Sad stories about animal cruelty and abandonment seem at times to abound on Facebook and Twitter. And don't even get me started about those heart wrenchingly painful to watch ASPCA ads with Sarah McLachlan.

A fantastic time then to talk good news, more specifically about a local, Rhody-based non-profit helping pet parents in need when their cat or dog becomes ill or is injured. Now, until I sat down with the co-founder of this organization, I had absolutely no idea how many local people in that situation are faced with having to either surrender or euthanize their dog or cat because they simply cannot afford to pay for treatment and/or meds.

In some cases people choose abandonment...I really want to rant and curse about that, but instead I'll share a story about my brother and his wife taking in a beagle who, it turned out, had cancer. They suspected he had been abandoned by previous owners who couldn't provide treatment. For the record, bro and wife not only got the dog medical care, they went so far as to drive him to Worcester for chemo on a regular basis, extending his life for many happy years.

Enter Friend Of Animals In Need (RI), or FAN.

The North Kingstown based np, co-founded by retiree Russ Sabo, is on a mission to help pet parents on fixed or limited incomes pay vet bills, ultimately keeping pet families in tact and more dogs or cats out of the shelters. They also partner with other local animal charities and retailers to get pet food out to pets and owners who might be struggling financially and simply don't have funds to cover food for Fido or Trixie - another pressing issue here in the Ocean State btw.

Having met with Russ in the past, and stalked the FAN web site and FB Page, I can tell you he works diligently to assist as many people and pets as possible - all with virtually no overhead of any kind. So, rest assured your donations, and the grants they receive, go toward life saving treatments and/or meds and definitely NOT salaries (Everyone is strictly volunteer status.), office space (He works out of his house.), or even a company cell phone. Good to know, right? I mean we've all heard those stories about charities where a huge chunk of the donations don't end up ever reaching those that the money was intended for.

Here's a sampling of a few of the success stories about animals and their families who've been recipients of a helping hand from FAN:

One Of FAN's Fav Quotes: "Saving one pet won't change the world, but surely the world will change for that one pet..."

May Initiative: Paint Night at The Upper Room on Main St in West Warwick on Friday, May 11th at 6:30pm. Tickets are $25 per person, and benefit Friends Of Animals In Need RI.

Find Them Online: FriendsOfAnimalsInNeedRI.com 

Like Them On Facebook: Facebook.com/animalsinneedri