ARF-LA, Animal Rescue Foundation of LouisianA: BRANDY'S STORY

Join ARF-LA, Animal Rescue Foundation of Louisiana on behalf of The Guilbeau family – (Brandy’s past foster parents) and The Grayson family (Brandy’s current foster family and future for-ever family) on our quest to:
Help Brandy to get the surgery needed so she can be adopted!

Brandy our ARFan foster dog, was born on the streets of Lafayette with a birth defect called Luxating Patella, a knee disorder. She was found at the age of 3 months and was adopted out for about 6 months and it did not work out with her new family. She was returned to ARFLA and returned to her foster parents. Unfortunately the previous adopters did not take Brandy to the vet when he first noticed her limping and walking strangely. Therefore the disease had progressed tremendously by the time she was returned.

The Grayson family has taken in Brandy as a foster with the intentions to adopt her. Ms. Lynn and her son have totally fallen in love with Brandy and it breaks their hearts to even consider not adopting her and making Brandy a forever member of their family. But the prospect of such an expensive surgery has really been a test of their love for her.

Brandy is such a sweet girl and deserves a forever home of her own. She is in the last stage of her disease and we want to give her a fighting chance. She has had the odds stacked against her since birth. She needs 2 surgeries. The surgeons at LSU vet suggest to begin with one knee, followed by extesive physical therapy at LSU and continued at home by her foster parents until that one leg is healed. Then, they suggest going forth with surgery for her other leg.

Therefore, we are beginning our quest to raise money for Brandy's surgeries. We have previously started a ChipIn account and completed a Car Wash fundraiser to start on Brandy’s Surgery funds. We have had a set back and are gearing up for more fundraisers for Brandy. Therefore, we have reactivated her ChipIn account. We will try to keep all of Brandy’s supporters up to date on the progress of the fundraising and finally her actual surgeries here on her Blog page and ARFLA's Facebook! Follow Brandy's progress by becoming a follower (see Join this Site link to the right).

Thank you for your kindness,

ARF-LA on behalf of The Guilbeau family (Brandy’s past foster parents)

and

The Grayson family (Brandy’s current foster family and future for-ever family)

Click here to make a donation on Brandys ChipIn Account!

For questions or comments contact Judy.arfla@gmail.com (ARF volunteer and Brandy's original/past foster Mom)

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BRANDY’S SURGERY UPDATE 12/16/2012

On Wednesday 12/12/2012, Brandy's had what we thought would be her final check-up from her surgery on her left knee @ LSU Vet. The x-rays showed some soft tissue is pulling the knee cap out of placement. She needs to go back into surgery on her left leg again. :-( They need to cut some soft tissues lose, put the knee cap back in its proper placement and stitch it properly in place. She is scheduled for December 27th. Please pray all goes well this time

and that this will be her final surgery needed! This surgery will put another big shortage in her surgery funds, if anyone feels God tugging at your heart to make a donation, you can make a donation directly to her Chip In Acct @ http://brandysmiracle.chipin.com/brandys-luxating-patellas-surgery or cash or check donations can be made directly to LSU Vet or to ARF-LA.

We want to thank all of Brandy's financial supporters and those who participated and donated to the raffle benefit. I look forward to posting a video of Brandy walking, running and sitting with no restrictions; all because of YOU her faithful supporters!

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BRANDY’S SURGERY UPDATE 11/12/2012
In Brandy's best interest we are moving forward with surgery to Brandy’s left knee/leg.... She wants to depend on the left leg which is very weak due to the Luxating Patella, her knee cap has no groove to sit in and is just floating around on the inside of her leg. She is depending on this leg from habit and afraid to use the right leg that has been corrected in the last surgery. She runs the risk of falling and damaging her right knee/leg that she had surgery on.

October 22, 2012 – Pre-op @ LSU Vet for the left knee/ leg. If everything goes as scheduled Brandy will go into surgery tomorrow to fix her left knee/leg. Please prayer for her that everything goes as well as it did the first time. Thank you to all who have helped preserve Brandy’s ability to walk. It is already a blessing to see her run a short distance and not fall down. Thank y

Oct 23^rd 2012 – Surgery day on the left knee/leg – they had to go in 2 times, after they completed the surgery and took x-rays, there was still too much tension trying to pull the knee cap back out. They went back in a cut more muscle/tendons to release the tension.

Oct 24^th – Brandy goes home to recover and rest from surgery.

