On Saturday, December 16th, Pet Wants – J-town transformed into a hub of holiday cheer during our delightful ‘Photos with Ms. Claus’ event. This heartwarming occasion not only brought together furry friends and their humans for memorable snapshots but also served as a beacon of generosity and support for our community’s pets in need.
At the heart of this event was Rich, the compassionate owner of Pet Wants, whose unwavering commitment to animal welfare has been nothing short of inspiring. Through pet food drives, donating raffle items and hosting events, Rich has been a great supporter to Pets4Life Louisville and other animal welfare groups in our community.
Partnering with Rich, our Pets4Life Committee Member, Karen G., brought the magic of Ms. Claus to life, spreading joy and warmth throughout the event. Her dedication and embodiment of the festive spirit added an extra layer of enchantment to ‘Photos with Ms. Claus,’ making the day even more special for attendees.
Throughout the day, the store buzzed with joy, laughter, and wagging tails as pets posed for pictures with the ever-charming Ms. Claus, portrayed by our wonderful Karen G. Families and their furry companions reveled in the festive atmosphere, creating cherished memories that will be treasured for years to come.
Here are some photos from the event:
Thank you to everyone who participated, supported, and helped make ‘Photos with Ms. Claus’ at Pet Wants – J-town an unforgettable celebration of joy, compassion, and community spirit. Your support means the world to us and to the animals we aim to help.
Stay tuned for more heartwarming initiatives and events, and let’s continue spreading love and support for our furry companions! If you’re an organization or business who would like to partner with us to help the most needy pets in our community, please see our ‘Pets4Life Mission Partner’ page.
As we embrace the spirit of giving this holiday season, Pets4Life Louisville is excited to announce the kickoff of our Angel Drive on this year’s Giving Tuesday! Our Angel Tree gift drive is set to make a heartwarming impact toward helping the most needy pets in our community. Through this program, we aim to provide essential gifts to support the pets of families in need, thanks to the generous contributions from our vibrant community of donor/supporters.
Your donations play a crucial role in caring for pets through our Pets4Life clinics, assisting those facing the most significant challenges by providing items like flea medicines, gift cards for clinic supplies, dog slip leads, sweaters, dog beds, harnesses, cat & dog treats and other essentials.
This season, we invite you to be a part of this heartwarming initiative, supporting the most vulnerable pets in our community. The Angel Trees are adorned with tags that highlight urgent needs to aid these beloved animals. Here are some of the critical items on our Angel Tree wishlist for this year:
Walmart Gift Cards
Amazon Gift Cards
Flea & Tick Preventatives for dogs – need all sizes between 11-88 lbs
Flea & Tick Prevention for cats – need all sizes between 2-13 lbs
Dog & Cat Treats
Dog & Cat Toys
Dog Sweaters
Dog Slip Leads & Muzzles
Pets4Life Angel Tree
If you’re eager to participate and make a difference, kindly bring your unwrapped donation to one of our Angel Tree host locations (listed below). Additionally, monetary donations are welcomed and will be used effectively towards our cause. Notably, Pets4Life Louisville operates solely with volunteers, ensuring that 100% of your contributions directly benefit pets in need.
🎄🐾 How to contribute through the Angel Tree Drive: 🎁✨
Angel Drive Duration: The Angel Tree Gift Drive will run throughout December, with the trees collected in early January.
Select Your Donation Tag: Choose an item tag from the Angel Tree that resonates with your giving spirit.
Place Your Unwrapped Gift: Drop off your donation under the Angel Tree. For gift cards or cash donations, use the designated cut-out in the large box.
Online Donations: Conveniently contribute online via our website pets4lifelou.org or scan the provided QR code.
Recycling Tags: Help us sustain our efforts by returning used tags to the large box for reuse next year.
🎄🐾 Monetary Donations: Making a Difference Beyond Basic Wellness! 🎁✨
Any cash or online donations collected on Giving Tuesday and throughout December for the Angel Tree drive will be directed toward our Special Needs Fund. This fund goes beyond basic wellness and is utilized for various pet health-related purposes, including:
Medications for pet illnesses
Difficult grooming cases for severe matting
Small surgeries such as dental cleanings and extractions
Your contribution will play a vital role in assisting pets requiring extra care and support.
