Success Stories

For a family of three (Mother, son, and a chihuahua named Curly Fry), an unexpected, unplanned, addition of fur on the furniture was about to come into our lives as an element we didn’t know was missing; and soon could not live without. Brandi – a 6 week old “Chipit“ (Chihuahua/Pit mix) – presented herself as tangible proof of a breed many have joked about existing. She came into our lives free of charge, and immediately entrusted her Papa as a cozy bed to nestle in for the ride home.

We were not ready for a new puppy, but as much as some may attempt to prepare, is anyone truly ready? A pup whose best reward request comes in the form of words; her requirement is not of treats, but the affirmation that she’s a “good girl” and being her Papa. I am awarded the best gift in the whole wide world; being revered as her Hooman. Since June 2020, she has been my fur-daughter that brightens my day without effort. She can repair a wounded heart, make a bad day delightful, and turn a frown upside-down.

One day, our world would be flipped upside down at the mercy of a speeding car. While crossing the street with me, Brandi encountered a blow-up Christmas lawn ornament. It frightened her and made her dart back into the street, which was inhabited by a 4-wheeled crocodile that bit down and spit her out with lacerations to her side and legs, breaking both her right legs, shattering her back leg, and inflicting road rash to her underbelly, chin, and nose. Flashbacks of the accident continue to haunt me.

As quick as we could, we rushed to the hospital having phoned ahead to alert them of precious cargo enroute in need of immediate care. All I could say was, “you’re going to be ok, Baby. You’re going to be ok”, while being consoled by the selfless concern of my little Brandi’s kisses, intercepting my fallen tears. The journey to the hospital seemed to take days, and we were uncertain of the level of damage inflicted upon my precious girl, but we would soon learn the road to recovery was going to be arduous and painstaking.

The good news, if that’s even possible in a situation like this, was that all her organs, lungs, and bladder made it through the impact unharmed, with no broken ribs. A MIRACLE. However, after the second set of x-rays, an initial diagnosis to amputate her profoundly fractured back leg, and an unsuccessful attempt to reposition and splint a leg, the only success at that point was the many sutures performed to close up the huge gash on her side and many small cuts in her legs.

Worry and the uncertain future ahead sparked a mission for financial coverage to provide Brandi with the medical attention she needed to guarantee a quality of life deserving of a loved, and equally loving, family member.

We reached out to neighbors, friends, and family through a fundraiser on GoFund.Me. This was the foundation for hope that I needed. We researched other avenues for help, and then by the grace of God, the hope we yearned to encounter, happened. Stumbling upon Redrover.org through a Google search, I was drawn to a listing of the key element Brandi needed. An incredibly compassionate, volunteer non-profit by the name of The Brown Dog Foundation, would respond to my application for assistance the very next morning, within hours of reaching out to them.

My family was blessed with the response of their Grant Manager, a down-to-earth, REAL, straight-forward representative that was not concerned about how quickly I would be able to pay back the grant, but most importantly focused on the arrangements and finances needed to get Brandi the lifesaving care she needed. She exhibited a value in her that I thought had ran extinct…love for others and a will to fight for those in the face of hardship. Because of her warm-hearted dedication fueled by her love for our four-legged family members, Brandi received surgeries to fix her legs with pins, a stabilizer bar, and months of monitored, selfless aftercare. Our dream of finding the care Brandi needed had come true!!! BROWN DOG FOUNDATION SAVED MY BRANDI’S LIFE! Because of them, my baby will walk again, run again, play again, and be the beautiful puppy she has always been since the day she came into our lives, puppy breath and all! YOU ARE LOVED BRANDI! THANK YOU BROWN DOG!! THANK YOU!!

Brandi received assistance through the VetBilling Repayment Program which means her dad will repay the grant over time, making it possible for Brown Dog, Brandi and James to help another family in the future.