Trooper's Fund

The Upper Credit Humane Society’s Trooper’s Fund was founded in 2007 in the name of Trooper the lab cross who touched the hearts of so many as he battled his way back from 35 lbs and near starvation to living life to the fullest in the very happiest of homes.

An Animal Control Officer discovered a dog that was skin and bones, weighing less than 35 pounds, barely able to stand and close to death. The Officer was appalled by the dogs’ condition. She gently wrapped blankets around him, lifting him into her car, to transport him to a local vet. Whimpering the entire car ride, Trooper lay his head on her lap. After examination, the following days were crucial to his recovery.

This little hobo had a gentle spirit, and a love for humans and animals. He fought hard, and after many weeks at the vet, his rescuer adopted him. Trooper learned to walk again, swim, and his weight rocketed to 60 pounds.

Trooper lived a long, happy life, with his family, and he even had a canine companion, Deena.

Opal was surrendered to the UCHS suddenly in July, 2024 due to extreme financial distress on the part of her owner. It was immediately evident to UCHS staff that Opal was in need of veterinary assistance. She was showing signs of pyometra, which is a serious and potentially life-threatening infection of the uterus that causes it to fill with bacteria and pus. In addition, Opal had a severe allergic reaction on the skin of her neck and head. Opal is allergic to eggs and chicken, but is responding well to the special food regime our staff provide for her.

Opal is an absolute doll and has clearly been cared for the best they could. All our staff and volunteers melt as soon as they meet her! She is a walking bundle of love in a Terrier-Bulldog body. She underwent surgery for the pyometra spay, and recovered with flying colours, but at least one mammary tumour was discovered meaning she will need x-rays and more surgeries depending on where the tumours are located. We are hoping that you can make a donation towards Opal’s care. If you can help at all, your donations are very much appreciated. Donations can be made via e-transfer (please put Opal in the notes) to chair@uppercredit.com or via Canada Helps.

Peppercorn was living in a shed in a subdivision where members of the neighborhood were leaving food out for her. We received a call from a concerned homeowner who had gained her trust by using wet food and ultimately wanted a better life for the cat. We were able to rescue Peppercorn but she appeared very weak and was severely dehydrated.

This beautiful tortoiseshell was unable to walk straight and was in desperate need of assistance. We could smell the infection coming from her mouth; her teeth were in terrible shape, she was drooling, and she had mouth and tongue ulcers. It’s a miracle she could even eat the kibble that was left out for her. She was suffering from an infestation of ear mites which severely affected her hearing to the point that she was almost deaf. Under our care, Peppercorn received immediate subcutaneous fluids, antibiotics and treatments for the mouth sores and ear mites. After her second surgery (some much-needed dental work), Peppercorn is able to enjoy her food pain-free. Today, her condition is more stable, and she is being fed high calorie food. She is warm, has a soft bed to sleep on, and is slowly showing our Staff her sweet gentle side. Thank you for coming together to help Peppercorn.

Jimmy and his three feline brothers were living on a horse farm. Sadly, their mom disappeared and UCHS received a call for help. Still nursing at five weeks of age, the kittens were placed into foster care where they would receive the care they needed from our dedicated foster volunteer. A week into their stay, Jimmy became lethargic and had an enlarged belly. At the Vet, Jimmy was examined and x-rayed. Fluid was removed from his abdomen. Jimmy was exhibiting signs of FIP (feline infectious peritonitis), something unheard of in such a young kitten. FIP affects multiple organs, and comes on quickly. FIP is a highly aggressive variation of a coronavirus in cats, and can be fatal, if left untreated. Thanks to your generosity, Jimmy was put on medication and treated successfully! This feisty ginger survivor is now looking for his fur-ever home

Paige, a German Shepherd puppy, was experiencing severe pain. Car rides are supposed to be a fun adventure, but for Paige, her trips involved several visits to the Veterinarian and a Specialist. Paige needs a femoral head osteotomy (FHO). This specialized surgery removes the “ball” part of the ball-and-socket that makes up the hip joint. The bones of the joint would no longer be in contact, which eliminated the pain Paige experienced. The fee for Paige’s FHO surgery was $2624 and was funded by Trooper's Fund. Paige was adopted into her fur-ever home in May of 2024.

Lucy, a beautiful sleek panther-like cat, had a rough start in life. She was part of a group of cats living onsite at a roofing company. Hard times hit the business , and they closed. The cats were left with no one to care for them. Rescued and brought to UCHS, we soon discovered Lucy wasn’t eating and was pawing at her mouth. An examination revealed that Lucy needs several teeth extractions. The fee for Lucy’s dental procedure was $1462.

