Vietnam Veteran receives food for beloved cats!

At STARelief and Pet Assistance it’s our mission to help those in need of pet care or food within our community. One touching family we aided was a Vietnam Veteran family that was not only battling with the effects of Agent Orange but also job losses and tough economic challenges. Of course we were happy to step in and offer our STARescue Pet Food Pantry services.

Names: Morgan, Lakoda, Willow and Amigo

When Vietnam Veteran Bill and his wife Linda told us about their troubling times, we were happy to help them via the services of our pet food pantry service. Bill and Linda faced a few challenges but one of them was not the love they had for their four cats, Morgan, Lakoda, Willow and Amigo. Even through troubling times, these beloved felines were forefront in their minds.

Unfortunately for Bill and Linda—and as with many Americans—the economy hit them hard. Linda was laid off from her job and found it hard to even find a part-time job. To top that off, husband Bill, who was stationed at Phu Cat Air Force Base in Vietnam in 1970 learned the area was one of the largest Agent Orange hot spots in the world.

Even with the camaraderie of his buddies and their soldier pride and determination, most nights were spent outside Bill’s office—right by the flight line where they watched the C-123 plans spray Agent Orange—unaware of its danger. Cancer has invaded Bill’s body from his brave efforts in Vietnam and although the VA is there to help, obtaining needed free care or hardship assistance takes time leaving Bill and Linda seeking for ways to manage their day-to-day expenses.

With a long list of medical issues and their application for assistance filed with the VA, still Bill and Linda still didn’t particularly like the idea of asking for help for their cats. This family was facing an uphill battle.

Outcome:

Although Bill and Linda had always been able to manage somehow on their own, this time was different. No money was coming in other than what Linda was able to make from her Morgan’s Beds Etsy business (http://www.etsy.com/shop/Dallas1pd) and Bill’s disability assistance. Once they learned about and completed our STARelief Pet Food Pantry Application, we were not only touched but raced to help them keep their cats—all four of them—healthy and with full bellies!

Proud of their all of their cats, Morgan is a special cat. he was born with a rare juvenile diabetic condition and bilateral cataracts. Although Morgan has received double cataract surgery, he still struggles with his diabetes and other health issues. This was the reason Linda started Morgan’s Beds to help pay for Morgan’s constant medical care.

At STARelief Pet Assistance, we help the Veterans in our community because we are proud of their service and know when they need a hand; it’s our job to step in.  One thing we are very pleased to report is with our food pantry service, all four of these “family” cats are getting the nutrition they need alleviating a big worry from Bill and Linda’s minds—they had quite the huge plate as it was.

We encourage Veteran families like Bill and Linda to ask STARelief and Pet Assistance about helping with pet food and emergency pet medical care when times are tough. Now, Bill and Linda can turn to keeping Bill healthy and job hunting. And their cats? They are purring, playing, and pouncing and of course snuggling up to their owners because that’s what pets do!

If you are interested in finding out more information about our Pet Food Pantry program or how you can directly help this family, please contact Melissa (Pet Food Pantry Director) at melissa@starelief.org