This Tuesday, December 3 is #GivingTuesday – a national day of generosity celebrated around the globe.
And in honor of Giving Tuesday, a generous donor has offered to match all #GivingTuesday donations to OAA up to $5,000! Which means, your donation will go twice as far.
This year, Oklahoma Alliance for Animals is dedicating #GivingTuesday to the thousands of dog and cats who have been saved through our many lifesaving programs, like Unchain OK, Mend-A-Friend Fund, and Wheels of Hope, over the past two decades.
Beautiful Brella – Unchain OK
We want to share Brella’s story first. Brella is a dog who spent much of her life confined by chains, awaiting the bravery of a few compassionate individuals to change her future for the better.
In early 2021, Unchain OK volunteers checked on Brella after a concerned citizen reported a distressed dog with puppies in need of help.
With heartfelt commitment and a non-judgmental approach, Unchain OK volunteers collaborated with Brella’s elderly owners to improve her living situation. Brella’s puppies were safely placed with a local rescue, she was spayed, and after enduring years of confinement, she was finally liberated from her chains after our Unchain OK team repaired the property’s fence.
However, Brella faced yet another challenge. Years of untreated heartworms, exacerbated by the inability to afford monthly preventative care, had significantly affected her health—a common issue for many dogs in similar circumstances across Oklahoma.
Earlier this year, Brella’s owner realized they were unable to provide the necessary care and made the difficult choice to surrender her to us.
Sadly by then, Brella’s heartworm condition had worsened to a point where the most compassionate decision was to allow her the dignity and peace of a pain-free passing, sparing her from an extremely hard heartworm treatment that she likely would not have survived. This was not a decision that was made easily or lightly, and came with strong recommendations from our veterinary partner.
In her final moments, Brella left this world enveloped in love by Unchain OK volunteer Ryan who had advocated for her for more than 3 years.
Pictured above is Ryan freeing Brella from her chain on the day her fence was repaired in 2021. We are comforted to know Brella enjoyed a few years of freedom and play, like all dogs should.
The work Unchain OK volunteers do is emotionally tough and mentally challenging, but can be rewarding, knowing you provided some comfort and compassion to an animal who needed it.
Whether you give to OAA or another worthy nonprofit for Giving Tuesday, please know your donations are so critically important this year. And remember, donations to OAA will be doubled thanks to the match!
If you’re ready to donate today, you can use the link below or here. You can also donate to OAA via PayPal (click here) or Venmo (@OKAnimalAlliance). Donations made now through December 13th via any of our platforms, including Facebook, will count toward our $5,000 match. If you prefer to write a check, please send them to 7140 S. 69th E. Ave., Tulsa, OK 74133.
Thank you for supporting Oklahoma Alliance for Animals and all the animals we help every year.