Toni first interacted with Anderson Humane
during a really rough season in her life. It was 2016 and Roxy, the 12-year-old Chihuahua who had been Toni’s best friend since she was in the sixth grade, was gravely ill.
A vet had needlessly performed an expensive surgery on Roxy and now that the dog had been correctly diagnosed with cancer, the family wanted someone they could trust to treat their beloved dog.
Thankfully, Toni’s mom reached out to Anderson Humane, then Anderson Animal Shelter. Our team treated Roxy until she passed. “Everyone was so nice and helpful and compassionate,” Toni said. “It meant everything to us.”
Toni never forgot this kindness. “Roxy was our family dog, but she was my dog,” Toni said. “She slept in my room. All her toys and clothes were in my room.” Roxy even inspired Toni’s first word: “dog.”
So when Toni was finally ready to start looking for another dog three years ago, she knew where to go. She and her fiancé already had two cats, Kaiya and Jack, and though they swore they were “just looking” at one of Anderson Humane’s adoption events, the couple went home with a 6-month-old pit-lab mix named Leo. “He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us,” Toni said. “He’s just the sweetest boy.”
Recently, when Toni got the surprise opportunity to donate $3,000 to the charity of her choosing, she knew exactly where she wanted that to go as well. She and several coworkers did some local volunteer work as part of Save the Planet Week for a national mortgage and real estate coaching company. The names of everyone who volunteered were put in a drawing and that person would decide which organization received the donation.
“I just happened to be the name they pulled,” Toni said. A life-long animal lover, she immediately knew it had to be a cause related to animals. And when she thought of her beloved Leo – and Roxy – she knew it had to be Anderson Humane. “I am happy to have made a bit of a difference to an organization that has made such an impact on my life,” she said.
We are grateful for Toni’s generosity, which will enable us to help the next Roxy or Leo, the next family struggling to care for their pet or searching for a new best friend.