Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids

10/12/2025

Sweet little burn kitten Reba relaxes into the arms of Brooklyn Kelley. Brooklyn is the daughter of Jessie Kelley, Blue Pearl CR Veterinary Technician who is fostering Reba as she recovers from her injuries. ❤️🐾

10/11/2025

Two legged dogs!❤️🐾
Beautiful Aspen has been in our medical system since she was a puppy. We received a call from wonderful individuals in the Hannibal MO. area looking for options for a congenitally deformed puppy. They did not want her euthanized. They transported her to Cedar Rapids and into our great friends at Fur Fun Rescue. Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids is managing her medical issues.

Aspen only has two legs. Her left front limb has an elbow joint and a little bit of her radius and ulna but no lower leg. Her right front limb has a tiny bit of humerus. Her mandible is incredibly narrow and she only has about 8 teeth. This is why her tongue hangs out.

Aspen has had two excellent foster homes over the past couple of years. Since the first time I met her, I instantly knew that someday Aspen would be with me. She was recently moved to her third foster home and I am absolutely thrilled to say that she has joined my happy pack of dogs that includes my other foster Louise, a 15 year old cancer patient from A Purposeful Life Animal Rescue & Sanctuary under medical care with CC(she is cancer free) and Sprite, a former CC patient that I adopted several years ago. Sprite is a Chihuahua mix again….missing both of his front limbs! I now have two dogs with a total of four limbs and I laugh when I say at least they can’t outrun me like Lou can!

Animals with disabilities are the first to be euthanized. Most people do not realize that they can live long, happy and very fulfilling lives with just a little help from us. Sprite and Aspen certainly do. Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder and I firmly believe that there is absolute perfection in our imperfections! I wouldn’t want it any other way. Welcome home Aspen girl. You are so loved.❤️🐾

10/11/2025

Bob came into our medical system two years ago this week from Cedar Rapids Animal Care and Control. He was an absolute mess. Through the act of intentional human negligence, this Rough Coated Collie was absolutely emaciated with the worst skin issues we have ever seen.

Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids took his medical case immediately and for over a year, we worked diligently with the Dermatology and Internal Medicine Services at Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids to give Bobby his life back. Many thanks to the incredibly skilled medical fostering by Anne Duffy and ultimately Janet McCune who fell in love, adopting this beautiful boy.

It is Bobby’s birthday today! We are so happy for him and the wonderful love-filled life that he now lives with Janet and his “siblings”.

Bad people fail animals. Good people save them. We love you, Bobby❤️🐾

10/10/2025

Oh my goodness with friends like these, how can we possibly go wrong? Help us raise the incredible $2,500 match offered by our great friends at Need Pizza and the upcoming Need a Pizza and Beer Run this upcoming Sunday Oct. 12th! Please donate on the link below in the shared post!❤️👇

10/08/2025

Donations Needed for kitten Gizmo.❤️🐾

We always say that rescue starts with one person who can’t walk away. For tiny Gizmo, that person was Lyndsey Grendler who found two itty bitty’s alone and abandoned, just trying to survive. One kitten was very injured, dragging a back leg, bleeding with what appeared to be bite wounds and lacerations.

Lyndsey called Alyson Krumbholz from Tails in Transit Rescue and from there Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids was called for emergency assistance. Gizmo is estimated to be approx 8-9 weeks old. We sent Lyndsey who lives in Central City, to Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids for Gizmo’s care and admission.

This kid had a nasty mid-shaft femur fracture and multiple puncture wounds and lacerations. The doctors flushed the wounds, started antibiotics, xrayed, ran complete lab work and splinted the leg. Gizmo’s bill at Blue Pearl is approx $3500.

Gizmo was then transferred to Anamosa Vet Clinic for surgery this past Monday with the amazing Dr. Ryan Bousselot. The femur fracture was repaired and now we wait to make sure the wound does not become infected! Gizzy was released this late afternoon and the healing now begins! We anticipate this invoice to be around $1500.

If you are so fortunate to donate to Gizmo’s life and limb saving medical care, we would be so appreciate. Each pet patient at CC averages out to be approx $6,000 per case. But each of these medically and traumatically challenged animals are absolutely priceless. We think Lyndsey and Gizmo agree!❤️🐾

Donations can also be accepted on our secure website at:
CtitterCrusadersCR.Org with Venmo, Pay PAL, Apple and G pay along with all major credit cards accepted at time of check out. We thank you.❤️🐾

10/08/2025

Meet Katie!
Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids has many new requests for assistance from organizations all around Iowa. This five month old beautiful German Shepherd pup has been fighting constant urinary tract infections. We have had many of these cases over the past 17 years and our radar always goes up when we have a pet whose infections are reoccurring.

Katie comes to us from our great friends at German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Iowa. They readily took Katie as an owner surrender to prevent euthanasia due to the need for extensive medical care. Most likely Katie has a congenital urinary deformity at this young age and we have an appointment for her at Iowa State University Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital next week to start the diagnosis process.

Most likely Katie will need a cystoscopy and possibly a CT wcan for diagnosis. Then surgery will be the next step. We will be running a fundraiser for this beautiful youngster soon!

