Dear John,

Last winter, an NYPD detective responded to a call and made a heartbreaking discovery: a 6-month-old puppy in a zipped bag.

Penny, as she would later be named, had a bad skin coat, appeared to be malnourished and desperately needed help. After being taken to an ASPCA partner clinic for initial care, she was transferred to our facilities the following day. Poor Penny was sick, scared and in really rough shape. One thing was certain: no animal deserves to be neglected and abandoned like Penny was.

That’s why — for this week only — we’ve created The Penny Fund in honor of this brave and special dog, and all of the other animals like her who are waiting for rescue and relief. We’ve set an ambitious $75,000 goal to reach by this Friday — please make your gift now in support of The Penny Fund.

Penny’s weight upon arrival at the ASPCA was just under 13 pounds and she was diagnosed with two severe skin conditions — Pyoderma, a bacterial infection, and demodectic mange, which is a mite infestation.

But thanks to the officer who found her and the efforts of ASPCA’s expert teams, Penny was given a second chance at a healthy, happy life. Today she is at home with her family, where she is safe and loved.

But there are still so many animals who are suffering, and they need our help.

Our lifesaving work starts with compassionate animal lovers like you, John. Please, donate before the deadline this Friday to help us hit our $75,000 goal for this important fund and help us save more lives.

Every dollar can make a difference for an animal in need like Penny.