I have always had a soft spot in my heart for dogs. The reasons are not that complicated. Ever since I was a very young boy, we had several dogs who were an integral part of our family. And on the day I left home for college, I couldn't bear to look them in their eyes and say goodbye. I knew that I'd come home during school breaks to see them, but I wasn't sure if they did. Dogs have a very keen sense of what's going on around them and so did mine. On that day, I could just tell by the subdued look on their faces that they knew that something unusual was about to happen. If only they could talk and ask me. If they could, what would I tell them? Would they even believe me or accept it?
I recall being about 10 years old and finding myself alone at home one fall with my parents as my older siblings were off to boarding school. Just as in every family, there's always one person who performs the vast majority of household tasks. In our family, that just happened to be me—more by default rather than design. And I loved bathing the dogs, brushing their hair, feeding them twice a day, taking them for walks, and playing with them in the front garden as they chased squirrels, butterflies, and the occasional wandering bird who dared to invade their space. In turn, the four dogs reciprocated by jumping onto my bed at night, making themselves comfortable, and never failing to collectively lick my face early in the morning to let me know it was time to get up and feed them. They instinctively knew that I was aware of my obligations and wouldn't let them down. For several years, we enjoyed each other's company and were inseparable. Dogs offer unconditional love and expect us to take care of them. It's an unspoken quid pro quo that is mutually understood and respected. That's all part of growing up, learning about responsibility.
Later on in life, some adults are not as lucky to have family around them and the thought of parting with their dogs is simply unbearable. That's all they have left to continue living and surviving in a world often indifferent to their daily struggles and concerns.
Such is the case for a long-standing community member who has been on Daily Kos for over a decade, snoopydawg.
Note: at the suggestion of VictorLaszlo (and also based on this comment by middleagedhousewife) made downthread, I should mention that snoopydawg is in Utah. So, if you live there and can offer help in person, please contact snoopydawg thru Kosmail. Thanks.
Fundraising Total Updates
Update #1: Good news right off the bat! Thanks to Dallasdoc, we have a matching $200.00 donation. So, the first $200.00 in donations by others = $400.00!
Update #2 (as of 3:30 pm Eastern Time): Folks, we are up to $420.00, including Dallasdoc's $200.00 matching contribution. Thanks for your generosity.
Update #3 (as of 6:15 pm Eastern Time): We're making good progress towards the fundraising goal. Your donations have kicked the total up to $1,525. Many thanks.
Update #4 (as of 9:15 pm Eastern Time): We have crossed the 40% mark of the fundraising goal and the total stands now at $2,150. This is just great!
Update #5 (as of Midnight Eastern Time): We stand at $2,522. I'll update next at some point tomorrow afternoon/evening. On behalf of snoopydawg, thanks for all your contributions.
Important Updates - 9:20 11:15 pm ET
1. We have another $200 matching pledge from an anonymous donor. The next $200 in donations become $400.00! Thanks.
2. We have yet another $200 matching pledge. So, if the total donated after 9:15 pm ET is at least $400, it will become $800.00. Fantastic!
|
snoopydawg is facing a slew of past due bills that she
must pay in the next few days. Otherwise, disaster looms. These include $2,400 for two past due mortgage payments, $500 for vet and other overdue bills, and
at least $1,000 for car repairs. She is on SNAP and hasn't been able to afford other things like laundry soap, toiletries, and dog food. Her aunt was buying dog food for the past several months, but she cannot afford to do so anymore. Receiving SSDI monthly payments helps, but do not cover all of her monthly expenses. She is, however, allowed to work part-time to try and make ends meet. (more on that below)
All in all, we must raise $5,000 by Tuesday, September 29th night to help her achieve a bit of financial stability. So far, through two previous diaries here and here, we've raised about $800.00 and have a long ways to go.
I'll let her explain the urgent nature of the situation.
I have been trying my best to make ends meet and Vocational Rehab may have a part-time job for me soon, but now my home is in danger of foreclosure. I am behind on two months' payments, and if I don't catch up by the end of the month, the mortgage company will start foreclosure on my house. At this time, I have nowhere else to live. My family is estranged and I have no friends who I could live with.
In addition, my car has an oil leak that is getting worse, and it could be an expensive repair. I live away from town and there is no bus service, so I need a working vehicle. Not only that, but now Charlie needs to have some more tests to see if her medications need adjusting. She was diagnosed with Addison's disease in March and will need to be on medications for the rest of her life. This means I need about $5000 to make ends meet, but after that I hope to be able to make enough money along with my disability to support myself.
|
She is trying really hard to make an honest living. Please consider buying a few of her prints for yourself, family members, and friends. There are dozens more of these photographs available for sale on her website.
Snoopydawg Photography
I'd like to supplement my income by starting a nature photography business, which I can do with my disability. If I can sell my photos and get some help from this community, I'll be able to stay in our home. My mortgage payment is much less than rents in my area, and our yard gives my dawgs room to roam.
