UPDATE FOR SUNFLOWER AND ROSIE!

So far we have raised $339.81 out of $300, or £209.94 out of £189.14--we met our goal!!

Please consider donating, and passing along Sunflower and Rosie's story. They really need the help.

How could you say "no" to these faces??

Please send checks (made out to Thistle Cavies) to

Shevaun Brannigan

700 Professional Dr.

Gaithersburg, MD 20879

To donate in US dollars:

To donate in Sterling Pounds:

JUNE'S PIGS OF THE MONTH-Sunflower and Rosie!

Meet Sunflower and Rosie

from UK Rescue

Thistle Cavies!

Introducing Sunflower and Rosie. Sunflower is a very special wee piggy, she has what the vet suspects is a very slow growing cancer with multiple little lumps all over her belly area, all a

ttached to each otherwith ‘tendrils’ under the skin.Sunflower also has other problems, she is a heart piggy and needs syringe feeding 3 times daily as she will not eat very much on her own.

Obviously she has a problem with her mouth but it is not dental, no redness etc to be seen but she dribbles a lot. She will chew on a slice of cucumber then leave most of it. Some days she does eat a whole slice and will even tuck into a bit of carrot, she can also eat hay but not very much. Her mouth has been checked several times over the past few months but no spurs, nothing to show for her odd behaviour with food.

Since arriving at the Rescue she has captured our hearts, she is not demanding but just sits anxiously around feed times in case you forget her, with her little front paws propped on the front of her cage watching intently. Initially she would eat her critical care from a bowl but now only syringe feeds will do.

Her cage mate Rosie is completely blind from an eye infection that was not noticed and completely depends on Sunflower for guidance. Rosie also has a permanant head tilt and a heart murmer and just recently she has presented with a lump on her belly that will need to be removed. This is planned for the near future if all goes well with the heart meds. We are hoping that a few weeks course of Fortekor will strengthen her heart enough to allow the op to be done.

Sunflower goes through two big packets of Critical Care a week costing almost £60, her and Rosies heart meds cost £8 50 per week then Rimadyl/ Metacam is a further £2 per week. Rosies op will be in the region of £60- £70 and no doubt Sunflower will need further checkups for her mouth to ensure that nothing shows up that can be cured/helped.

I can assure you all that to meet Sunflower is to fall in love, she is very special and has full confidence that we will take care of all her needs, no one seeing her could ignore the look of belief in her eyes that you will help her. It is very hard to describe this look without putting it into human terms but there is no doubt that she believes this human will do her utmost for her and keep her free from any pain or suffering....and she is right.

I would like to thank you all in advance as I know how generous you all are when it comes to special needs piggies and Sunflower is certainly that, she and Rosie also send their wheeks.

Our Goal is to fundraise $300 for Thistle Cavies.

Please send checks (made out to Thistle Cavies) to

Shevaun Brannigan

700 Professional Dr.

Gaithersburg, MD 20879

To donate in US dollars:

To donate in Canadian Dollars:

FOR MORE UPDATES ON MARSHA

Please visit http://dianastaresinicdeane.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/new-beginnings-for-little-miracles-the-littlest-tornado-survivors-acclimate-to-new-surroundings.

This includes photos of the survivors in their new home!

For the month of May--

We will be fundraising for one of our own. Marsha is a beautiful person, inside and out, whose home was destroyed in a tornado. Her pigs and rats were possibly killed, her daughter is on oxygen.

Please send checks, made out to Marsha Weaver, to Shevaun Brannigan, 700 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879. Reference Marsha in the memo line.

Envelopes must have my name on them, instead of Marsha's, otherwise they will not arrive.

Click below to donate--this is going to the SAGP paypal, so I can keep track of how much we've raised. There is no goal. Please donate as you can.

Thanks to all of you for understanding our deviation. Marsha is just like you, she loves piggies and donates to SAGP, as well as other rescues.

*

$11,473.11 raised in Paypal, $2485 raised in checks/Cash, $50 in giftcards (Walmart), TOTAL: 14,008.11! excludes checks not yet received and donations made directly to Marsha's paypal.

PLEASE VISIT THE NEXT POST FOR WONDERFUL UPDATES :)

Updates on May's Marsha

UPDATE: One pig has been found. We are unsure if he or she is alive, or which of Marsha's pigs it is. Marsha herself had to go to the hospital, during the storm she clutched her children so tight to her chest that her breastbone pressed into her heart. Marsha is out of the hospital now. Her daughter is in ICU, but is believed to be stable. She has a hole in her lung.

UPDATE: Emma was the pig found, alive and well!

UPDATE: Marsha's daughter is off of oxygen and breathing on her own!

UPDATE: Great article written by one of our supporters, here:http://dianastaresinicdeane.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/the-story-of-a-tornado-a-family-a-dog-rats-a-herd-of-guinea-pigs-and-an-online-community/

UPDATE: Marsha has found all but one of the pigs and found 6 rats!

Now, with good news there is a little bad news. Of the remaining pigs she found today only 3 were survivors. So that makes 4 pigs found alive (this includes Emma).

Of the rats found, 2 had passed and one needs vet care. The other 3 are ok.

UPDATE: Marsha's daughter is out of the hospital!

UPDATE: Another Rattie has been found, Olivia!

UPDATE: Visit here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/feylin for photos you can use as badges on your blog, or as avatars!

UPDATE: another blog post from a supporter, Diana: http://dianastaresinicdeane.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/a-miracle-can-weigh-less-than-3-pounds-the-littlest-alabama-tornado-survivors/

UPDATE: Paintings available, proceeds going to Marsha! http://shop.ebay.co.uk/rosieblackdog/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

UPDATE: Video made by one of our supporters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce7A-OE5PZo&feature=channel_video_title

UPDATE: Etsy shop donating all proceeds for the month of May to Marsha: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AintThatCrafty?ga_search_query=aintthatcrafty&ga_search_type=seller_usernames