MASSACHUSETTS -- When Lisa Pantaleo of Medway read about Brad Trenchard and his injured Boston terrier, Toby, she shared the story with her 10-year-old twin daughters, Tessa and Talia.
Toby, who veterinarians estimate is 5 years old, injured his front left leg while living in a puppy mill in Gainesville, Texas, before Trenchard, of Hopedale, adopted him in 2009.
Toby, who veterinarians estimate is 5 years old, injured his front left leg while living in a puppy mill in Gainesville, Texas, before Trenchard, of Hopedale, adopted him in 2009.
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| Toby, who veterinarians estimate is 5 years old, injured his front left leg while living in a puppy mill in Gainesville, Texas, before Brad Trenchard of Hopedale adopted him in 2009. |
A specialist at Tufts New England Veterinary Medical Center told Trenchard that Toby’s leg either needs to be amputated, which will cost about $4,000, or he needs a prosthetic elbow for at least $8,000 – neither of which Trenchard can afford on his own.
"(Tessa and Talia) had their girlfriends over, and I had just read the article, and I was like, ‘Hey, guys, look at this little dog,’ " Pantaleo said. "They were like, ‘We should try to help. Let's do a bake sale.’ "
Tessa, Talia and their friends Kelly Lanoue and Emma Doherty spent Friday evening baking Rice Krispie treats, brownies and cupcakes, and making posters for the bake sale at the Pantaleo’s home on Saturday – which was a big hit.
"(Tessa and Talia) had their girlfriends over, and I had just read the article, and I was like, ‘Hey, guys, look at this little dog,’ " Pantaleo said. "They were like, ‘We should try to help. Let's do a bake sale.’ "
Tessa, Talia and their friends Kelly Lanoue and Emma Doherty spent Friday evening baking Rice Krispie treats, brownies and cupcakes, and making posters for the bake sale at the Pantaleo’s home on Saturday – which was a big hit.
"It turned out that another neighbor was having a yard sale, so we had some traffic from that, and the girls talked two of the dads into matching what they made," Pantaleo said.
The girls haven’t gotten a final count on how much money they raised for Toby, but Pantaleo estimates it’s around $400.
"They are so excited. They started counting the money last night," said Pantaleo, who emailed Trenchard about the bake sale. "All of the girls have pets, so they’re big dog lovers and were just thinking about if it was their dog."
The girls haven’t gotten a final count on how much money they raised for Toby, but Pantaleo estimates it’s around $400.
"They are so excited. They started counting the money last night," said Pantaleo, who emailed Trenchard about the bake sale. "All of the girls have pets, so they’re big dog lovers and were just thinking about if it was their dog."
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| From left, Emma Doherty, Tessa Pantaleo, Talia Pantaleo and Kelly Lanoue at the bake sale they held Saturday for Toby, the injured Boston terrier. The girls raised about $400. |
Trenchard said he was shocked when he learned about the girls’ efforts for Toby.
"I’ve gotten such a good response, and I didn’t realize there are so many nice people in the world who still care enough to stop by and say hi to Toby and donate money for his leg," Trenchard said. "When I heard about the girls I was just speechless that they went above and beyond. I’m really touched by what they did."
Pantaleo and Trenchard are arranging a time for Tessa, Talia, Kelly and Emma to meet Toby and give the money they raised for his surgery.
"They were getting so excited and off the wall about meeting Toby the dog," Pantaleo said. "I thought it was a great that (Brad) had a positive reaction to a negative situation, and I think the girls got the do-good attitude from that, and they spread it to their friends. It’s the contagiousness of the willingness to help others."
(Milford Daily News - July 31, 2012)
