopters will need to continue Pepper's twice-daily insulin shots until her blood sugar levels are down to the point where she will require only oral medications. Pepper is a snuggle-puss — she likes to play, snuggle with stuffed animals, and she gets along well with other cats.

If you or someone you know can give either Crystal or Pepper the good home they deserve, please let us know. Just e-mail picasso@AnimalAllianceNYC.org and we'll arrange a meeting!

But even if you aren't ready to add a new member to your family, you can help animals like Pepper and Crystal by donating to the Picasso Veterinary Fund. The fund is creating second chances for hundreds of deserving Little New Yorkers who want nothing more than to get well and become a part of a loving home. Just click here to make a convenient, tax-deductible donation. You can be sure your generosity will save a valuable life!