Welcome!

What a month! Then again, most months here at The Mia Foundation are nothing short of a roller coaster ride. Rescue isn't easy. Most of the animals who come into our care do so, because we are their last hope at life. And while some cases are harder than others, we give each and every one of our "babies" the same care and consideration. It's because of this that we've had to ask for donations more than usual. The love and support you've shown is amazing, and we truly appreciate each of our supporters!

We've been quite busy behind the scenes, too! We've been collecting recipes for the first ever Mia Foundation Cookbook. We also completed our photo shoot for the 2019 Mia Foundation Calendar. We'll have ordering info available soon for both!

And we can't forget to mention that Mia Day 2018 is quickly approaching! We've got LOTS of fun things planned and the pups are getting very excited! This is a family (and pet) friendly event that promises to be a fun day for all. Lots of food, vendors, kid's activities, and, of course, MIA BABIES! Your $5 admission helps keep us helping the animals that need us the most. We also have some great raffle and auction items. We hope to see YOU on August 4th!

We thank you for your continued support of The Mia Foundation. We invite you to share our mission with your family and friends. We invite you to share our info with your own local veterinarians and rescue groups. Sadly, many people don't realize that there ARE options for these helpless babies. Let them know that the Mia Foundation is here. Let them know that we can help. Let them know that if they are born, they deserve a chance to live. BECAUSE WE ALL MATTER!

12 x 12 Pledge

We’ve pledged to save animals with birth defects. Each animal that comes into our care is given every opportunity to survive and thrive. Your monthly contribution of just $12 for 12 months helps us provide lifesaving medical care. We couldn’t do what we do without the help of our wonderful supporters. Monthly donations can be sent directly to:

The Mia Foundation

3177 Latta Road #188 Rochester, NY 14612

Online donations can also be made via PayPal by visiting themiafoundation.com and clicking the DONATE button. Please consider taking the pledge today!

Did you know??

You can order your own Mia Foundation merchandise? Just visit http://www.themiafoundation.com/~shop/main.html

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Name: Diane Earhart

Title: Foster Coordinator

Hometown: Rochester, NY

Favorite Breed: Diane loves all of them!

Hobbies: Big family dinners every Sunday

Diane joined the Mia Foundation by accident. Literally. An accident left Diane wheelchair bound for six weeks with a broken leg. It was during that time that she began following the Mia Foundation. Six months after retiring, she found herself bored and looking for something to occupy her time. She began fostering Mia babies and was eventually asked to come on board as the foster coordinator. She's held that position for the last 2 1/2 years.

Diane has two dogs of her own and wasn't sure how they would react to having a new dog in the house. Willow, who is 7 years old, is very motherly. Duke, who is 13, doesn't bother with the new ones at first, but warms up to them after a few days. Diane is very proud of her dogs and their acceptance of the Mia babies!

Besides being the foster coordinator, Diane also transports all Mia babies to Cornell for their medical appointments. Each trip takes 2 1/2 hours each way, but she enjoys it very much. She gets one-on-one time with each pup, as well as being involved in their medical care.

Diane says the most challenging part of her job is finding local fosters. She also has a hard time finding fosters who are able to tube feed. She doesn't foster much herself, but will if needed. "Fostering is tough, because you get attached. And the other dogs become attached." Diane's motto is that if any of her fosters weren't adopted, she would keep them. Fortunately, most Mia babies have gone on to find forever homes. Diane has, however, had one" foster failure" of her own - Corbin. Corbin was with Diane for 7 months; the longest of any of her fosters.

When visiting the Mia Foundation, Diane is usually seen holding McFly. He has pretty much "claimed" Diane as HIS person. He will literally whine until she picks him up! Diane doesn't mind though - her feelings for him are mutual. All of us here at the Mia Foundation have to agree with "Fly Boy" on this one... we think Diane is pretty awesome, too!

Anne Trexler- Staff Writer

Do you remember...

DELILAH????

The sweet Great Dane puppy made her way from TX to NY at just under 3 months of age. She had rear leg issues along with a front paw and shoulder deformity. A Mia volunteer remembers her being curled up on her front seat during her original transport. The same volunteer took Delilah to all of her vet visits at Cornell. By her first trip there, she took up the entire back of her SUV. By the time Delilah was discharged from Cornell for the last time, they had to use a large gurney to get her into the SUV!

Due to her size, it was decided that amputation of the left leg was the best option for a lifetime of mobility. Delilah's surgery went well, and once she healed up, therapy began. Although her front leg hadn't been of much use, it did help with balance. This was something she would have to now do on 3 legs, instead of 4. As with most Mia pups, the determination was there - she just needed time, patience, and encouragement.

