Asking for help in paying off emergency vet bills for two rescued cats

You can read the whole long-winded story in the YouCaring page I have just set up.  I am an Advisor on this site and most anyone will vouch for me.  This isn't a scam, and the name, address and phone number of the vet hospital is included in the page.

https://www.youcaring.com/RedTopRescues

MOD NOTE: To all members, a reminder that it is YOUR responsibility to check out these solicitors to the best of your ability. Ask for references, phone numbers, call around the area and find out if this is a legitimate cause or a scam. Thecatsite.com does not stand behind any solicitation of funds for any reason that appear in the forums unless explicitly authorized. Be very careful before you send any money: no matter how effective the plea is, check it out first before opening your wallet.

This is a generic warning used for all requests for money.

Good luck!

To those who don't know @Red Top Rescue, she is a regular contributor in our community and volunteers as an advisor on the site. She's helped countless cats here by helping their owners. I made my donation and I hope others join me in helping in this rescue effort!

I am one of the many who @Red Top Rescue  has assisted.

During a time of great sadness and confusion when my sweet boy's life was coming to an end, Red Top gave me invaluable advice and sent me many private messages filled with words of comfort, support and advice.  Sharing her experiences, but not once letting on how terrible of a time she was having with her own little ones and rescues.

As a matter of fact, it wasn't until after Simon passed that she expressed to me what she was going through.  

I realized at that moment the true meaning of Selfless:  concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with one's own; unselfish.

This is Red Top in a nut shell.

We have corresponded via US Postal Service, and I can assure you, this will be the best 20 bucks you'll spend this year. 

Please help if you can.

Forever grateful - xoxo Hope, Chestnut & Simon

Thank you for that sweet post, Hope!.  Everyone should know that you were the very first donor before I ever finished writing the YouCaring post.  It was hard to do and took me from June until August, but it's finally up and people ARE caring!  I am thanking all contributors privately but will also be posting thanks to the TCS donors here so you can see what a great group effort it has become.   

Thanks to the TCS Team who jumped in with donations right away.  My biggest fear was that I didn't really "know" enough people to make something like this work, and you all chipping in during those first couple of days gave me hope.  Thanks Anne, Corly Y, Sue (Sakshi), Laura (Columbine) and Denice for being the first five to post on the actual YouCaring page.  By the way, those donations have already been applied to the vet bill.

I am happy to help, I can't give much being retired and taking care of all the lost little souls that show up on my doorstep, but this is the first year I finally have NO kittens to find homes for.  Everyone is neutered and spayed! ( at 150.00 each x 6) It will save me so much in the long run. Good luck, Red Top Rescue, I believe in you and know you are an angel in disguise!

Thank you for all that you do for the less fortunate kitties 

Anne said:

 
Good luck!

To those who don't know @Red Top Rescue, she is a regular contributor in our community and volunteers as an advisor on the site. She's helped countless cats here by helping their owners. I made my donation and I hope others join me in helping in this rescue effort!

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If that isn't a glowing endorsement, I don't know what is.  

ONE WEEK REPORT, DETAILS FOLLOW:  You guys have been wonderful!  The first week took us 1/3 of the way there, and the remaining vet bill is now under $1000!    



One request, if you are a member of The Cat Site, please give me your TCS name on the YouCaring site.  Your emails come through with the PayPal notices, and for this first week this has been mostly a TCS enterprise, but some friends have started sharing it on Facebook too, so I finally shared it on Facebook too, and although I will thank every individual privately (with an adorable Jacquie Lawson animated e-card), that will make sure you get mentioned in TCS as well.

Just saw this - sent a contribution. Hope you meet your goal!

Sivyaleah/Laurie

@Red Top Rescue Do you know if you would have to pay extra fees if I were to donate in Euros? I'm waiting for a paycheck, but I soon as I can I will donate

I hope you reach your goal because you are always helping so many cats!