🎄🐾 A Heartfelt thank you to our Angel Tree Hosts! 🎁✨
We’re honored to partner with 9 vet clinics, each serving as an Angel Tree host for Pets4Life this year. We extend our sincere appreciation to these veterinary clinics for wholeheartedly supporting Pets4Life Louisville’s mission:
Your generosity will bring joy and comfort to countless pets and their families in our community. Together, let’s make this holiday season brighter for our furry friends! 🐾🌟
New for 2023 we are introducing our new Mission Partner Program. Pets4Life has a great track record of working closely with other organizations and now we have a plan to develop more win/win partnerships!
A Mission Partner is any business or group that we are partnering with to fulfill our mission of bringing pet wellness services to the underserved pet owners of the Louisville community. Here are just some of the ways we can partner with other organizations to help the most needy pets (and their owners) in our community!
Vet Clinics/Hospitals: Select a clinic date and provide volunteer vets & techs to work at one of our vaccine or wellness clinics. The whole team can work together to help pets who do not have access to vet care. What an amazing way to give back!
Animal or other nonprofits: Partner with Pets4Life by participating in our clinics/events. Opportunities include providing pet food & supplies, offering your pet/people services to the underserved pet owners, and providing education on a variety of pet and other topics.
Corporate Sponsors: Larger businesses can support underserved pet owners by sponsoring a clinic and providing volunteers. Employees love supporting animal organizations and because we are a small, all-volunteer organization, 100% of all donations go directly to helping animals.
Pet Services/Businesses: Small pet retailers, dog park bars, or dog service businesses can host microchip clinics or hold fundraising events to raise awareness and help people keep their Pets4Life!
Small Local Businesses: We would love to partner with local businesses such as restaurants, bars & retailers. These businesses can host fundraising nights/events with proceeds to Pets4Life Louisville. Other ideas include hosting a pet food drive, hosting an Angel Tree or holding a Holiday Photo Event (ex. Pictures with Santa)
Schools/Scouts: Young people working on service hours or scout projects (such as Gold Awards or Eagle Scouts) can volunteer at a Pets4Life clinic, or conduct a food drive or pet supplies drive.
If interested in being one of our ‘Mission Partners of the Month’, please complete this form:
The Angel Tree gift drive resulted in wonderful gifts and donations that will help us to help the most needy pets in our community. Items donated will be used to provide care in Pets4life clinics and some items (such as sweaters, dog beds & harnesses) will be given to pet owners with the greatest needs.
‘Crush’ (One of the pets we’ve helped) says THANK YOU!
The holiday season is a great time to remember the most vulnerable pets in our community. And the people of Louisville was generous with their support: Here is a summary of gifts collected through the Angel Tree program:
$2543.00 in donations (for cat & dog well check-ups)
$100 in Gift Cards
Large quantities of Flea & Tick Preventative (dogs and cats)
Dog & Cat Treats
Dog & Cat Toys
Dog Beds
Our Amazing Angel Tree Hosts
We are sincerely grateful to the following vet clinics for their support of Pets4lIfe Louisville’s mission by hosting a Pets4Life Angel Tree:
In 2022, as the COVID pandemic slowed and the community gradually returned to normal, Pets4Life Louisville was able to increase the number of events and community services back to pre-pandemic levels! While many small nonprofits didn’t survive the pandemic, Pets4life persevered during hard times through the dedicated work of the board members, vets, vet techs and volunteers. In 2022, we were able to grow the number of pets helped by 20% over the numbers from 2021.
We want to thank the following organizations for partnering with Pets4Life Louisville and supporting our mission: The Table, Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Louisville Metro Animal Shelter (LMAS), My Dog Eats First (MDEF)and Central High School’s Vet Science Program.
We are very grateful to the following groups for contributing to our mission through grants and financial support:Banfield Foundation, Frazier Joy Family Foundation, Crutcher Family Foundation, Jarboe’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, Best Friends, The Kron family, and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
2022 Highlights:
PET WELLNESS CLINICS: Partnering with ‘The Table’ in the Portland area, we held six pet wellness clinics to offer very low cost vet exams and services to the community. In addition to providing preventative care such as vaccines, dewormer and flea medicines, we provided microchips and treated common ailments such as ear, skin and eye infections. In addition, we provided each pet with several months of flea preventative.
