3 min read

The Bow Wow, Issue #8: Lula's Story

Your Donations Mean the World

This is the time of year we hope you will support with a donation the work we do everyday to sustain the excellent level of care for the lost and abandoned dogs and cats of Sonoma Valley. This work is sometimes extremely challenging, it can, at times, be heartbreaking and more often than not, incredibly rewarding.

We are committed to each dog and cat that comes into our care and without sugar coating it, this takes consistent funding. We are lucky to have friends like YOU to help as we receive no government funding or subsidies of any kind. Animal welfare organizations nationwide are facing a crisis of more animals coming into the shelters and less adoptions. And the intakes we are experiencing are often medically and behaviorally compromised.

Here's one story of a cat we call Lula.

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful holiday season where we count our blessings and spend time with those we love. I have a story for you today about a cat named Lula. The story also includes a cat named Rocky and Lula's very special foster mom.

Lula came to us as a stray. She was very frail upon arrival. She had no microchip or collar. We searched for her family, but no one came to claim her. She had severe gastrointestinal issues and was losing weight. We ran a battery of tests. We weren't able to pin point what was going on. We knew she was negative for feline panleukopenia virus (that was good news). We treated her with dewormers and other oral medications, but she was still having severe issues. She had an Internal Medicine consultation including an abdominal ultrasound, lab work and lymph node aspirates.

Eventually Lula was diagnosed with Gastrointestinal Lymphoma and put on oral steroids and chemotherapy in December of 2021. She had a roommate at Pets Lifeline named Europa. We called them the Grand Dames. Europa was an excellent caretaker for Lula when Lula wasn't feeling well. One day Europa was adopted by a nice family. Lula became depressed and that was when one of our dedicated cat socializers stepped up and asked if she could take Lula home to provide fospice care. When Lula was diagnosed with Lymphoma, she weighed 4.8 pounds and a year later she weighs 12 pounds! She has responded to treatment and is being taken care of by her foster mom very well. Her foster mom is one of our unsung heroes and her love and care has changed Lula's life.

In May of 2022 Lula had a set back with an infection and had to spend a few days in the emergency hospital. Infections like this can happen when on immune-compromising medication. Now that she is on chemotherapy, every month Lula gets her weight checked and has lab work to check for abnormalities.

It takes a village to care for the animals. Although Lula was fairing well at Pets Lifeline, she is thriving in her foster home. She has bonded with Rocky who was another fospice cat. At the age of 17 Rocky came to Sonoma from a shelter Santa Cruz where he and his cat-brothers were left when their human dad passed away. Initially Rocky had three cat-brothers at Pets Lifeline. Those three (very shy) cats were adopted into a home leaving Rocky a bit lonely. He has really perked up since he moved in with Lula and they have bonded. We just love the photos that have been shared with us of their developing relationship.

Lula's story reminds me that we all need each other. You never know who will enter your life and change it for the better. At Pets Lifeline we appreciate the connections made between the cats, dogs and the people who come through our door. Your donation to the Annual Fund Drive helps us to connect people with the pets who are in need of a home. We ask that you please give what you can during this time. No donation is too big or too small.

Thank you for saving lives.

WHY PETS LIFELINE MATTERS

Pets Lifeline believes all dogs and cats in Sonoma should be safe and healthy and living in loving homes. Every day we work side-by-side with the community to shelter lost and abandoned pets, get them healthy and find them forever homes. Without Pets Lifeline, these wonderful animals would miss the chance to experience their full potential and share their joy with others. #WeLoveSonomaPets