Often in this world of animal rescue it isn’t just the lonely animal being saved. There are times that the line blurs when one helps a dog…because many times it is actually the dog saving the rescuer.
Mocha When 1st Year
So goes the story of Mocha and David…yes, our very own David Thurman. Four years ago David found Mocha, a poor, confused young dog suddenly in a shelter due to his owner needing to be placed in a nursing home. The dog was shaking horribly, and each time David would approach the kennel Mocha would shake and cry even more. You see, it is hard for a dog to understand when their happy, comfortable home is suddenly a concrete floor surrounded by metal fencing.
Day After Surgery
David eventually took Mocha home to live with him and his girlfriend. But the story doesn’t end there. Eventually the relationship between David and his girlfriend ebbed, and Mocha became the pawn in the game of who gets to keep what. The girlfriend wanted Mocha, so David only got to see the dog now and then. Missing Mocha horribly, David decided that instead of finding another Aussie to make his own, he would find relief in helping other dogs just like Mocha.
Mocha Relaxing
To-date, David has rescued nearly 400 dogs, an accomplishment that comes with an awful lot of time and financial sacrifice. Oh, and Mocha? Soon Mocha did come to live full-time with David where today he enjoys time with his two brothers Cruise and Hager, constantly telling them what to do.
Mocha and Hagar
Mocha has always had a weak set of back legs and arthritis. He somehow tore his ACL and after many rounds of laser therapy and medications it has been decided that Mocha needs surgery. A $1500 surgery in fact.
Why Dave Is In Rescue
Who do I make the check out to and where do I send it.?
Thanks to Dave and the Aussie rescue group Skylar, a senior blue merle aussie, came into my life several years ago. What a joy, seniors rule!!!
Thanks and best wishes for you and Mocha.
Jude, thank you for the kind words, Skyler was a very cool guy, and hearing from adopters years back is a very comforting thing. I remember all my 400+ adoptions, some more then others as they strike you, I remember Skyler’s family was very upset and sad to see him go, I knew we had a great guy when a family loves their Aussie as much as they did.
Rhonda, we have a Chipin on the website, actually above the comments, we can get you a receipt for tax purposes if you do it through the rescue.
Thanks to all those folks that sent Mocha well wishes. He is doing better, the bruising is going away, he hates his cone of shame, he gets mad because he has an itch he can’t reach, so I am his back legs and scratch for him. He is taking all this very well.
Thank You David for all of the help you gave us to find our Aussie Remy. He fits in so well with Sammy and looks so much like our Sophie that we lost in March. With the considerable amount of time you put in to help these precious dogs I think we can all give back a little to Mocha as our thanks for a job well done. They are our family in so many ways. Glad to hear he is doing well.
I tried to use the credit card for Pay Pal and it did not go thru, so do u have an alturnetive wayto recieve payment?
David,
Is it confirmed to be ACL? Without any doubt? My Jack Russell was diagnosed with ACL as a puppy and after months of trying to keep her calm and not jumping (I did mention Jack Russell??) we took her to an orthopedic vet and she had no ACL issue at all! What she had was necrosis of the femur! For some reason the blood supply to the tip of her femur (where it normally meets the pelvic area) had been pinched off. Our guess is because she is a puppy mill rescue and they’re notorious for crates that are way too small! Anyway, she had surgery to remove the dead part of the femur and the surgeon tied her abdominal muscles into her quad muscles to create a “false hip”. She’s 10 1/2 years old now and has been a runner and jumper since surgery and rehab. If hip pictures haven’t been taken, ask the vet to snap one or two just in case! From what I’ve learned, ACL is a common mis-diagnosis!
It was, I had taken him in after he was limping for about a week. We started with some pain meds and anti-inflammatory meds. That was working so we did Laser Therapy, that did just a little, so I took him to a specialist near me. They immediately said a torn ACL, so in 3 weeks he was operated on, he has no limp, runs better, and is my happy, grouchy, in charge red merle
If you could please send me an email on my email account with the address and name to send a check, I will send you a check to help with the bills. Thanks, Mary
Hi Mary, I am very honored and touched, you can mail that to
Aussie Rescue Midwest
2281 Knollaire Dr
Washington, IL 61571
We can send you a tax receipt that way.
Again thank you
David
Hi Mary
We got your check, I am going to say it came at a very important time. Could you email me your email address? Email me personally at david.e.thurman@gmail.com and again thank you very much.
Dear David,
I am so sorry to hear about Mocha. With my 16 year old boy declining in his old age I decided to stop trolling the internet adoption sites for a while and learned only today about the problems with your gorgeous boy. You are in my prayers.