Oct 25^th– 2nd day after surgery: Brandy is extremely bruised. They took her into surgery twice on Tuesday. She was in extreme pain last night. She looks better this morning. She is wagging her tail and wants to give kisses. That is the Brandy we know and love. She just rolls with it.
Oct 27^th – Sausage Po-Boy Benefit @ Howl-O-Ween Bash

We want to personally thank everyone that came out to Camp Bow Wow for Arf La's “HOWL-O-WEEN Bash and Po-Boy Benefit for ARFan Brandy’s surgery Fund. A special thanks to Suzette Fowler w/Camp Bow Wow for allowing us to hold the event at her place. And thanks to Nikki Landry Vincent for donating her time and photography skills. A huge thanks to all of ARF's awesome volunteers that came out to help.

We are still short $700.00 to fully fund her surgery and physical therapy. To help us get her surgery funds fully funded we have a few options:

Donations can be made through her Chipin Acct @ http://brandysmiracle.chipin.com/brandys-luxating-patellas-surgery

Purchasing raffle tickets

Tickets can be purchased @ Planet Beach @ 2865 Ambassador Caffery, Suite 129, Lafayette, LA 70506

Contact Ms. Lynn Brandy’s foster Mom @ https://www.facebook.com/lynn.grayson or bigdanny@cox.net

Oct 30^th – 7^th day after surgery - Brandy's doing well. When we think we have it figured out Brandy outsmarts us. We fixed the left leg so she would use the right leg better. Brandy went to use the restroom and when I looked she had her butt and both legs in the air to balance. We were like look at her now she is doing acrobats in the backyard to make potty. Wish we would have had a camera ready to video her. LOL

Nov 5^th – Brandy returned to LSU Vet to remove her stitches and begin her 2 weeks of Physical Therapy.

Nov 9^th – Home for the weekend; visiting and enjoying her family time. Monday, she will go back to LSU for Physical Therapy. She is doing well, but still is not putting all of her weight on her left leg. We are only 2 1/2 weeks out of surgery so I think it is still early for her.

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SURGERY UPDATE 10/04/2012

Brandy's had her check-up on Monday 10/01/2012 @ LSU Vet, the xrays showed a little swelling in her knee, so she needs a month of rest with her medicine. They are so good with Brandy, I can not say enough good things about them. At this point, we feel the only way we are going to get Brandy to fully use her right leg is to go forward with surgery on the left leg. She wants to depend on the left leg too much and she runs the risk of falling and hurting her leg she had surgery on. So we plan to move forward in 2 weeks in Brandy's best interest.

We are planning a Sausage Po-Boy Fundraiser in conjuction with ARF's 1^st “HOWL-O-WEEN” BASH w/ DOGGIE & FAMILY COSTUME CONTEST (details coming soon).

We are still accepting donations to her ChipIn acct.

Thank you to all the volunteers, workers and donors who are making this happen....

Thank you, The Grayson's, The Guilbeau's, ARFLA and Brandy.

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SURGERY UPDATE 08/24/2012

Brandy has completed her 1st week of Physical Therapy. Check her out doing her Aquatherapy. She gets to come home today for the weekend then back to LSU Vet Physical Therapy for another week. She will then be re-evaluated whether to be released or return for more therapy. Notice in the video, she is having more difficulty with her left leg (the leg that still needs surgery). We are still accepting donations to her ChipIn acct, or you can purchase raffle tickets to help Brandy to have her final surgery on the left leg. Or you can contact her ARF-LA Foster Mom Judy @ judy.arfla@gmail.com to make a donation by check or cash.

We cannot thank Brandy's supporters enough for the love and kindness you have shown through your prayers and donations :-)

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SURGERY UPDATE 08/19/2012

Brandy has had her 1st surgery on her Right Leg. She is recovering nicely and such a trooper, she does not let anything get her down! Give her just a little attention and tail is wagging and she is always smiling.

She returns Monday 8/20 to remove her stitches and she will stay at LSU Vet for Physical Therapy thru Friday.

1 week after surgery.

Brandy Resting in her crate as she recovers.

We have started a Raffle Fundraiser to strart raising the funds for her left leg, and can hopefully have that surgery in aqbout 2-3 months. For more info on the raffle: http://www.animalrescuela.blogspot.com/p/brandys-raffle-fundraiser.html

Thanks for all the prayers and support...
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UPDATE 05/26/2012

We would like to update everyone on Brandy's Fundraisers progress.

We need $3000.00 to fix her right leg. We have $2258.00 in her surgery fund account. We still need to raise another $742.00 for her 1st surgery.

We would like to thank everyone who showed their support for Brandy and went to Buffalo Wild Wings and placed an order with the Scentsy Fundraiser w/Annie Fruge.

We will have a Car Wash Fundraiser on June 9th, volunteers needed... (more details to come).

Thank you for all your support!

PS: Her back legs are getting worse, they have started sliding out from underneath her and causing her to fall! I will try to post a video of her walking and worst climbing steps.