COMMUNITY VACCINE CLINICS: In partnership with the Olmsted Parks Conservancy, we expanded to a new location in Chickasaw Park to reach more pet owners in our target zip codes. Due to generous grants, we were able to host two community vaccine clinics offering vaccines, dewormer, microchips and flea medicine to our targeted audience for free or very low cost.
MICROCHIP CLINICS: In partnership with Central High School, Pets4Life worked with students from the school’s Magnet Vet Sciences Program to hold a ‘Home for the Holidays’ Microchip event in December. This was the 1st of many events that we hope to do in partnership with Central High School. This event was funded with a memorial gift from the Kron Family.
LMAS SPAY/NEUTER VOUCHER PROGRAM: We continued our partnership with LMAS (Louisville Metro Animal Services) which was made possible by a Best Friends grant. This program helps pet owners in our target zip codes with Spay/Neuter services to help prevent unwanted births and decrease homeless pets in our community.
DENTAL/SURGERY PROGRAM: Pets4Life Louisville continued providing dental surgeries and other minor surgeries to pets from our clinics with the most pressing needs. This work was initially funded by a grant from the AVMA (The American Veterinary Medical Association). After the AVMA grant funds were depleted, we continued this program using funds raised during last year’s Giving Tuesday campaign for special needs pets.
Pet Treatment Services Summary:
Number of Pets Treated: 330 (269 dogs & 61 cats). Note: this is a 20% increase over 2021
Rabies Vaccines: 229
Other Vaccines: 242 (FVRCP and DAPP)
Microchips: 130
Dewormer: 245
Flea Treatments (multi-month): 310
Nail Trims: 133
Spay/Neuter Vouchers Distributed: 126
Surgeries (ex. Dentals, Hernias, Mass Removal): 22
Demographic Analysis:
Pets4Life has identified certain target zip codes for services: 40201, 40202, 40203, 40208, 40209, 40210, 40211, 40212, 40213, 40214, 40215, 40216, 40217, 40218, 40219 40258 and 40272. These zip codes are those within the ‘resource desert’ with little to no vet resources available in the community or they are in areas with high shelter intakes. Our analysis shows the break-down of pets treated in 2022 based on zip codes:
Within Target Zip Codes
Other Jefferson Co Zip Codes
Outside Jefferson Co
87%
9%
4%
In addition, our goal is to help people living in underserved communities who cannot afford veterinary care for their pets. A large percentage of our vet services were provide to households living below Federal poverty guidelines:
89% of services went to households with incomes less than $25,000 per year
9% of services went to households with incomes between $25,000 – $50,000 per year
Just 1% of services went to households with incomes over $50,000 per year
This December we are kicking-off our Angel Tree gift drive in multiple locations in Louisville. This program provides gifts to help the pets of needy families through the support of donors throughout our entire community! Items donated will be used to provide care in Pets4life clinics and some items (such as sweaters, dog beds & harnesses) will be given to pet owners with the greatest needs.
This holiday season please consider giving a gift to help the most vulnerable pets in our community. The Angel Trees are decorated with laminated tags with some of our most urgent needs to help these pets. Here are some of our most urgent Angel Tree needs:
Walmart Gift Cards
Amazon Gift Cards
Flea & Tick Preventative (dogs and cats)
Dog & Cat Treats
Dog slip leads & muzzles
Donations for cat & dog well check-ups
If you would like to participate by donating an angel tree item, please bring it (unwrapped) to one of our Angel Tree host locations (see list below). In addition to gifts, monetary donations will also be accepted and put to great use! Note: Because Pets4Life Louisville is an ALL-VOLUNTEER organization, 100% of donations go directly to helping pets.
Angel Tree Instructions:
1. The Angel Tree Gift Drive will take place during the month of December (the trees will be picked up up in early January)
2. Select a tag from the Angel Tree of any item you would like to donate
3. Once you’ve obtained the item, place it unwrapped under the Angel Tree. Gift cards and cash gifts can be placed in the cut-out in large box.
