Home > Out of the Cage! > October 2004 > Picasso Fund in Action: Injured Puppy Gets a Leg Up from Picasso Fund

Picasso Fund in Action

Injured Puppy Gets a Leg Up from Picasso Fund

When Jackson arrived at the AC&C Shelter on 110th Street in Manhattan a month ago, the prognosis looked grim for the six-month-old brindle puppy. His right hind leg had been badly fractured in an encounter of the most serious kind — with a speeding car. And he was suffering from a severe upper respiratory infection.

Despite the seriousness of his condition, AC&C Medical Director Mary Martin believed that swift medical treatment, including surgery to repair the fractured leg, could return Jackson to his former puppy self. But the operation would be expensive. She called the Mayor's Alliance for help.

Upon receiving the call, the Alliance contacted Dr. Jay Kuhlman of Gramercy Park Animal Hospital in Manhattan. Dr. Kuhlman agreed to the hospital taking on Jackson's case — at cost. Dr Jane Kosofsky would perform the surgery to save the puppy's leg as soon as his respiratory infection was under control. The Picasso Fund would foot the bill.

The Picasso Fund provides grants to cover extraordinary veterinary costs for special animals taken in by AC&C. The fund, which is administered by the Mayor's Alliance, was created in 2001 by Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters in honor of an extraordinary pit bull mix, born with a beautifully twisted muzzle (hence the name, Picasso), who was picked up by AC&C, cared for temporarily by Brooklyn's BARC Shelter, and enjoyed most of his short life with an adoptive family. Since its creation, the Picasso Fund has provided life-saving medical treatment for 28 AC&C dogs and cats like Jackson — treatment that otherwise might not have been available to them — and allowed them to go on to find their forever homes.

Today, following his successful surgery, Jackson is recovering comfortably. He'll soon be trotting on all fours with his new "mom," Nancy, and Max, her 12-year-old companion who, according to Nancy, looked just like Jackson when he was a pup.

Supporting the Picasso Fund is one way to ensure that miracles continue to happen in NYC. Particularly for those who cannot adopt a companion animal, contributing to the fund provides a meaningful way to help AC&C's most special orphans. To learn more about the Picasso Fund and how you can support this vital resource, please visit the Alliance web site.