The Animal Pad

11/13/2025

November is Adopt a Senior Dog month, and we could really use your help to support one of our golden ladies.

Her government name is Irie, but she goes by Little Dog, or LD. She came to us in January of this year and is a part of our Forever Foster program, because she’s a fragile old lady with a laundry list of medical issues that we have committed to loving and caring for her through. Other than your typical crusty white dog stuff, she’s got a heart condition, lumps and bumps, missing teeth, trachea sensitivities, and it goes on. She came to us with dreadlocks, mammary tumors, an umbilical hernia, and a mass on her cervix- all of which have since been removed. For the past 11 months, our rescue has been supporting her- both physically and monetarily- and there is no doubt that this little dog has been living her best life.

Last week, we hit a bump. LD’s a**l glands unfortunately ruptured and she needed an urgent surgery, which brought about an unexpected cost for us.

LD deserves the best of care, just like any senior dog does, and that’s why she’ll be taken care of by our rescue for life. But since we don’t yet have funding set up for our Forever Foster program specifically, our general donations take care of her needs. Which means she is almost like a little bit of all of ours. If you have donated to TAP, you have helped this little dog without even knowing.

So, because it’s “Adopt a Senior Dog Month,” we were hoping we could get this community to pitch in for her $1075 bill, to help lighten the load for our rescue a bit. Because we really, truly can’t do this work without you.

We have our annual Stuffed Pups fundraiser running at the moment, and part of why we do this is to feed dogs who need it, of course- but another reason is to help cover our massive costs that we face every month. If you would be so kind as to donate $20 in honor of Irie, to sponsor a delicious Thanksgiving meal for her or one of her fellow Forever Foster friends (there are 9 others like her!), we can cover this bill and go on to keep Irie happy, healthy, and of course- loved.

Thank you so much for helping us help dogs like her. 💚

Stuffed Pups Fundraiser :
https://givebutter.com/stuffedpups

11/10/2025

Join us for the second year in a row, as we make Thanksgiving 2025 extra special for the dogs! With your help, no pup goes hungry this holiday.

For just $20, you can sponsor a meal for your pup, or a pup in need. Your donation will provide a delicious dog-friendly Thanksgiving meal (and dessert!) that shows these dogs just how much they're loved and cared for. Your donation will also go on to support The Animal Pad and our rescue endeavors, to end the year strong and head into 2026 with the resources and funding to save even more dogs next year.
🧡

Support here:

By The Animal Pad

10/31/2025

This isn’t your average Halloween post, but it does involve costumes and it does involve October, so stay with me.

This is the story of October, a dog who was in our care for 1,365 days with no potential home in sight. Last October, we dedicated the entire month to finding him a family. We posted him every day and hoped someone would see him for the happy, smart, goofy, and oh-so sweet, perfectly imperfect black Pittie that he is.

We planned an entire costume shoot and really wanted to wow everyone with the final product. It’s a lot to live up to, being a dog named October, you know.

So, we tried a few options. But nothing felt right.

Then, we talked to October. He didn’t like any of the costumes either. He said he’d much rather go as an “Adopted Dog.”

And by posting him all month, that’s exactly what he became. October went into a trial adoption, while continuing to work with on his training, alongside his very dedicated new dad, Drew. And after a lot of hard work and devotion to this deserving dog, October was officially adopted in January of this year. 🥹

So today, a year after our month of posts, we couldn’t be happier to share with you all why October didn’t need our help this October. He’s home for good. His costume this year? He’s calling it “Part of the Family.” 🫶

Happy Halloween, happy last day of Pit Bull Awareness Month, and a very happy life forever, October.💚

10/28/2025

Have you ever wondered what your pet is trying to tell you? Do you wish you could connect with your beloved pet in spirit? Well now you can!!

Join us Sunday, November 2 for this intimate online event, and share in an evening of animal communication in celebration of Dia De Los Mu***os! During the event 6-7 people will be intuitively selected to receive mini-readings with their animal, alive or in spirit!

These readings will be from the Animal Communication Collective – A volunteer organization of 30+ women who are certified professional animal communicators. They partner with animal welfare organizations to educate humans about animal communication and share messages from animal family members (alive and in spirit).

Event tickets are $25, and 100% of proceeds go directly to TAP! Please remember that not everyone in the audience will receive a personalized reading during the event. Get your tickets here: https://givebutter.com/acc-nov-2025

For more information on The Animal Communication Collective please visit: www.animalcommunicationcollective.com

10/17/2025

NumNum got a brand new nose this week and she’s a little hesitant to show it because it’s still swollen, but I convinced her to share a sneak peek. Be nice, ok? 👊

It’s been an incredible few months with this miracle dog, watching her heal with a little bit of medicine and a whole lot of love. And a really badass veterinarian who advocated for her (thanks Dr. Clark) and a really, really badass surgeon (Dr. Kraska at ) who performed a full nasal reconstruction so that NumNum can breathe as she should, freely and without labor, again.

If you’re new here, NumNum was one of the nearly 300 dogs saved recently out of a terribly neglectful situation with a “rescue” in Ensenada, Mexico. She developed a condition called vasculitis, secondary to tickborne disease, which caused her skin to essentially melt off her body. Even her nose fell off, which brings us to this necessary surgery she’s recovering from today.

If you love the dirty details of medical, here is a rundown from the surgeon of how Num’s nose job went down…
“At surgery, the upper lip was shifted to create a new junction with the nasal mucosa (inner lining of the nose) to prevent the site from healing over again. Due to chronic thickening of the tissue, the lip required removal of scar tissue. The lip was then sutured to the nasal mucosa and back to the tissue in the mouth.” 😅

This surgery wouldn’t have been possible without everyone here who donated during our tournament week, and a beyond generous donation match from their sponsors and . Num owes her new sniffer to all of you, and we can’t thank you enough! 💚

NumNum will be adoptable after she heals up, so start spreading the word now! Like the surgery tech repeatedly told me yesterday at pick up- She’s actually so perfect. 🫶

09/07/2025

Come meet some of our adoptables TOMORROW Sunday, September 7 from 1-4pm at our Because of Billie: Fundraiser & Adoption Event !!!

09/05/2025

Join us this Sunday, September 7 from 1-4pm at Kairoa Brewing, to celebrate a very special life lost, and help kick off our fundraiser for the “Because of Billie” Fund, which will help so many people and their pets.

Billie was more than just a rescue dog- she was the dog who changed everything for us. She came to The Animal Pad as our first extensive medical case, facing challenges so great they seemed impossible. Billie taught us something so incredibly priceless that we carry with us today, in every dog we rescue: she taught us that we can do hard things. Her fight, her spirit, and her will to live reshaped the way we think about critical cases forever. And we have gone on to save so many because of what we learned from her.

After fighting her way to health, Billie found the most perfect forever home, and lived the rest of her days surrounded by love. But she unexpected passed away last month and a Billie sized hole has been left in our hearts—

Billie is gone, but her legacy lives on, and always will through the “Because of Billie” Fund.

In her honor, this fund has been created as a dedicated reserve, ready to be used in moments when every second matters. These funds are set aside exclusively for true emergencies within our community- when a beloved pet’s life hangs in the balance, and their family is already navigating an excruciating situation.

This fund ensures that when the unthinkable happens, we can act quickly, compassionately, and decisively- giving dogs and their families a fighting chance.

All because of a dog named Billie. 💚

If you can’t make the event, you can donate to the fund directly here:

https://givebutter.com/becauseofbillie