Rescue Story: Thanks to Onyx & Breezy

Bernadette August 24, 2022October 6, 2022 1 Comment cat photographs, cat photography, cat photos, cats, community cats, feral cats, grants for pet needs, pet assistance, rescued cats, tnr

I’ve been checking Mr. Sunshine’s lump area once or twice a week, and because we presume it was an injection-site sarcoma I’ve also been checking his brothers who received the same vaccine. I hold my breath each time, but I find nothing. Yay! And Dr. Michelle stopped yesterday and gave Sunshine a once-over and found, or didn’t find, the same thing.

I still can’t believe it, and now and then I look at how he would be now if he had had a hind leg removed and possibly a portion of his abdomen resectioned.

And I remember the fear that I wouldn’t be able to pull together the estimated high end of $6,400 for his care, or that I would incur some deep debt that I’d have difficulty working with as a self-employed person, and care for all my cats would be impaired.

I didn’t presume to either get all the credit I needed or raise that in money from friends, that would be too much to ask. I also researched and applied to almost two dozen organizations that offer assistance to pay for care for pets when an owner can’t afford it, narrowing my choices down to those focusing on cancer care and life-saving surgeries.

Onyx & Breezy, a foundation based near New York City, was one organization that offered me a grant that would be paid to the specialty hospital the day of the surgery. I was so relieved and grateful!

Even though I didn’t need to use it, and I’m glad for that, there may still come a time that I do. And I also know that organizations who offer funding grants, Onyx & Breezy among them, are funded by donations from the public. Covid hit charitable donations very hard in the first year, and donations still aren’t back to the level they were prior to 2020, but pets like Mr. Sunshine are still in need, possibly even moreso because of the impact of Covid on all of us. I am sharing their information today to help get the word out about the work they do.

About Onyx & Breezy

The organization is named for two beloved black labs who passed away in 2004 and whose family founded the foundation. Not only do they help pet owners whose pets have medical needs, but they also support:

Spay and neuter programs
Rescue of animals from kill shelters
Food, medicine and supplies
Cancer Research
Medicine and equipment for military and police canines
Equipment for medical facilities
Puppy mill rescues and disaster relief
Shelters, rescues, foster groups and sanctuaries
Pets of individuals where medical hardship is present
Helping the dogs of veterans suffering from PTSD
Other endeavors that benefit the welfare of animals

That list is a very big order, as well all know the costs of spay and neuter and rescue!

While it’s often a good idea to support the organizations closest to you, an organization like Onyx & Breezy that offers individual support over the entire country may help someone you know one day as it would have helped me. Most of all you know that an individual in need will get the help they need with your donation.

Their website includes testimonials from those they’ve helped, news stories about the work they do as well as videos from their national spokesperson Gabrielle Carteries and a thank you from none other than Betty White herself on their 10th anniversary.

A page offers a variety of ways to donate. They also have a store with both pet-related and everyday items that helps to raise funds, and an eternity wall where you can buy a pawprint in memory of a beloved pet, yours or someone else’s.

I’ll be donating items to their 18th Annual Virtual Gala Online Auction in October to help them raise funds. I have a couple of full-size prints of “Peaches and Peonies” and “Are You Looking at Me?” to choose from, the two paintings that get the greatest response wherever they go, and other items as well. We don’t often have anything extra to share with others, I know I am often just making ends meet, but even $5.00 helps a cause.

pastel painting of calico cat with peonies — “Peaches and Peonies”, pastel, 23″ x 16″, 2008 © B.E. Kazmarski

portrait of black cat on floor — Are You Looking At Me? pastel, 17″ x 22″, 2005 © B.E. Kazmarski

And thanks again!

And thanks again to all of you who donated for Mr. Sunshine’s care! Even just the testing was costly, and I’m working my way through his siblings for their “senior exams” now too, and grateful I can afford this.

four black cats — After the catnip party.

Read other stories in my Rescue Stories series.

Gifts featuring cats you know! Visit Portraits of Animals

Feline Gifts from Portraits of Animals!

I find my feline inspirations in my rescues. Here’s a trio of books of my artwork and also with some stories. Read more.

Copyright

All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.