10/09/2026
🖤 FRIDAY FUNDRAISER: SOMETIMES THE LITTLEST SOULS HAVE THE BIGGEST BATTLES. 🖤❤️
Well, we thought this week's Friday Fundraiser was going to be an opportunity to introduce another new face to the SEPR family. Unfortunately, the universe had other plans, and instead, we're asking our village to rally around one of our own.
Our beautiful little brindle girl, Shimmer.
For those who haven't met Shimmer yet, she's the shy little peanut who was abandoned on a rural Minnesota farm and left to fend for herself. A girl who learned that trusting people wasn't necessarily safe, but who has slowly been discovering that life can be pretty wonderful when the right humans come along.
Unfortunately, over the past week, life hasn't been particularly kind to her.
Last Thursday, Shimmer suddenly began projectile vomiting a concerning neon-green fluid. We immediately sprang into action with Cerenia and metronidazole, hoping we were dealing with a gastrointestinal upset that would settle down with medication and a little time.
The vomiting stopped. The diarrhea stopped. But so did just about everything else.
Friday came and went. Then Saturday. Then Sunday. No appetite. No interest in food. No enthusiasm for much of anything.
Chicken? Nope. Ham? Not interested. Canned food? Absolutely not.
And when a dog who has already spent part of her life fighting to survive suddenly wants nothing to do with eating, you know something isn't right.
By Tuesday, we were at Tea Vet Clinic with Dr. Tom, trying to figure out what was happening. Shimmer was running a fever, and because she's still learning to trust people, even the simplest veterinary procedures require patience, understanding and a whole lot of creativity. Her foster dad helped cradle and comfort her while we worked through the examination, and we started injectable medications in hopes of finally turning things around.
Unfortunately, Wednesday arrived with very little improvement. Back to the veterinarian we went.
This time, we needed answers that couldn't be found through another physical examination. Bloodwork, abdominal X-rays and a closer look at what was happening inside that little body were necessary.
Of course, Shimmer had other ideas.
Even after receiving twice the anticipated amount of sedation, our stubborn little brindle girl wasn't about to surrender control of her surroundings. So, with careful handling and a muzzle for everyone's safety, we managed to complete the diagnostics.
And unfortunately, what we found wasn't particularly reassuring.
Her abdominal X-rays showed suspicious intestinal changes concerning enough that we sent them to a radiologist for further evaluation. Her kidney values were also abnormal, with dehydration and prolonged lack of food complicating an already concerning picture.
The radiologist's findings raised several possibilities, including a potential intestinal obstruction, pancreatitis or a functional slowdown of the intestines associated with inflammation.
In other words, we had a very sick little girl, several possible explanations and no definitive answer.
By Wednesday afternoon, Shimmer was clearly exhausted. And quite frankly, so were we.
We started subcutaneous fluids at home to help address her dehydration, continued injectable medications and made the decision to watch her extremely closely while determining whether more aggressive intervention would be necessary.
And then, yesterday morning, something wonderful happened.
For the first time in over a week, Shimmer wanted breakfast.
Not chicken. Not ham. Not some elaborate attempt to convince her that eating was worth the effort. Her actual dog food.
She wanted to eat. She was interested in her surroundings. And for the first time in days, we started seeing glimpses of the little girl we've worked so hard to help feel safe.
It might not sound like much, but when you've spent an entire week watching a dog decline without knowing exactly why, seeing that little face light up at the sight of breakfast feels like winning the lottery.
We wish we could tell you that means Shimmer is officially out of the woods.
Unfortunately, we can't.
An intestinal obstruction remains a concern, and while her renewed appetite is encouraging, it doesn't necessarily mean the danger has passed. We're continuing to monitor her food and water intake, bowel movements, comfort and overall condition while providing fluids and watching for any indication that additional diagnostics or emergency intervention are needed.
The next several days are going to tell us a great deal about where we go from here. And that's the part of rescue that people don't always see.
The uncertainty. The sleepless nights. The endless conversations about whether we're making the right decisions. The dogs who can't tell us where it hurts, what they've swallowed or why they suddenly don't feel like themselves.
And sometimes, the added challenge of caring for an animal who is still learning that the very people trying to help her aren't going to hurt her.
Shimmer didn't ask to be abandoned on a farm. She didn't ask to spend part of her life surviving on her own, and she certainly didn't ask to become another medical emergency before she's even had the opportunity to find her forever family. But she deserves every opportunity to have that future.
And we're going to do everything in our power to give it to her.
Of course, another week in rescue has brought another round of unexpected veterinary expenses. Multiple examinations, bloodwork, diagnostic imaging, radiologist consultations, injectable medications, fluids and ongoing medical management all come with a significant price tag.
These aren't expenses we can plan for. They're the ones that show up without warning, often when we're already stretching every available dollar to care for the dogs who depend on us.
But that's also why this village matters so much. Because while one person might not be able to cover an entire veterinary bill, a hundred people giving five dollars can make an extraordinary difference.
And those five dollars matter just as much to a little brindle girl fighting to feel better as any larger donation ever could.
So, for this week's Friday Fundraiser, we're asking you to help us help Shimmer.
We don't know exactly what the coming days will bring. We're hopeful that yesterday's appetite was the beginning of a much-needed turnaround, but we're also realistic about the medical concerns that remain.
What we do know is that this little girl has already survived being discarded, being alone and learning how to trust all over again.
She deserves the chance to discover that the best part of her life is still ahead of her.
Another week. Another unexpected emergency. Another life depending on the people who refuse to look the other way.
It's what we do. It's what we believe in. And it's what your generosity makes possible.
🖤 PLEASE GIVE TO SHIMMER. 🖤
🐾 Venmo: SiouxEmpirePitRescue
🐾 PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=4KN75K98GUHSW
🐾 Mail: SEPR, PO Box 2321, Sioux Falls, SD 57101
🐾 Tea Vet Clinic: 605-368-2088
Whether you can spare $1, $5, $25 or more, please know that every dollar helps us continue showing up for the animals who have nobody else to fight for them.
And if donating isn't possible, sharing Shimmer's story costs absolutely nothing.
We hope that by this time next week, we'll be telling you about a little brindle girl who has found her appetite, regained her strength and returned to discovering just how wonderful life can be.
Until then, we're going to keep fighting for her. We hope you'll fight alongside us. 🖤