4. Online donations can be made using the QR code or online at our website pets4lifelou.org
5. Please place the used tag in the large box so we can use it again next year.
Thank you to our Angel Tree Hosts
This year, we are thrilled to have eleven vet clinics hosting a Pets4Life Angel Tree! We are sincerely grateful to the following vet clinics for their support of Pets4lIfe Louisville’s mission:
Partnering with MDEF to help the pets of the homeless community
Did you know that there are over 100,000 dogs and cats living in our community that don’t have access to veterinary care? And many of these pets belong to people in our homeless communities. This year, Pets4Life is partnering with My Dog Eats First (MDEF) to raise money to help these pets with basic supplies and vet care.
We will be partnering with MDEF and working with other nonprofits to go to Louisville’s homeless communities to help with pet food, warm pet clothing, flea medicines, vaccines and more! Although these pets are owned and loved, they are often suffering terribly due to hunger, cold and easily treatable conditions medical conditions such as fleas and worms.
Because we are a 100% ALL VOLUNTEER organization, 100% of the funds raised will go directly to helping these homeless pets. Funds will be used for pet food, pet clothing, vaccines, dewormer, microchips, S/N vouchers, flea medicines and more.
Make a Donation:Pets4Life & MDEF Giving Tuesday Goal: $3000
On Giving Tuesday, November 29th, we would like to ask if you can make a donation (small or large) to help us with vet care in Louisville’s homeless community. Our goal is to raise $2000 so that we can help the most vulnerable dogs and cats in our community who are suffering and are in pain. Scan/Photograph this image to make a donation:
Would you be able to make a donation to help reduce animal suffering and help people keep their Pets4Life? Please give to Pets4Life Louisville today or on November 30, Giving Tuesday.
Other ways to help Pets4Life & MDEF with Giving Tuesday
Amazon: Who doesn’t love a little on-line shopping? Are you planning to do some Black Friday shopping? How about some Cyber Monday shopping? If you’re looking for a tangible way to make a difference in the lives needy pets, then look no further! Check out the Pets4Life Louisville’s Amazon Wish List.
Be sure to mail it to the Pets4Life Louisville Mailing address:
Pets4Life Louisville
291 N. Hubbards Ln. Suite 172, Box 105 Louisville, KY 40207
Use Amazon Smile:
Shopping online at Amazon on Black Friday or Cyber Monday? Did you know that every time you shop at Amazon, you can help needy pets? Through the Amazon Smile program, all your purchases can help Pets4Life at NO ADDITIONAL COST to you!
To participate, simply navigate to smile.amazon.com and look in the upper left corner. Search and select ‘Pets4Life Louisville‘. Each time you make a purchase, navigate to ‘smile.amazon.com’ before checkout (all your account information will remain the same). For each purchase, Amazon will make a small donation to Pets4Life Louisville.
Share on Social Media:
Follow and participate on our main Facebook Page, Pets4Life Louisville . To help us during Giving Tuesday, please consider sharing the content and posts on your newsfeed, or sharing in Facebook Messenger with your friends who love animals. These acts will help us expand our reach to more people who need our services, as well as people who may want to support our mission to help needy pets in Metro Louisville.
Pets4Life Louisville is a 501(C)3 nonprofit. We have received the GuideStar Bronze Seal of Transparency. And because we are an all-volunteer organization, 100% of your donation goes toward helping animals!
Pets4Life was thrilled to partner with 3rd Turn Brewing and Titos at their Pet Costume Contest just in time for Halloween! Although it was a rainy October afternoon, the vibe was warm and cozy inside 3rd Turn Brewing. Thank you to Jason for inviting Pets4Life to be a part of it! And thank you to everyone that made a donation in support of our mission!
Here are some photos from the event:
Thank you to all the volunteers that helped at our table! Thanks to Melissa Kron, Dr. Keehner and Karen Mujica. And especially thank you to the 3rd Turn Brewing and Titos!
We received a WONDERFUL gift from Jarboe’s Plumbing, Heating & Cooling for $1500.00! They presented the oversized check to our vet Dr. Lisa Keehner and several volunteer vet techs from Springhurst Animal Hospital. Thank you to EVERYONE that participated in our January Fundraisers during the matching campaign. Your generosity will help many needy pets!
