The Mia Foundation Quarterly

Welcome!

I must apologize for the hiatus! But we're back... and even bigger & better than before! You'll notice that we've changed from monthly to quarterly. The reason is simple - our foundation is growing & the Mia mission is spreading! The monthly deadlines were simply too much to keep up with on top of all the work we do for the animals. We've added some new content & hope that you'll enjoy the new & improved newsletter even more! One thing that hasn't changed is our dedication to animals with birth defects. 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!

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Name: Tina Santini

Title: Administrative Assistant

Hometown: Fairport, NY

Pets: Merlo, Muffy, and 2 parakeets

Sue & Tina were best friends in grammar school. They lost touch in junior high after they both changed schools. One day Tina saw an online video of a tiny puppy, full of sass, with a cleft palate. She started following her, when one day she caught the owners name. Tina wondered if it could be her long-lost friend & sent her a message. it was in fact, her friend Sue! She made a trip to a mall where she knew Mia was going to be with Hope, a special dog in a wheelchair. Tina got to meet Mia for the first time, and see her friend Sue from 30 plus years ago. It was a day that changed her life.

That horrible day of losing Mia was the worst day ever. But it brought on a Foundation that Tina so wanted to help with. She began helping with anything she could. Events, paperwork, adoption agreements, emails, transports, and road trips, Tina has done it all!. Muffy, a miniature poodle-maltese was rescued from a puppy mill in Kansas and sent to Sue. She was missing her back feet. Tina was hoping to adopt Muffy, but Sue was going to keep her. One day while camping, Tina received a call from Sue asking if she wanted Muffy! The first official Mia adoption was complete. Tina says she will forever be grateful. Muffy loves her life with her Maltese-Pomeranian older brother Merlo. They are best friends.

One of Tina's most memorable experiences was a transport from NY to AK. It was late at night, driving up mountains with steep cliffs. The entire trip took 3 days and was very SCARY! Tina has also fostered many puppies in her home, and continues to watch them grow to be happy and healthy dogs. Her favorite foundation activity is doing live events. Talking with people and showing them that these animals can thrive with a chance, and seeing how touched they are. She has made lifelong friends through the foundation, awesome amazing people from all over who she considers great friends.

So many Mia animals have changed people’s lives. Tina said it's hard to even put her feelings into words. "There is good and bad. Happy and Sad. Hard days and amazing days. But in the end, we all have each other and the support is huge. I would not trade the experience for anything. Watching Sue save lives, change lives, and help so many, inspires me to do more and pay it forward." We here at the Mia Foundation are lucky to have such a dedicated person like Tina on our team!

Anne Trexler- Staff Writer

Featured pet - El Niño

A Mia Mom's Story~

Some of you may remember Ariel, a swimmer syndrome pup who was found lying in a ditch at 8 weeks old. It was almost 2 weeks later until she was transported to Sue for a shot at rehab. I was immediately drawn to this girl and messaged Sue. She was the worst case Sue had ever seen and her prognosis wasn't the best. But Sue was willing to work as long as Ariel was. I messaged on a regular basis to check her progress.

Swimmer syndrome pups require a lot of therapy. And by a lot, I mean a LOT. The initial treatment consists of suspending the animal in a harness. This allows the limbs to hang in the proper position and eliminate the atrophy. The animal is no longer permitted to lie flat. Rolled towels and blankets are used to control posture and to keep the limbs in the proper position. Twelve hour days left both Sue and Ariel exhausted. But I think that they both kept going because... well they're both too stubborn to give up!

After 11 grueling days, the unthinkable finally happened. Sue took the little pup outside and placed her in the grass. Her short legs wobbled. They struggled to hold her body up. She mustered the strength and took her first steps. They were very awkward. It wasn't pretty. But it WAS remarkable! After just a few steps, she stumbled and fell to the ground. Sue encouraged her to get up. She reminded her that we all fall sometimes, but we have to get up and keep going.

A few days later, I received a message from Sue telling me that we need to talk. About Ariel. My heart sank as I feared something was wrong. She proceeded to tell me that Ariel was ready. It was time for her to come be with her new family! I was SO excited! But, I was also nervous! Ariel was walking, but still had a lot of therapy in her future.

I spent the next several days preparing for our new arrival. Blankets, mats, a pack n play, area rugs, pillows, etc. I turned our living room into a safe area for our new "baby". She still needed a variety of textures and heights for sleep and play.

The day finally arrived and we made our trip from PA to NY. This tiny pup came scampering across the hardwood floor, slipping and sliding along the way. It's hard to put into words the feeling when you hold your new furbaby in your arms for the first time. We spent a good while getting acquainted and going over instructions for continued therapy. A couple of hours later, we were back in the car heading HOME. I've documented much of Ariel's post-adoption progress on Facebook, Anyone interested, can check it out here.

Anne Trexler

Upcoming Events

• May 11 - Central PA Pet Expo West War Memorial Johnstown, PA
• May 18 - Dog wood festival Dansville, NY
• May 25th - Bark n Park Clarence, NY
• June 1- Wheel fest Hamlin, NY
• June 9 - Dog Days of Kenmore Kenmore, NY
• June 22 - Skyview campground Dansville, NY
• June 22 - Bark N Park Lakemont Park Altoona, PA
• June 30 - Pet Palooza Lancaster, NY
• July 10-13 - Hilton carnival Hilton, NY
• Aug 3rd - Bark Bash Knox Park East Aurora, NY
• August 17 - Mia day (Stay tuned to our Facebook page for more details!)
• Sept 21-22 = Country farm house Rez