06/18/2026
This is one of the hardest posts we’ve had to make.
We are facing two major challenges right now: a critical shortage of foster homes and a medical debt that has become astronomical.
PJ’s Rescue is a 100% volunteer run, foster based, women founded, non profit. We have no paid staff. Every dollar donated goes directly to supporting the animals in our care.
Over the past year, we’ve said “yes” to countless animals who needed immediate help. While some of those stories were shared publicly, many were not. What you don’t always see are the late-night emergencies, the sick puppies, the urgent surgeries, the after-hours/weekend vet visits (unfortunately many of these), and the animals who needed care immediately if they were going to have a chance.
Time and time again, our veterinary partners have shown up for us. They have never turned away an animal in need. They have squeezed us into already full schedules, answered emergency calls, came in on their time off, and provided life-saving care when there wasn’t time to wait.
That care comes at a cost. Like everything else, veterinary costs have increased significantly over the last several years. We are also caring for more animals than ever before, which means more vaccines, more spay/neuters, more diagnostics, more medications, and more emergencies. While we make substantial payments toward our veterinary accounts every month, we have reached a point where we simply are not catching up.
Our current outstanding balances are:
• Happy Tails Veterinary Clinic: $4,200
• Northern Woods Animal Hospital: $21,438
Yes, you read that correctly. Seeing that number written out is difficult. We know it’s a lot. We have a lot of feelings over it.
It’s important to know these balances didn’t come from poor spending or unnecessary expenses. They came from saying yes to animals who had nowhere else to go. They came from providing the medical care that every animal deserves. They came from taking on challenging medical cases for animals who needed us. They came from supporting two amazing veterinary clinics in the area who go above and beyond for us to help these animals.
At this point, we cannot continue moving forward without help. We need donations so we can make meaningful progress on these veterinary balances. We need foster homes so we can responsibly care for the animals already depending on us. Most importantly, we need our community.
If you’ve ever adopted from us, fostered for us, volunteered with us, attended an event, shared a post, or simply cheered us on from afar, we are asking for your help today.
Ways you can help:
🐾 Call either clinic directly and make a payment toward our PJ’s Rescue account. Northern Woods: 218-461-4400, Happy Tails: 715-718-2130
🐾 Donate through this post
🐾 Donate via Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/PJs-Rescue
🐾 Mail a check to: PJ’s Rescue, PO Box 16551, Duluth, MN 55816
🐾 Donate via Zeffy: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/donate-to-veterinary-bills
🐾 Share this post so it reaches beyond our current followers
🐾 Know a business interested in hosting a fundraiser or donation box? Email [email protected]
🐾 Apply to foster: https://toolkit.rescuegroups.org/of/f?c=PQKKVSJD
We know these are difficult times for many people and we never take your support for granted. Every share, every dollar, every foster application, and every kind word helps us continue this mission.
We are incredibly proud of the thousands of animals we’ve helped since 2018. We aren’t giving up. We just need our village now more than ever.
