State Road Animal Hospital
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Who is Linda?

Linda Baracy started working at State Road Animal Hospital in 2007. On December 29th, 2011, she passed away in a tragic accident. Linda possessed an undeniable love and compassion for pets and people. She embraced the importance of the human-animal bond. To honor Linda's memory, the name of the Squirt Fund was changed to "Linda's Ministries." The original Squirt Fund was created by the staff at State Road Animal Hospital to provide one-time help for clients who were facing financial hardship due to crisis. Linda had a special place in her heart for the Squirt Fund and frequently looked for ways to increase the fund and raise awareness of its purpose.

 
 
 
 
 

What is Linda's Ministries?

Linda's Ministries is a non-profit 501(c)(3) discretionary veterinary fund whose mission to provide financial assistance for health needs of pets whose owners are facing a difficult situation. The fund's specific purpose is to help families and individuals at a time of crisis, when it is difficult to find the resources to provide necessary veterinary care for their beloved pets. By doing so, it is hoped that a burden may be lightened and potentially prevent pet owners who are already in turmoil from having to part with their pets for financial reasons. The goal of Linda's Ministries is to help preserve and strengthen the human-animal bond.

To make a tax-deductible contribution to Linda' s Ministries please mail your check made out to "Linda's Ministries" to State Road Animal Hospital, 5343 N. State Road, Alma, MI 48801. You many also visit www.lindasministries.com and click on the "Support Us" tab. Then click "Donate" to give via PayPal.

Thank you in advance for your support! Your generosity ensures that more people can experience a gift of compassion that enables them to keep their pet healthy during a time of crisis.

 
 
 
 
 

Whose been helped by Linda's Ministries...

  • Helped pay for care of a kitten whose owner was on short-term disability.
  • Paid for diagnostic and euthanasia of a cat whose owner recently lost her daughter.
  • Paid for diagnostics, euthanasia and final care of a dog brought in by the animal shelter. The owner was located after seeing a post on Facebook. The owner was an elderly man with end stage cancer.
  • Paid for wellness exam and treatment of ear infection on a dog. Owner has lupus and multiple sclerosis.
  • Paid for wellness exam, senior bloodwork, and nail trim for a former employee who is having major health issues.
  • Helped pay for treatment of Addison's Disease in a dog whose family was unable to manage for a short time due to hospitalization of a family member.
  • Helped pay for treatment of a dog that was attacked by a neighbor dog. Owners are both on disabled.
 
 

Want to help other people like those listed? Visit www.lindasministries.com to donate or visit State Road Animal Hospital.

Watch for up to the minute updates on Linda's Ministries Facebook Page.

 
 
  • Contributed to payment of a dog that had a fracture pin repair. Owners is having their own health issues.
  • Paid for treatment of a tooth root abscess on a dog whose owner is a long standing client who has terminal cancer.
  • Paid for a wellness exam as well as a neuter of a cat for a little boy whose cat was his emotional stability.
  • Paid for medical treatment of a cat with diarrhea. The owner had the loss of a parent and the loss of their son's father.
  • Contributed to payment of a dog who had endoscopic removal of a Christmas Ornament. One of the owners was diagnosed with bladder cancer and the other with cataracts.
  • Helped pay for treatment of a cat who was burned in a housefire. He had an 40 day stay in the hospital while recovering.
  • Paid for diagnostics, euthanasia and final care for a dog whose owner had extensive medical bills from children that were ill.
 
 
 
 
 

A Note from Dr. Armstrong

Any new endeavor has the possibility of experiencing explosive early growth because of the excitement generated by simply starting something new. The true test, however, of long term viability for that new endeavor is an ability to achieve a period of stability after the initial success. In other words, does the project show that it can sustain itself, or does it come crashing back to Earth as fast as it soared in the beginning?

Well, I am happy to say that we are off and running with another year of Linda’s Ministries after a 2014 year of attaining great stability! Linda’s ministries maintained a solid account balance throughout the entire year, which meant that we have turned the corner from temporary early growth to long-term success and sustainability.  Much of that success was supported by two things in 2014 ... our annual golf outing last August and sales of the Linda’s Ministries Cookbook. The cookbook has been a wonderful project, and I thank Amy and Allison for all of their hard work and dedication toward that venture.

Already in 2015, we have been planning this year’s golf outing, and there is some interest in expanding into additional events held outside of the Alma area in the near future. The board has discussed this as part of our goal to grow Linda’s ministries locally while spreading the word beyond central Michigan as well. We have recognized that to accomplish that goal, it will require more board members to effectively manage and grow it from this point on. So, we have expanded the board by two members this year to help Linda’s Ministries realize its full potential.

I am looking forward to a year where we begin implementing many of the long range ideas we have been discussing as a board this past year. What a thrill it is to even be able to have these discussions, because it means Linda’s Ministries is in a healthy place – and is poised to do even greater things for a greater number of people in the years ahead!