Dani’s Dolly

9/4/2024

Dani McDowell has been a dog lover her entire life. She received two of her dogs from her mom. Thunder is a schnauzer, and Dolly is a miniature schnauzer. Although the pair are litter mates, they don’t look alike. Thunder weighs in at 25 pounds. Dolly, however, had a liver shunt, which stunted her growth, so she is only 7 pounds. 

“I call her my mini mini,” Dani says.

One day, she took both dogs to Raccoon River Park to play fetch at the lake and beach. Later that evening, Dolly fell ill. She had ingested too much sand off the ball. 

Dani took her to the vet, who told her the sand was stuck between her intestine and colon. Because of her small size, she wasn’t able to pass it. The veterinarian recommended surgery, giving her two quotes regarding treatment costs. Not having pet insurance, Dani was unsure of what to do. 

“I felt guilty. I should have known about the sand, and she’s so itty bitty,” she recalls.

Dani and her dogs are members of Paws & Pints — a local spot for dogs and their owners — and visit several days a week. The co-owner, Megan Casey, heard of Dolly’s condition and offered to pay a portion of Dolly’s vet bills through her nonprofit.

Megan and her husband, Kyle, founded the Porter-Rinsky Foundation in 2022. The pair established it after their Bernese mountain dog, Porter, also known as Rinsky, contracted a rare bacteria that shut down his internal organs. The only hope for survival was an expensive treatment.

When Porter died, the Caseys began questioning how other dog owners pay for emergency veterinarian care. 

“We spent tons of money,” Megan says. “Lots of people don’t have choices as a pet parent. How does anyone pay for it?”

The couple decided to form the nonprofit to help other pet owners with vet bills. An application process includes proving financial need. Megan says, because her business is in the pet industry, it’s their responsibility to give back to dog owners. 

“Dolly is like a family member,” Megan says. 

Since Dolly’s surgery, she is back to normal. She likes sitting on Dani’s lap and snacking on chicken jerky. Dani’s favorite spot at Paws & Pints is with a community of dog owners who know and love Dolly. 

“Everyone knows Dolly,” Dani reflects. “It’s nice to be recognized and helped out with the vet bills.”

Dani admits she knows the dog names at Paws & Pints better than their owners’ names. 

“When I meet people, I call them by the dogs’ names,” she laughs. 

A golf tournament benefitting the Porter-Rinsky Foundation will be held Sept. 30. For more information about the Porter-Rinsky Foundation visit, porter-rinskyfoundation.org. ♦