TikTokers Donate Over $50K to Portland Animal Sanctuary After Owner Makes Plea amid Pneumonia Outbreak
Lee Asher, owner of The Asher House in Estacada, said the money was enough to cover vet bills and oxygen chambers for the recovering dogs
The Asher House/Facebook
Lee Asher, owner of The Asher House animal sanctuary, poses with his dogs.Some generous TikTokers came to the rescue of an Oregon animal sanctuary after it faced a serious medical crisis.
The Asher House, located in Estacada, near Portland, was flooded with more than $50,000 in donations after the sanctuary's owner, Lee Asher, shared an emotional video that went viral on the social media platform over the weekend, explaining that the sanctuary was dealing with an outbreak of a rare type of pneumonia.
"It's unpredictable, fast-acting and quickly leads to an infection in the lungs. Unfortunately, it has reached the sanctuary," Asher said in the clip.
He went on to share that one of his dogs, Roo, had sadly already died as a result of the illness, and four others were going in and out of the emergency room throughout the weekend. "At this time, we need your help more than ever. I rarely ask for help, but we are dealing with a bad situation right now," he pleaded, directing people to The Asher House website to make a donation.
It didn't take long for the sanctuary's 1.2 million TikTok followers to step up and open their wallets. Overwhelmed by the generosity, Asher posted a follow-up video on Sunday to provide an update and express his gratitude for the financial support.
"Because of the outpouring of love and support, all of our vet expenses have been covered," he shared. "We purchased four at-home oxygen chambers, plus a new quarantine facility to put on the sanctuary. We do not need any more donations at this time, and I sincerely cannot thank you all enough."
Asher also revealed the good news that all of the four sick dogs were home from the hospital and "on the road to recovery." He added, "This has been very difficult experience for us, but having this amazing community come together has certainly helped in more ways then I could ever explain."
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Lee Asher/Instagram
Lee Asher takes a walk with his dogs.Since the sanctuary has a strict quarantine system, Asher said in his first video that it's unclear exactly how the outbreak started, though he did note that pneumonia was affecting many other dogs in the area.
“Unfortunately, many of the emergency clinics don’t even have a room for us because they are dealing with this,” he explained. “Their oxygen chambers are full. So this is something that is new not only to The Asher House, this is new to the community. The doctors aren’t really sure where this is stemming from or how this is happening.”
He said the illness impacted a number of The Asher House's 42 dogs, with five of them experiencing more serious symptoms.
According to its website, the sanctuary rescues and houses "animals that have been discarded or unwanted, providing them with a life of comfort, love and adventure." Asher was inspired to open The Asher House following the death of his pit bull Stella, and after finding the perfect parcel of land in 2020, he turned his vision into reality.
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