Your support will allow Lucy to enjoy chin rubs, and a few well deserved treats. 

Cinder arrived at the Upper Credit Humane Society on December 15, 2023.  He was found wandering the neighborhood of Delrex Boulevard/Margaret Street in Georgetown. This un-neutered young male cat was reportedly seeking refuge under people’s decks to escape the harsh weather. He was rescued and brought to the shelter. Despite attempts to reunite this handsome fellow with his family, no one stepped forward.

His body was infested with fleas and flea eggs, but he received treatment to eradicate the parasites. In addition, Cinder’s fur was severely matted which made it painful for him to walk. Now groomed, he gracefully parades around the room. flawlessly showing off his grey coat. FULL of personality, Cinder is curious and playful. He is a cuddler, and enjoys as much attention as you can give him. Cinder is quite agile and watching him climb cat towers is quite amusing. He also enjoys pawing at his water bowl. The Veterinarian examined Cinder and noted that a few teeth extractions and dental cleaning would be required. Cinder’s ability to eat was affected and our dedicated staff ensured he received proper nutrition daily with scheduled syringe feedings, supplements, pain medication and antibiotics. Thank you for helping Cinder!

Marmalade is a ginger tabby who was lost. He was brought into the Upper Credit Humane Society in July 2022. Attempts were made to reunite him with his family, unfortunately no one claimed this sweetheart. He was brought to the vet, neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. Marmalade developed an ear infection.  Ear infections cause pain and discomfort, and the ear canals are sensitive. This sweet tabby endured several  rounds of medications, and despite our best attempts to help Marmalade recover from the chronic ear infections he suffered from, his ears weren’t responsive to the treatments.

The Veterinarian flushed his ears, and while under sedation, a growth was discovered in Marmalade’s ear canal. The next step to alleviate Marmalade’s pain was called a TECA-BO. Total ear canal ablation and bulla osteotomy (TECA-BO) is a surgery, performed by a specialist. It removes a cat’s ear canal and eardrum and drains the middle ear. It’s used when chronic ear infections don’t respond to other treatments and to remove polyps or tumors from the cat’s ear. Without the support of donations to Trooper’s Fund, this type of care can not be provided to the animals that we shelter. 

Meet MULAN (black) and EDDIE (gray) who found themselves with nowhere to go. Their adopters moved out of the country and left the felines with a close family friend. Sadly, the home situation for the father-daughter duo changed a second time and they were surrendered to the shelter. Eddie and Mulan had a check up with a veterinarian, and the results indicated that their teeth were in desperate need of care. Additionally, they suffered from neck lesions (holes in the enamel and underlying dentin of the teeth, arising at or below the gum line). They also had teeth that needed to be extracted. The simple act of trying to eat was painful, but 9-year-old Eddie and 8-year-old Mulan were eating wet food and managing to nibble on kibble too. 

Upper Credit Humane Society does their best not to turn away an animal who needs medical attention. This is where Trooper’s fund comes in. According to the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, 70% of cats suffer from some sort of dental disease by the age of 2 or 3. Unfortunately, dental procedures can be quite expensive Your donations towards their dental care provided immediate relief from discomfort. Now, both these beauties have recovered and found their fur-ever families 

A social worker from East Wellington Community Services called Upper Credit as there was no where for Chichi to go. The owner had passed and the family could not take the animal in and care for her. When Chichi came in, she was very overweight, had rashes around her belly and lots of dander. She was very itchy with bumps around her mammary areas on both sides. Her nails were very long. She was cheerful and would roll around from being so happy. She was in good spirits, but medically, she desperately needed our help.

Chichi was examined by a local vet as she was definitely having issues breathing and we thought her trachea was collapsed but it was not. The vet advised that the mammary glands on each side needed to be removed (one side at a time) due to the swelling and lumps that may be hiding a mass. She had her first surgery on November 14, 2022. The vet performed a mastectomy on the one side and had to do the spay at the same time after discovering that Chichi’s uterus had herniated through the abdominal wall and into the mammary glands. This would have caused Chichi a great deal of pain and discomfort.  This first surgery was $1,572.50. On January 6, 2023, Chichi underwent her next surgery and had a mastectomy for the other side. The cost for this surgery was $1,073.50.

Chichi has healed with flying colours and was adopted by a Shelter employee in 2023!  Without the support of donations to Trooper’s Fund, this type of care can not be provided to the animals that we shelter.

