For our second week of Customer Appreciation Month, we’re honored to feature Juli Burnell and Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund. Juli has been a long-time customer of Layer 2 Computers, and her dedication to animals and the families that love them deeply resonates with all of us here. Let’s hear directly from Juli about her mission and the profound impact of her work.
Can you tell us a bit about Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund and what inspired you to start it?
"Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund keeps families together by saving their pets’ lives. We enable supporters to preserve the deep love shared between human and animal family members. Assistance is obtained through partner veterinarians making referrals for funding of emergency and specialty veterinary services (no requests from individuals, please). We are one of the few nonprofits in the country that funds this costly level of lifesaving care. Types of families helped often include our most vulnerable citizens, including elderly people living alone with only their companion animals, mentally challenged individuals, families with autistic or disabled kids, folks struggling with severe illnesses and people with conditions including PSTD, anxiety attacks, depression, etc.
My defining moment in starting Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund was because of a sweet 5-month-old rescue puppy that we named Ellie. Within days after adopting her, she was hospitalized at the local emergency hospital. As it turned out she had a lung condition that kept us in vets’ offices for the 10 years of her life.
As I sat in ER waiting rooms and watched other families (who loved their pets as much as I loved Ellie) leaving with their beloved family member still in pain–or worse, in a pine box–I knew something had to be done. No one should be forced to lose a family member simply because they can’t afford the needed treatment!"
What do you love most about what you do?
"I get to see the goodness of people every day. Animal lovers are the kindest people on the planet. I knew if there was a system in place, they’d help one another. And they do! Over 525 families helped at almost a million dollars in veterinary bills has been a win-win. People with the money to give feel great about saving pets and keeping families together. People who are helped are so grateful that their families are still whole. Oh, and veterinarians feel good because they're able to do more of what they joined the profession for—to save pets!"
How has technology helped your organization grow or improve?
"Technology is crucial for our operations from staying in touch with our donors, sharing life saving stories, managing payment with veterinarians, spreading the word and communicating with the community. And without the tech support of Layer 2 we couldn’t interface all these systems to keep saving lives."
Do you have any exciting projects or events coming up that you'd like to share?
"We have lots of fun events planned for summer that include your dog (or adventuresome cat). The first is June 13 5-8:30 for “Paws On The Patio” at El Meson! Grab your fur buddy and join us for good food and great company. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for others events as well https://www.facebook.com/elliesrainydayfund/ "
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
"No one should be forced to surrender or euthanize a member of their family due to inability to pay. I hope you’ll check out some heartwarming stories on Facebook and our website https://elliesrainydayfund.org/love-stories-all/ to see what’s happening right here in Dayton.
Thanks for caring about Miami Valley pets and the families who love them!"
Thank you, Juli, for your incredible dedication and for making a difference in the lives of so many pets and their families!
