TULSA, Okla. — President of Partnering for Pets is asking for the community's help.
Their local non-profit partners with the Tulsa Animal Welfare (TAW) to provide care for to local animals. Last year, the X-ray machine that had been donated broke. TAW's veterinarian, David Bailey, said a functioning machine is crucial for the well-being of the animals.
"If an animal comes in having trouble breathing, getting an x-ray of the chest, the lungs, can help us know is that animal is congestive heart failure, does it have pneumonia, is it something traumatic like a diaphragmatic hernia, or a pulmonary contusion," Bailey said.
He said the x-ray helps detect an animal's internal injuries in order to know the pet's treatment needs.
"Knowing those things helps us know what to do to treat it and also if it's something we can treat here or if it's something that we need to get to a specialized facility," Bailey said.
Marshelle Freeman interim manager for TAW says maintenance for the x-ray machine was never a part of the budget.
"Our x-ray machine was donated to us to begin with," Freeman said. "We didn't have one at one point and so the maintenance was never part of our budget."
When Griggs learned about the problem, she launched a fundraiser on Faceboook to help TAW with the repair costs.
"The x-ray helps all of us, not just the animals particuarly, but you need to have a way to focus on how they need to be helped," Griggs said.
According to Griggs, repair costs come to a total of about $6,000.
"We lack about $1,000," she said.
She is relying on donations from the community to make reaching her goal possible.
She said any extra money raised will be used to provide vet services for injured and special needs animals at partnering for pets.
If you would like to contribute to the x-ray repairs, you can do so by making a donation at Partnering for Pets , or visiting the Partnering for Pets Facebook page.