Pirate came to the Upper Credit Humane Society in a cage with 5-6 other kittens. He was approximately six weeks old. Staff noticed upon his arrival that he was missing a whole foot. He seemed to run and play normally, so staff theorized that he was probably born without the foot. He was put into a foster home so that he could grow big and strong. When he was strong enough, he was taken to the veterinarian for x-rays. Through the x-rays, the veterinarians determined his foot had been lost due to injury. His other bones had grown proportionately and the bones that connected the foot were sharp and unnatural. Staff couldn’t even fathom how a little tiny kitten could have survived such an injury.

Courageous Pirate went through a leg removal surgery, as recommend by our veterinarians. He adapted well to life on three legs and was up and running with his tiny little cone on his head as soon as he could. His personality was always a bit shy, but once he got comfortable, he loved belly rubs. Pirate was only available for adoption for two days before he found his forever home. 

Sometimes, animals that are recipients of Trooper’s Fund get medical attention that deals with issues that are not seen physically.

Blue Bell came in as a tiny kitten in March of 2016 from an over-capacity shelter in Quebec. As soon as she was big enough to be spayed, she was adopted out in June 2016. A short time later her family noticed she was not using the litter box. In September 2016, Blue Bell was returned to Upper Credit.

A urinalysis showed that Blue Bell had both a bladder infection and urinary crystals. One condition could be solved by antibiotics and the other by switching her food. We immediately switched her food and got her on antibiotics. Blue Bell had been in so much pain, she had been urinating blood, but the medication helped and after three more urine tests, she was free and clear of both infection and crystals!

Blue Bell was adopted again in November 2016 and placed on urinary food in her new home. She has not had any issues using the litter box since and recently got a brand new member of the family added from UCHS! Blue Bell’s medical bills were funded by Trooper’s Fund.

Banksy is a 2016 Trooper’s Fund recipient who came to the shelter in September 2016. He was immediately taken to the vet where we discovered he had Demodex Mange, a manageable condition, but one that takes months to heal with daily medication and a medicated bath every three days. On top of this, he had to wear a cone because of how desperately itchy he was. It broke our hearts to know how uncomfortable he must have been. We knew we had a long journey ahead of us, but UCHS staff immediately fell in love with Banksy. Banksy is energetic, goofy and puppy-like. He needed to work on his training, but would cuddle on your lap as long as you gave him pets. He loves all toys, but especially squeaky toys and MUST sleep on a fluffy dog bed. He is highly intelligent and will make his new family very happy.

Finally, in December 2016, after treatment, his skin test came back negative for Demodex, however, he had a secondary fungal infection that we had not been able to see under the mange. This meant for another long month he was on more medication for his skin which delayed his neuter surgery. When the first snow hit and Banksy was finally NOT ITCHY and got to have his cone off, he dashed and pranced through the snow, picking up toys and tossing them around. He is such a happy-go-lucky dog despite everything he has gone through. Banksy was adopted into his loving home in February 2017

Fiona came in as a stray from Halton Hills. UCHS staff were so sad that no one came looking for her because she had already lived the majority of her life with someone. We could tell Fiona had a lot of stories from the way her wise eyes looked at the world, and we could see she had also been used for breeding purposes. Fiona was approximately seven years old and had a very large tumor growing underneath her upper lip that was visible with her mouth closed. We sent Fiona to get spayed and to also get the tumor removed at the same time. Fiona recovered with no issues to her mouth, even eating the day after surgery without any problems at all. She found her retirement home with a loving family after only nine days of being available for adoption. Fiona was a 2016 Trooper’s Fund recipient. 

Eden is a senior hound who arrived at UCHS on Nov. 5, 2016. She was surrendered to Animal Control because she kept getting out of her enclosure. Eden was approximately seven years old when she was picked up. She hadn’t been spayed and her eyes and ears were infected. Eden was very thin, but she was so sweet! She was quiet, easy going and loved every dog she met. She wasn’t too energetic and was a dream on the leash.

Eden went for a spay once she had gained a significant amount of weight, as recommended by our veterinarian. She also had a small lump removed from her hind end to ensure it would not grow larger and cause her issues.

Her adopters called inquiring about another dog and instantly, we thought Eden would be a good fit, and luckily enough they were willing to take a senior dog. Her new family fell in love as soon as they met her and took her home as soon as they could.

We are so happy Eden (now renamed Izzy) is in her forever home.