David, shame on you. Mocha is your dog and has been for years. You should not be using your rescue’s tax exempt status to send people receipts.
I adopted my own Chloe, who is now nearly 13, from our group nearly 12 years ago, and within the past year-and-a-half I have had to pay for TWO ACL surgeries for her, twice what you owe for Mocha. She is my dog and I did it without thinking twice. Despite that I foster for a rescue group, I would consider asking people who have adopted from us to help me pay for my dog’s surgery: I have been her owner and guardian for 12 years. She is my responsibility; Mocha is yours. I think this is an abuse of your organization.
Good luck to Mocha, I hope his recovery goes well. And I hope you are able to find a way to pay for it without taking advantage of your adopters.
Correcting my typo — I would NOT consider asking people who have adopted from us to help me pay …
Hi Marla
He is doing great, he runs, he actually jumps and is not nearly as grouchy as before. Thanks for the kind words.
David, you sent me a reply which I do not see here, and I have to say, while I feel for you and for Mocha, having been through two of these surgeries in the past 1-1/2 years myself, I cannot imagine how you and your board wouldn’t see that as an abuse of your 501(c)3 status, to solicit donations for your own privately owned dog and then send donors a receipt to take a tax deduction. Mocha is not a foster dog, nor is he part of your program. Is it appropriate for all of us who foster dogs to solicit donations for our own dogs when they need care, and then send tax-deduction receipts? How are you different? If you want to ask for financial assistance from your adopters, that’s one thing, but to suggest that that would be tax deductible is, frankly, fraud.
You must be fun at parties, Jo.
I would consider Mocha to be a co-founder and ambassador for the rescue therefore, is in fact, part of the program. Mocha should be listed on the Board of directors. Just like the Dog CEO in those commercials. Also, people who work with this rescue spend hundreds, maybe thousands of their own money to rescue these dogs and ask for nothing in return. Maybe not even a receipt. I know I’ve never asked for one.
Hey Jon. You may consider Mocha to be part of the rescue, but does the federal government? Doubtful. And even if he is, that doesn’t make him eligible for tax deductions. Do your board members get to send tax deductible receipts to your adopters if they have surgeries and then solicit donations to help cover the cost?
I work with a rescue group, too. I know how much of my own time and money I’ve invested over the past 12 years. I also know that I’ve volunteered to do that. And, that I can in fact claim as tax deductions things like mileage and expenditures for which I have receipts. However, I cannot claim my own dog as deductions. Even if they are on the board.
Jo
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Australian Shepherd Rescue Midwest, Inc. thank you for your recent posts regarding our Chip In Bucket policy. Your concerns have been discussed by our Board of Directors. We have determined that because the post for the Chip In Bucket for Mocha’s medical needs was clear and descriptive, and that only monies collected via this vehicle were paid out to Mocha’s owner, that there was no fraudulent activity on our part.
We are a charitable organization. And, as such, we receive multiple requests for financial aid from Australian Shepherd owners who are financially unable to provide care for their pets. Each request is heavily considered by the Board. In many cases the owner’s options are to 1) ask for financial help, 2) surrender their much loved pet or 3) Put the pet to sleep. Per our mission to care, support and provide loving homes to these dogs, we will on occasion set up a Chip In Bucket to help someone out. We have two other situations where we have or will set up a Bucket for just such an owner. Donors are free to choose to help out or not. Those donations to our organization are tax deductible. We have also donated to other rescue organizations on behalf of their Chip In Buckets set up for similar situations.
Again, we carefully consider each request. If there are no other resources available for these owners, we do and will continue to set up a donation drive.
Sincerely,
Valerie A. Janke
Treasurer, Board of Directors
ASRM
Hi Valerie, thanks for the more detailed information about your policy. That all seems perfectly reasonable. Despite that, I still think it’s a conflict of interest to provide this service for David, the guy in charge of the rescue group. That’s a different thing from providing it for people who have adopted from you. I realize it’s optional and people can choose to donate or not. And I appreciate the time you took to explain.
Jo
Jo, thank you again for your commentary. The Board took that into consideration as well. We felt that we needed to deal with David as if he were any other adopter (fair is fair after all). It was not an easy decision and it was not a “rubber stamp” decision. In these difficult economic times, there have been many more such requests. Again, thank you for your understanding. We always appreciate feedback, both positive and negative.
Sincerely,
Valerie Janke
Treasurer, Board of Directors
ASRM