It’s no surprise that dogs are man’s best friend. To Starrsha Howell, her dog Sylvie is the pup she rescued and nurtured to good health.
“She means everything to me,” said Howell.
However, in October, Sylvie got very sick, and the veterinarians struggled to figure out why.
“Oh, it was terrifying,” Howell recalled. “[They didn’t know] why she collapsed, why she wasn’t eating. She was very dehydrated.”
Test after test added up financially, too. She said before the ultrasound, they were paying about $2,000 for everything from blood work to special testing and medications.
Luckily, Howell heard about a new nonprofit called For the Love of Chin.
“Thankfully, For the Love of Chin was able to help us,” she said.
“We were blessed to be able to help Sylvie get the ultrasound that she needed to help her medical team treat her accordingly,” For the Love of Chin founder Sharon Gregory said.
“It absolutely meant the world to me because we were just stuck and felt like we weren’t doing justice by Sylvie,” Howell added.
Through her nonprofit, Gregory got Howell the money for the ultrasound. Now Howell is one of two dog families the nonprofit has helped since formalizing in October.
Helping dogs is Gregory’s passion that propelled her to start this nonprofit named after her five Japanese chins.
“I feel that this is what I should be doing,” Gregory said, “every dog deserves skilled, compassionate veterinary care.”
She said they want to especially help military veterans.
“Those who have served and who served us, I just want to be able to give back,” she explained.
Now she is giving back well beyond the financial help. Howell said Gregory would reach out constantly, saying that the support and the checking in on Sylvie meant the world.
For the Love of Chin is helping man’s best friend, physically and emotionally, to make sure no dog is left behind when their health is on the line.
“I will forever be thankful, not just me, but my entire family will forever be thankful to have that help,” said Howell.
In addition to helping dog families financially, For the Love of Chin is on a mission to teach people about dog treatment options.
The non-profit has its big launch celebration planned for March 28th at Sigma’s event center. More information can be found on their website at this link.
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