Jennifer and the Dalmation

A word from Lil' Oprah about Jennifer:

Getting to know Jennifer over the last 6 or so years has been like slowly unwrapping a wonderful present. She's an incredible portrait artist, throws a fabulous party that is planned perfectly to the tiniest detail, and is killer on a tambourine. Each time I spend time with her and her husband Andy, I feel wrapped up in goodness and am charmed by her gentle spirit and her awesome sense of humor.

Jennifer's Story:

When I first got Kalimba’s email about the $20, my immediate thought was that I’d turn her down, thinking that I didn’t have time to come up with a plan for the money. Then an idea popped into my head. From time to time at work, when I need an escape, I enjoy going to the website of a SoCal Dalmatian rescue organization and looking at the Dalmatians who are up for adoption. I look at their sweet, innocent faces and dream of the day when Andy and I have the home and financial resources that will allow us to adopt a rescued Dalmatian. I particularly remembered one Dalmatian girl, whose story nearly made me cry when I read it a few months ago:

“Beautiful Violet was found the day before Thanksgiving 2007 emaciated, starving, drinking dirty water off the city streets and barely able to stand & walk. She was about 24 hours away from death. There were people all around but everyone ignored her until a wonderful kind hearted soul turned her car around and rescued her. She then contacted Save the Dalmatians for help. Once we heard Violet's story we knew immediately we had to find a way to help this poor girl, who was also covered with infected sores and was blind in one eye. She obviously had a strong will to survive. For all that she has been through Violet has one of the sweetest and most loving temperaments anyone could ask for.

Save the Dals brought Violet to the vet and found that she is approximately 7 to 8 years old. She was put on antibiotics to help clear up her infected sores. We had blood work performed on her and she was seen by an eye specialist. It has been determined that she has glaucoma (a painful condition) in one eye and is completely blind. She is currently on medication that hopefully is alleviating her pain. Glaucoma is not common in Dalmatians and it is believed she may have had an injury to the eye that was left untreated. The best course of treatment for her is to surgically remove the eye. While her care and surgery will be costly at nearly $1,000, we are compelled to help this beautiful and sweet tempered Dalmatian find another chance at a wonderful and pain free life and ultimately adopted into a loving permanent home.”

After remembering Violet’s story, I knew I wanted to give Kalimba’s $20 to this organization, a non-profit group run solely by volunteers. Though Violet has already had her surgery, I know the $20 will go towards helping another precious doggie in need.