“They said they’d never seen anything like that before,” Bob Ward said. “They wanted $3,400 right then and there — I’m recovering from esophageal cancer; there’s no way I had that kind of money.”

Then, a bit of luck. The Wards’ daughter made some calls and reached the Small Animal Clinic at MSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. It was then that the Wards learned they qualified for the Lucky Fund, which helps pet owners whose animals have a good prognosis but are short on cash pay for their pet’s medical care.

“I couldn’t believe it — nobody could help us, nobody anywhere,” Ward said. “We were so afraid he would have to put him to sleep. They were so great and so good, those people have such a heart. They are the most fantastic people in the world.”

But the fund Bob Ward credits with saving Buddy’s life is running low, with about $1,000 left.

Furry finances

The donation-based Lucky Fund helps about 25 animals a year, said Patrick LeBlanc, director of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

“It’s probably about a third of what it normally is, even about a quarter,” LeBlanc said. “With the economy, more and more people are struggling — that’s why it’s gone so low.”

Matthew Beal, director of emergency and critical care medicine at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, said the fund is “kept in a good state of depletion” from helping pay vet expenses for needy animals.

“I find myself requesting from it more and more,” Beal said.

The fund usually is used for companion animals, such as dogs or cats, but occasionally it has been used for exotics such as a ferret or bird, he said.

The fund typically only pays up to $1,000 to help with a case, but it paid for all of Buddy’s more than $3,000 in medical expenses, Ward said.

In order to be eligible for the fund, the animal must have a good prognosis and the owners must prove financial need, LeBlanc said.

Beal said the Lucky Fund might not be able to pay for the whole treatment, but can help alleviate some of the financial burden.

“Sometimes, maybe we can only provide $200, but most people will be extremely appreciative,” Beal said. “If we can do more then that’s better, even if it can’t cover the whole thing.”

Beal said the funds usually pay for a one-time service.

“We try to distribute it among as many people as possible,” Beal said. “We don’t have the resources to get into chronic medical care.”

It’s not only the owners and their pets that benefit from the fund, LeBlanc said. It’s also those who care for the animals and those who donate.

“From a public service standpoint, it’s a good thing to do,” LeBlanc said. “It makes our staff feel good because financially strapped animals can be saved, then some people with a philanthropic nature can save lives.”

Beal said it’s tough to see an animal suffer because of financial troubles.

“It’s hard on all our vets and tech staff when we have a young, healthy dog with a reversible disease (suffering) because of financial reasons,” Beal said. “Sometimes Lucky is there to help out — it allows us to do our jobs a little more often.”

A random act of kindness

The beginnings of the Lucky Fund stemmed from a situation similar to Buddy’s: a young dog, hit by a car and left to die.

In this case, the dog was an 8-month-old female German shepherd and collie mix who was rescued by Flint resident Paul Vogt. She was brought to MSU where she underwent surgery for her elbows, which were broken “right through the elbow joint,” said Cheri Johnson, who was then and still is chief of staff at MSU’s Small Animal Clinic.

Vogt took responsibility for paying for the dog’s treatment, but the costs were high. A column ran in the Lansing State Journal detailing the story, and soon after that donations began flowing in. The Lucky Fund, named after its first recipient, was born. The donations paid for Lucky’s treatment.

“It was absolutely amazing, when this article appeared in the paper, it was 50 cents here, $5 there,” Johnson said. “Businesses around the campus put out collection cans — it was very small donations (like) leftover change as you’re checking out of the gas station. … There were so many people willing to donate that we ended up with enough money to cover the expenses Lucky incurred and to start the fund.”

The donations amounted to thousands of dollars, Johnson said.

“Every day there would be another little envelope,” she said. “It was absolutely heartwarming.”

In his nine years at MSU, Beal said one of the Lucky Fund cases he remembers most was when the community pulled together to help a dog that was born with a vascular anomaly.

“People and kids raised a lot of funds on their own, from car washes to bake sales and then another outside charitable organization (helped) and Lucky was able to chip in,” Beal said. “When everybody pooled their resources we were able to treat (the dog).”

There in a time of need

Buddy’s accident had come at a tough time in the Wards’ lives. Bob Ward’s cancer forced him to quit his job and sell the two beauty salons he and his wife owned.

He credits Buddy with helping him to recover.

“(Buddy) helps me every day, having that dog helps me get better every second,” Bob Ward said. “He’s just like our son. To have somebody care that much, you just don’t find that anymore.”

Ward urged others to donate to the fund.

“If anybody can help, they don’t know there could be a time when they need it, too,” he said. “It’s got to stay going.”