Beloved Bo Inspires Charity for Sick Pets

(Posted January 31, 2023)

Dedora Cordle, Staff Writer

Cleo, an English mastiff, was unwell.

Her body continued to tremble, she stopped eating, and rarely anyone approached her.

A concerned neighbor was sad to see this once strong and playful dog become an emaciated shell of herself.

Without judgment, she reached out to a human companion of Cleo, a single mother who was in financial difficulty. The woman said she wanted to do something for her sick dog, but she knew she couldn’t afford the veterinary bills that come with diagnosis and treatment.

Neighbors work together to help animal guardians offset some, if not all, the cost of veterinary care to keep humans and pets together and prevent unnecessary euthanasia. I found a small non-profit organization that offers a one-time grant to help.

They filled out an application at Bo Paws-It-Forward and did their best. The nonprofit was only a few weeks old when the application was made, but a small staff of volunteers worked quickly to create a veterinary care facility for Cleo.

X-rays revealed a massive blockage caused by Cleo’s consumption of plastic bags and diapers. A neighbor renamed the dog “Halo”.

One of the heavenly creatures that played a role in Halo’s second chance at life was a fellow English mastiff named Bo Ogopogo Travis. Bo was not alive when Halo witnessed her death, but his kind soul inspired his guardian to form a non-profit organization in his name.

Amanda (Russell) Travis, co-founder and executive director of Bo Paws-It-Forward, said: Amanda and her husband and co-founder of the organization, Buddy, are former Madison County residents.

When Bo came into Amanda’s life nearly seven years ago, she had no intention of bringing another animal into the house.

Amanda is still reeling from the series of losses she has had since childhood, a goofy 14-year-old English Mastiff named Sequoia, and several hospice pets she volunteered to care for at a local rescue organization. rice field. She wasn’t ready in her heart for the prospect of having to say goodbye to her beloved member of her family.

“I never thought of doing it again,” she explained.

When Buddy started pitching the idea of ​​adding a new dog to the small pack, Amanda did her best to get rid of his thoughts. It opened my heart in ways I never could have imagined.

“Sometimes your spouse knows what’s best for you,” she said with a laugh.

In October 2016, Amanda met Bo for the first time and they fell in love instantly.

At six weeks old, Beau was already a limp boy with distinctive features. He had a long ski nose, a protruding lip, and an underbite so large he could put a finger between his upper and lower teeth.

But when Amanda held him in her arms, she said she was overwhelmed by a strange feeling.

“Something told me that we wouldn’t be together for long,” she said.

Amanda has held hundreds of animals in her arms. Growing up just outside London, her family had cats, dogs, guinea pigs, pot-bellied pigs, mice and mini horses thanks to her sister being involved in her 4-H . Amanda graduated from Madison-Plains in 1994. Buddy said she graduated from Alder College in 1997 with Jonathan. When they moved to Columbus, they kept the animals in their apartment and later in their current home in Pickerington. Through all these connections with her animals, Amanda, she said, never felt like she did when she held Bo.

“It was surreal and I thought I was going insane, but I trusted it,” she said. “I vowed to love him for as long as I could.

And that’s what she and Buddy did.

For about three and a half years, they gave Bo all the love they could. In turn, he gave them all the love he could by reminding them of the simple joys of life and the need to reach out and make connections. , extended to every other human and animal he encountered, including other dogs in the daycare class.

Amanda said that she and Buddy were lucky to have this “gentle giant” in their lives, and very lucky to be able to pay for his care.

As found in many large breeds, Bo was diagnosed with Wobbler Syndrome, a neurological disorder that affects the vertebrae in the neck. It kept his condition under wraps until it progressed. Amanda estimates that she and Buddy spent more than her $15,000 on hydrotherapy, laser therapy, acupuncture, and anti-inflammatory drugs to prevent the disease from progressing further.

“And it was on pet insurance,” she said.

Despite his illness, Bo never said he was in pain or that something else was wrong. But Amanda and Buddy knew something was seriously wrong in July 2020 when they found Bo stuck in a hallway and hiding.

An $8,000 exploratory procedure at an emergency veterinary hospital revealed that Bo had a rupture in the lining of his stomach and a small nodule that could be cancerous. Doctors said Bo’s chances of recovery were less than 10%, even if the stomach lining could be repaired and cancer treatment could be given.

“We didn’t want him to do that. We didn’t want him to go through it and suffer all the time,” Amanda said. I had to make the most difficult decisions.”

Despite the pandemic restrictions in place, they were able to get inside the hospital and tell Beau how much it had affected their lives, giving his sweet and sloppy face one last time. I was able to kiss you.

In the midst of her grief, Amanda clung to the idea of ​​starting a nonprofit to honor Bo’s memory. They wanted to do something to ensure that his kindness would live on after his death.

By the end of 2020, Bo Paws-It-Forward was granted tax-exempt nonprofit status. Initially, the organization’s mission was to offset the basic needs and costs of surgery for large dogs owned by low-income families in the Pickerington area. The idea has since expanded to most dogs in the Columbus area, and cats across the state. Then I got an application from a pet parent in Florida who needed help after their financial situation worsened due to the pandemic.

“Bo Paws-It-Forward has evolved and far exceeded my expectations,” said Amanda. “We couldn’t be happier with this turn of events and hope that we can continue to evolve and serve you.”

Bo Paws-It-Forward medicates dozens of dogs and cats thanks to the generosity of animal care groups, care clinics, animal lovers across the country, and fundraising efforts from companies such as German-Toyota of Columbus I was able to. Or performed surgery and saved the owner hundreds of dollars in medical bills. These efforts also prevent unnecessary euthanasia and separation of pets and caregivers, which is the main goal of the organization.

Bo Paws-It-Forward is now offering three one-time grants to pet parents in need.

• Giselle Grant– A top prize of $200 covers the cost of vaccines, heartworm testing, spay/neuter surgery, microchips and dental procedures.

• Beau Grant– Prizes of up to $500 (determined on a case-by-case basis) cover non-essential medical expenses such as surgery, physical therapy and procedures.

• Elwood GrantThe $200 average award covers the cost of an approved professional veterinary behaviorist evaluation.

In addition to grant funding, Bo Paws-It-Forward provides pet loss assistance services and is in the process of creating services for veterinarians struggling with mental health issues.

“Our mission here is to provide support and resources to those who need it. We do so with empathy and nonjudgment,” said Amanda. “That’s how Bo loved it, that’s how all dogs love it, and that’s what we always strive for.

“All we want to do is continue to live up to his kindness and make him proud. I like to think he would.”

For more information about Bo Paws-It-Forward, including how to apply, eligibility requirements, and how to donate, visit bopawsitforward.org. The organization can also be found on Bo Paws-It-Forward’s Facebook and Instagram.