My dawgs and I would so greatly appreciate it if this community can please help me raise money and earn money. Below are a sample of my scenic photos that I've taken in the past. I would really like to earn my living from selling prints of these photos, so if you think they are worth adorning your walls, I hope you will buy some. Prints can be ordered in color or black and white. Please come and browse and enjoy the photos of the places I have visited during the time I lived in California. The entire collection is available at Snoopydawg Photography. Or if you would like to order from this selection in this diary, please email me at snoopydawg@earthlink.net with the Subject Line, PHOTOS.
Many of my best images are the result of very careful planning and hard work. I put the same effort into my prints. I want you to be proud to display my prints. I want my prints to take you into the wilderness.
Once the digital file matches my vision, it’s sent to a professional printer which prepares a true photographic print. The result is a print you can be proud to display for a lifetime. Some of the images might be cropped to fit the paper size.
|
Here are two more of the beautiful photographs from Snoopydawg Photography.
Here are a few messages of support from community members—and a special one from elenacarlena's pootie, Ginger, in the diary's tip jar.
officebss: These are perilous times for people on "fixed" incomes. snoopydawg is a gifted photographer who wants to earn the extra money she needs to keep a roof over her head, and the heads of her two wonderful dogs, Charlie and Abby.
What she needs is a hand-up. Most of us have at least one hard-to-shop-for person on our gift-giving list. Giving a snoopydawg original artwork will make shopping simple, delight the lucky recipient, and help a fellow Kossack - a win for everybody!
Puddytat: Disability in any form sucks because it's not just the disability that impairs life every single minute, but the well known fact that disability checks and food stamps don't even begin to cover all the expenses. It's not just minimum wage that needs to go up, but Social Security and Disability, too.
We know that while pets help all of us, they bring even more comfort to someone who is disabled even if they aren't specially trained as therapy dogs. Owners sacrifice even their own groceries to care for their pets because they recognize how important they are in their lives.
Let's get together to help snoopy and dawgs through this emergency. We may not be able to save the world, but we can make it just a little bit better one person at a time.
elenacarlena: I've known snoopydawg since I've been on this site and I've known her comments to be heartfelt. I know she doesn't like to ask for money. I've been there and it's the most difficult thing to do. But I look at this as our community stepping up to fill in the gaps until we elect really better Democrats. Those who will really do something to strengthen the social safety net. Most of us just barely get by, and then if we have to go on disability or retire we get some small fragment of what we made when we were working.
The system is crazily parsimonious. Some people say, "I would never," but it's really more, "I've been very lucky". According to Forbes, 76% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck with no savings. That means 76% of us are one illness, one job loss, one car repair, one medical bill away from disaster. This is no way to run a country. I am happy to say that I came here for the politics, stayed for the pooties, and stepped up for the community. Let's keep on taking care of each other, and then get back out there and kick some Republican rump.
Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse: A member of our DK family needs our help. If she can't pay her mortgage, she will lose her home. What an absolutely scary thought that is. But it's worse. Her family includes two beautiful dogs. snoopydawg has fallen behind financially because the process for receiving disability has fallen behind. No one should lose their home and family. Please help snoopydawg in any way you can. Sending $$ is great. No amount is too small. Spreading word with family, friends and twitter and Facebook is great too!
|
- Important Update (3:10 pm ET): snoopydawg also has an Amazon Wish List, which has several basic necessities and items that she hasn't been able to afford of late.
- Wish List Update #2 (7:00 pm ET) - snoopydawg has corrected the settings on her Wish List and it should be public now.
Please help snoopydawg reach her goal, keep her house, and stay united with Charlie and Abby. Thank you for supporting this community effort.
Here's How You Can Help snoopydawg, Charlie, and Abby
- Go to PayPal.com. Click Send Money to Family and Friends, which allows the recipient to get 100% of the donation. Enter snoopydawg's email address snoopydawg@earthlink.net and amount you are sending. The sender's name is visible to the recipient. Remember, every little bit helps and adds up in a hurry.
- With the Christmas and holiday season only a few weeks away, you can also help snoopydawg by purchasing a few photographs for family and friends from Snoopydawg Photography. Before disability limited her activities, she made her living as an ophthalmologic photographer. The photographs on her website are stunningly beautiful.
- Another way to help is to check out snoopydawg's Amazon Wish List. It has several items that she hasn't been able to afford, given her current financial predicament. The Wish List is now public, so you shouldn't have any access issues with it.
- If you would like to send a paper check or money order (to protect your real identity) through the US Mail, please send a kosmail to snoopydawg to get the mailing address.
- You can also help by recommending this diary, offering encouraging comments, republishing to your Daily Kos groups, linking to your Facebook pages, and helping to spread the word through Twitter.
|
9:19 PM PT (snoopydawg): (snoopydawg). Thank you all so very much for helping us out of my frightening situation Words can't express how much gratitude I have for all who have donated, ordered photos, bought things from my Amazon wish list or offered kind words of support.
I've received messages stating that the Amazon wish list is empty, so I've created a new one.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart and the tips of the dawg's tails.
10:20 MST
9:22 PM PT (snoopydawg): I become aware that some people have sent me emails to order prints, but for some reason I didn't receive them.
Until I can resolve this issue, please use kosmail for ordering photos n