Here are some photos from the event:
We are so appreciative of all the support that we get from the Louisville Business community! Together we can make Louisville better for pets in need (and their owners)!
Pets4Life Louisville continued to put the AVMA COVID Relief/Domestic Abuse Grant funds to good use by helping pets in need of dental surgeries and extractions. Pets4Life partnered with Springhurst Animal Shelter to help reduce suffering due to pet dental disease. Severe dental disease is one of the most common issues that we see in our pet wellness clinics. Treatment requires anesthesia and dental surgery. Below is another update on some of the pets that have been helped with this grant:
Bandit’s Story: Bandit is a 7-year-old Jack Russel/chihuahua mix that was helped though the AVMA Grant. He had severe dental disease and needed to be neutered. He needed a dental cleaning with extractions, but his owners did not have the transportation or resources for the surgery. Due to Pets4Life and the AVMA grant, Bandit got his wish on December 10nd, 2021. Dr. Keehner transported Bandit from his house in the west end of Louisville to and from the clinic due the owners not having any transportation. Dr. Keehner & Springhurst Animal Hospital provided free surgery including a neuter, all extractions and medications. Bandit did great in surgery and he went home a happy, healthier dog free of pain!
Brooklyn’s Story: Brooklyn is a 10-year-old lab mix that was helped though the AVMA COVID Relief Grant. She had severe dental disease and two skin tumors that needed to be removed. Unfortunately, her owner was not able to provide the resources for these expensive procedures. But Pets4Life stepped in and Brooklyn was helped on December 15th, 2021. Dr. Keehner and Springhurst Animal Hospital provided free surgery including all extractions and medications. Brooklyn was an amazing patient and she went home a happier, healthier dog. These procedures will help Brooklyn live a life free of pain and suffering!
Chewy, Molly & Benji’s Story: Chewy is a 10-year-old Australian shepherd mix, Molly is a 12-year-old Shih tzu, and Benji is a 13-year-old Terrier mix that were helped though the AVMA COVID Relief Grant. All three had severe dental disease that needed dental cleanings and extractions. Their owner was not in a position to be able to provide the needed procedures, but Pets4LIfe stepped in to help! On December 16th, 2021, Dr. Keehner and Springhurst Animal Hospital provided free surgery including all extractions and medications for all three dogs. Because of these surgeries, these 3 dogs will have a much higher quality of life!
Dakota’s Story: Dakota is a 13-year-old Dachshund that was helped though Pets4Life and the AVMA Grant. Dakota had severe dental disease. He desperately needed a dental cleaning with extractions, however his owners were not able to provide the resources for that type of surgery. Dakota was helped on November 19th, 2021, with the help of Dr. Keehner and Springhurst Animal Hospital. Dakota received surgery including including multiple extractions. Dakota is a sweet boy and he did great during the procedures. Now he’s home living his best life!
Hope Kalani & Ellie’s Story: Ellie is a 12-year-old chihuahua mix and Hope Kalani is a 7-year-old chihuahua-terrier mix that were helped though the AVMA Grant given to Pets4Life. Both dogs had severe dental disease and were in need of dental cleanings with extractions. Sadly, their owner was not able to provide these types of expensive procedures. Working together, Pets4Life, Dr. Keehner and Springhurst Animal Hospital helped these doggies find relief for their dental pain! On December 2nd, 2021, Ellie and Hope Kalani received their surgeries. They were perfect patients and they returned home for the holidays with much healthier doggie smiles!
Miley’s Story:
Miley is a 12-year-old chihuahua mix that was helped though the AVMA COVID Relief Grant provided to Pets4Life. She had severe dental disease and needed a dental cleaning with extractions. Unfortunately, her owner did not have the resources for this procedure. Once again AVMA, Dr. Keehner and Springhurst came through to make it happen on December 13th, 2021. Dr. Keehner transported Miley from her house in the west end of Louisville to and from the clinic due the owner not having any transportation. The surgery was provided completely free of charge! Miley did great and she went home a healthier dog free of dental pain!
Dental Procedure Before and After Gallery
Pets4Life Louisville is a 501(C)3 nonprofit. We have received the GuideStar Bronze Seal of Transparency. All donations are tax deductible.