Thanks @LyzzieNo, you should not have to pay any fees for using other than U.S. currency.  I set it up in YouCaring because I was mostly asking this group for help, and it's an international group and PayPal is international, whereas the payment group that Go Fund Me uses is not, it is only U.S. based.  Someone else on here ran into that problem, so she actually had to return the donations that were not in U.S. currency and then moved her appeal to YouCaring.  Also, YouCaring doesn't take any cut of the donations -- they ask a voluntary contribution from donors but it is not required, but that saves a lot of money for the recipient.  The only fees I pay are my PayPal fees, which are 2.9% of the donated amount plus 30 cents per transaction unless the donor actually has cash in their PayPal account and marks "personal" in the donation box, and then there is no charge at all. 

PS to everyone -- I am a day or so behind with my thank you notes and more behind with my TCS thank you list due to the blank blank car again taking up time (no money yet) but I think my battery has gone dead, had to get jump yesterday it took forever to charge, but it is under warranty still so am going to get it replaced today.  Nothing like being all set to go on a money making job and have a car that won't start, and no neighbors home to jump it until later in the day.  The fact that this fundraiser is getting such warm response is the bright spot in every day.  That and my cats, who are being kind enough to stay healthy for now!

Red Top Rescue said:

 
PS to everyone -- I am a day or so behind with my thank you notes and more behind with my TCS thank you list due to the blank blank car again taking up time (no money yet) but I think my battery has gone dead, had to get jump yesterday it took forever to charge, but it is under warranty still so am going to get it replaced today.  Nothing like being all set to go on a money making job and have a car that won't start, and no neighbors home to jump it until later in the day.  The fact that this fundraiser is getting such warm response is the bright spot in every day.  That and my cats, who are being kind enough to stay healthy for now!

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Gosh, don't worry about thank you notes with all that going on!

I'm sure everyone here will be understanding if they are not received quickly. You have a lot on your plate right now!

Silly girl, take care of yourself and your wee ones, there will be time for sending thank you's when you have a minute to breathe.  I feel confident in saying, we all understand.

BTW - Have you ever heard of Adam Sandler's song Ode To My Car?  Reminds me of you . LOL kidding... xoxo best of luck.

Red Top Rescue said:

 
Thanks @LyzzieNo, you should not have to pay any fees for using other than U.S. currency.  I set it up in YouCaring because I was mostly asking this group for help, and it's an international group and PayPal is international, whereas the payment group that Go Fund Me uses is not, it is only U.S. based.  Someone else on here ran into that problem, so she actually had to return the donations that were not in U.S. currency and then moved her appeal to YouCaring.  Also, YouCaring doesn't take any cut of the donations -- they ask a voluntary contribution from donors but it is not required, but that saves a lot of money for the recipient.  The only fees I pay are my PayPal fees, which are 2.9% of the donated amount plus 30 cents per transaction unless the donor actually has cash in their PayPal account and marks "personal" in the donation box, and then there is no charge at all. 

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I was actually worried that YOU would have to pay extra fees because I donated in Euros

As soon as I get the money, you will too!

And I agree with everyone, don't worry about the thank you notes!

I just saw this, I just now went helped out a little   Can't do much but hope it helps some.  Bless you for all you do.

Thank you, @hbunny

As I was telling someone else in the rescue community, since there are so many of us here who overlap, we are always seeing another crowd funding appeal from another rescue group at the same time as one of us may be running our own.  We try to dodge each other but at this time of year it's impossible (mid kitten season, the firstborns are already adoptable and the second slew is born and are needing foster homes, etc. and the moms are preggers again out in the world and getting turned in to kill shelters..........

So in our personal community, we personally usually donate $5 to each others fundraisers as a form of general support, so it's as if we are passing the same $5 between us, but it just seems better than ignoring each other's appeals AND we think it looks better just in terms of numbers of contributions.  One can always remain anonymous and make the amount anonymous on the public fundraiser, which we often do.  It's interesting to note that the smallest and largest contributions are often the ones who choose to remain anonymous. 

The problem is so huge, especially here in the south, that we sometimes feel hopeless, like we can't make a difference -- but then remind ourselves that we DO make a difference to the ones we actually DO help.  The whole cat rescue community is so much bigger now than it was when I was a 20-something hippie that I'm thrilled about how many folks are caring and helping.  I'm delighted that my grandson actually volunteers at a humane society and did so all the way through high school and he's in college now.  And he doesn't live on the same side of the country as I do either so I have nothing to do with it.