Write a commentLast August 2013, a ten year old tea cup size Yorkshire Terrier was brought to the folks at iHeart Oswego to foster and then re-home. Normally it would be unusual for a marketing and website firm to take dog rescues but it is something I have done for 15 years.
Hanna, as we named her, was a lap dog to be sure and clearly had some health issues. During her fostering, it was discovered that she had severe gum and teeth problems. Hanna needed immediate surgery and it could cost upwards of $500.00!
Kyle Cheeley is the property manager for the iHeart building and Pauldine Construction. He heard about Hanna and offered up a solution: A weight loss contest in which he would lose weight for a period of 4 months and get people to sponsor his losses by the pound. All proceeds would be donated to Hanna's vet to cover her bills.
That was a great solution but Hanna needed to have the surgery immediately. I quickly called and asked the organization that I remain a member of, Granite State Sheltie Rescue (known as GSSR) in New Hampshire, if they could help us. They dedicate themselves to the Sheltie breed as a norm but they came to the rescue and pledged to pay for the surgery up front, thus allowing Kyle the time to go through with his plan.
Hanna went for her surgery (a success) and then to her 'forever home', while week after week Kyle would faithfully come to the iHeart Oswego offices and be officially weighed in. First it was 4 pounds, then 6 or 7 pounds lost and soon the pounds were melting away.
On November 25th 2013, Kyle arrived at iHeart Oswego for his last weigh-in. He had lost an astounding SEVENTY POUNDS!!!
That is no small effort and Kyle is a shining star to us here at iHeart. Not only did he inspire us all to get in better shape, lose weight and exercise, but he was able to make Hanna's rescue a complete success. Now Kyle feels (and looks) great and Hanna is one happy girl!!
So, what to do with the money that Kyle Cheeley raised? Donate it back to the Granite State Sheltie Rescue was the obvious answer. Kyle was able to raise a total of $372.50 and is still waiting for a few more pledges to come in.
"I am extremely pleased with the progress I was able to make in my own challenge and nothing feels better than saving the life of a wonderful dog." said Kyle.
As for GSSR, recently I received a call from director Jody Abraham of Granite State Sheltie Rescue; she was excited, surprised and so thankful.
"Thank you so much for the money you sent, we really did not expect it!" said Jody. "The weight loss challenge was a great idea!"
Hanna is happy and healthy...Kyle Cheeley is too. Now the rest of iHeart Oswego is on their way to a happy and healthy 2014!
Our thanks to everyone involved, it was an awesome experience.
For more on Granite State Sheltie Rescue, go to www.granitestatesheltieres.com. For more on iHeart Oswego, go to iHeartOswego.com.