The first time Tracey met Delilah, she was volunteering in the Hamlin dog shelter where Delilah was being kept for about a month. The first time Tracey saw Delilah she was very shy. She barked at her and then peed and pooped on herself, since she couldn't really walk or stand too well. She remembers the main volunteer carrying Delilah outside that day, where Tracey sat on the ground with her and saw her true, friendly side. Tracey immediately fell in love, and contacted the Mia foundation page about fostering her. The next week, Tracey went back and carried Delilah outside where she got to see the pup start to walk and try to play with another dog. The week after that, she wasn't at the shelter, so Tracey contacted the page again asking to make sure she was okay. She then offered again to foster. A few days later, Tracey and her mom picked up the pup.

That night, Tracey stayed up trying to make sure Delilah could get outside and pee, since she wasn't potty trained yet. Over the whole summer, Tracey potty trained her and taught her how to walk. She had a harness on her so she could give her help when standing and walking at first. Tracey slowly started letting her walk on her own. The family has a fenced in backyard and a boxer mix named Maddie, and the two pups quickly became best friends. They would put them in the back yard and let them play. This helped Delilah gain a lot of muscle. During the summer, Delilah got stronger, and eventually she was able to run around and go on short walks. She made her mommy so proud!

Eventually, Tracey was asked if she was going to adopt Delilah or put her up for adoption. She couldn't let her go! At this point, the whole family was in love with Delilah, so they adopted her. Tracey was so happy to be able to say she's hers! Now Delilah lives a happy life running around with Maddie, who's her best friend, Tracey's other dog Bella, and her cat, Noodles, who thinks he's a dog too. Delilah's such a sweet and kind-hearted dog, while at the same time, protective of her people. Although she's a big dog, she thinks she's a lap dog and tries to sit on her mom. She loves to play and cuddle all day and she's become so strong. She was the hardest animal Tracey has helped, but she wouldn't give Delilah up for anything in the world. As long as she's happy, then her mom is, too!

Adoptions!

LOTS of Mia Babies found loving, forever homes in June! Lucy, Paisley, Elvis, Lucy, Ricky, Toby, Bunny, AJ, Mr. Muggles, Gizmo, Madeline, Crystal, Sammy, Xena, Frenchie, and Marcelo have all chosen their new families. We couldn't be happier for these pups! We wish all of them the very best and hope they will keep in touch!

Let’s Ask Sue…

Submitted by: Maureen H. from Fort Mill, SC

Q. Have you always had a need to help dogs that no one else wanted to help, or was that triggered when you met the darling Miss Mia? Was there something from your growing up years that nurtured and nourished the empathetic side of your heart?

A. I have always been drawn to animals for as long as I can remember. As a child I would bring home baby birds, snakes, lizards, or anything else I found. I remember one time we were at my grandmother's house for a big party. I think I was 8 or 9 and all of my cousins were out having so much fun. I found out my grandmother's cat was having kittens, so I sat in a closet with her for hours and hours. I saw she was scared and I didn't want her to be alone. I heard the kids outside having so much fun, and each time I wanted to go join them, I was drawn back to the cat. I just couldn't leave her.

I've always been drawn to special needs animals, but it was Mia, and all that she went through, that changed my focus to special needs animals. Knowing that a one pound dog paved the road to my destiny is pretty amazing. - Sue Rogers

Do you have a question for Sue? Email us at Mia_newsletter@yahoo.com. Be sure to include your name, city, & state.

Help Wanted!

You've heard the expression "It takes a village...". The Mia Foundation is no exception! We hate to turn away an animal for any reason, but there are several factors we must consider. First of all, we need to have a way to physically get the animal into our care. This means we need volunteers willing to drive the animal from point A to point B. Most transports are broken into segments of just a couple of hours.

Secondly, we need a safe and secure place for each animal to stay while in our care. Almost every single animal that comes to us is in need of medical care and/or surgery. We need loving and dedicated fosters to care for them during and after treatment until they become ready for their forever homes.

Lastly, we need experienced tube feeders, or folks who are truly willing to learn how. We get a lot of cleft babies which must be tube fed in order to survive.

If you are willing to help with transportation or have room in your heart and home for a Mia baby (or two!), please email us at: loveformia2012@yahoo.com If you have tube feeding experience, and would be willing to help, even on a short term basis, we'd love to hear from you!

Upcoming Events

• July 12 - Hilton Fireman's GRAND Parade - 120 Old Hojack Ln. Hilton, NY 14468 7pm
• July 21-22 - Five Sons Winery Inc. 1360 W Sweden Rd Brockport, NY (7/21) 2pm-8pm (7/22) 1pm-5pm
• August 4 - Mia Day - 1294 West Ave Hilton, NY 14468 12pm-4pm
• September 22 - Paws in the Park Beaver Island State Park Grand Island, NY 8:30am-1pm
• October 28 - Central PA Pet Expo Blair County Convention Center Altoona, PA 12pm-4pm