We are thrilled to help this kid into a better future through the miracles of veterinary medicine. Welcome Katie girl! We gotcha, sweetheart!❤️🐾

10/06/2025

Watch this hilarious Everyday Iowa segment with Bob Wagner from Need Pizza! This is just a sample of how much fun the Need a Pizza and Beer Run is! Join your friends at Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids this Sunday October 12th with registration starting at 9am in beautiful downtown Cedar Rapids!

Run (and eat and drink) for a cause! The Need a Pizza & Beer Run is Oct. 12 outside of Need Pizza in CR- all proceeds benefit Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids!

10/04/2025

Blue Pearl Cedar Rapids
October 2025 Emergency Service Schedule!
Looking GREAT Everyone!❤️🐾

10/04/2025

JOIN US SUNDAY OCTOBER 12th! NEED PIZZA AND BEER FAMILY FUN RUN!

Need a Pizza and Beer Run Family Fun Run to benefit Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids on Sunday October 12th in Downtown Cedar Rapids! Registration at 9am with race (with different heats) starting at 10am!

Bring your kids, dogs, strollers, costumes and have a CRAZY FUN BLAST at this event! Scan the QR code to register of walk in registration starts at 9am! Click on the Need Pizza link above to learn more! Eat Pizza…and Walk, Skip or Run to Downtown CR Sunday October 12th and help save the lives of sick and injured pets!🐾

10/03/2025

Kitten John Update!

This kitten came to Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids on September 24th as a trauma emergency. John initially came into UrgentVet and from there, Katie called us for help.

John suffered a mandible fracture and could not open or close his mouth. He had blood coming from his nose and was just super painful. Luckily our great friends at Iowa State University Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital hospitalized him after his ER an admission and from there, the Orthopedic Surgery Service took over.

This kid was hospitalized for several day and just released this past Tuesday. He underwent a CT scan, surgery for the mandible and after a few days of having no appetite and fighting his syringe feeding, John had a surgical esophagostomy tube placed. This makes feedings so much easier as well as medication delivery.

Despite his injury, John is a fuzzy little doll…he is just so sweet and has tolerated this tough start to his young life with the usual resilience reserved for animals! We thank everyone who donated to his care. This was an expensive case, bordering on $4500, but again…worth every penny. We also thank the amazing Katie Fisher from Urgent Vet for fostering John through the worst of his recovery! Once he is feeling better, he will be headed to our great friend's Corissa and Jeremy at Whiskers TNR of Warren County. More to come on John’s journey back to health.❤️🐾
(The plastic bolster that you see is called a labial button and it helps stabilize the mandible fracture through a series of sutures).

10/03/2025

Roxxy has been a complex case for Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids. This girl was brought into rescue completely emaciated and after a visit to Anamosa Vet Clinic, she was diagnosed with diabetes and potential mammary gland tumors.

Our first goal was to get her diabetes under control and that can be very challenging with animals. At her appointment yesterday, Dr. Cassie placed a second freestyle libre to monitor her blood sugar on the cell phone. So far so good as we have it secured under the pink vet wrap that you see in the photo. This will allow Dr. Cassie to make adjustments to her insulin dosage

Dave Weekly is doing a great job with Roxxy and she is a happy little senior German Shorthair Pointer who eats like she has never been fed! It‘s just Roxy’s thing! She’s a foodie! She is pictured here with her rescue dad, Dave❤️🐾

10/01/2025

Reba Update!

This kitten is a perfect example of why we go to great lengths to save a life. Reba was badly burned in a house fire in Burlington Iowa and survived on her own for 5 days before someone heard a kitten crying. We have been asked why we would even attempt to save this kitten with such extensive and painful injuries. Would it not have been better to euthanize her to end her suffering? It is a very reasonable question.

But if we then ask ourselves why she survived five days with no medical intervention on her own, found outside eating a pile of cat food that had been tossed out….the answer is easy….every single cell in Reba’s body and that of all animals, is programmed to survive at all costs. It is in their DNA. It is who they are and pain to them is completely secondary to that instinct to survive. We have said this many times….if they could speak, they would choose to live.

Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids recognizes this in so many of our critical patients. If we feel that we can intervene and that they can ultimately have a happy, functional life….then it is game on to cheat the grim reaper! Adorable Reba is a happy recipient of that philosophy! She continues to be in foster care with two very experienced vet techs from Blue Pearl CR, Alison and Jessie as she remains under the care of the emergency team and surgeon Dr. Rhonda Aper at BPCR.

Burn injuries require long term treatment and we are now in the outpatient phase of Reba’s care! She will return to the hospital this Wednesday for a recheck with Dr. Aper as she monitors Reba’s healing burns, deciding if and when to excise any tissue. We are so pleased with this little kitten survivor as she purrs and kneads her way to a new life.

Reba wanted to live. There was no question. As Haley transported her from Burlington to Cedar Rapids, Reba was very injured but constantly placing her burned head into Haley’s hand for human contact. When I met them at Blue Pearl that night, Reba purred and rubbed her little burned face on me. She knew she was safe. She also knew she would survive. We can learn so much from these animals.

So as we end tonight's update, we just had to post one of the most amazing photos we have ever seen. In her foster home with little Farrah, Reba’s total joy for life takes center stage through her burns. Battle scars tell a survivor’s story, without words. Way to go Reba girl! You have made so many of us proud!❤️🐾