WBZ Cares: Pinky The Bulldog Gets Second Chance Through 'The Shadow Fund'

BOSTON (CBS) - The WBZ Cares campaign is now underway.

Each month, WBZ Newsradio 1030 will highlight a worthy non profit organization and tell the story of what it does for the community.

The campaign will involve news reporting, public service announcements and interviews.

For the month of June, WBZ Cares is profiling the Shadow Fund, which helps pet owners pay for life saving medical treatment for their companion animals.

The fund was created by a professor at the Mass School of Law to help veteran Marine Robert Burke, who planned to quit his job so he could access his 401-k plan to pay for his dog Shadow's expensive knee surgery.

Hundreds of pets and pet owners have been helped by the Shadow Fund since the first surgery was performed.

Beverly Dower of Brockton says her 2 year old bulldog Pinky Pearl wouldn't be here today without the charity. Pinky Pearl got very sick when she was a puppy and needed life saving surgery. Dower had just lost her job and couldn't afford the expensive vet bills.

"I got laid off in January and I adopted Pinky Pearl in February. Then in April, she aspirated and ended up with pneumonia. I had to take her to the E-R and they wanted $1800.00 and they wanted it now."

That's where the Shadow Fund stepped in, helping Dower pay part of the vet bill...

"It means everything to me. I didn't want to lose her. She was only 9 months old. I just couldn't afford to fix it. She would've died...she definitely would've died."

The Shadow Fund also helped Tracy Henningson of Brockton pay part of the $3900.00 bill for her beagle Barley's knee surgery.

"They're wonderful people. Thank you so very much for your help. Barkley's going to recover in full." she said.

Both Henningson and Dower are now trying to pay it forward, by paying back the charity, so that other families in need can be helped.

"We've definitely got lucky with this organization and I'm looking to help out any way I can to pay them back." Henningson said.

"Because they helped me and it was fast. They deserve it," she said  "100 percent of the animals get the money. Of course I have to pay them back."