Ellie's endowment: Auburn couple starts fund for dogs facing emergencies

Molly and Emmett McNabb are the founders of the Ellie McNabb Foundation, a fund at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Founded in September with a pledge of $25,000, the fund will be available to any owners of dogs who can't afford emergency care at the college's hospital. The fund is managed and administered by the staff of the hospital.

Sunday's event will help the McNabbs meet their $25,000 pledge, Molly told The Citizen. The event will feature 26 vendors with food, desserts, crafts and more — including Just Desserts, Humphrey's Catering and Truck Norris food truck — as well as music by Mike McNabb, raffles and a 50/50. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Emerson Park Pavilion in Owasco.

Molly said the fund originated from a medical emergency that her and Emmett's then-1-year-old border collie-Lab mix, Ellie, faced in May. It began with her bleeding from her mouth, which a veterinarian said was because she bit her tongue. But after the bleeding continued, along with vomiting blood and lethargy, the McNabbs took their beloved dog to Cornell.

Ellie's prognosis was grim, Molly said. Her platelets were low, and she needed an emergency transfusion. Altogether, it would cost between $4,500 and $6,000 to save her life. 

The McNabbs, who would get married in three months, could afford the bill. But they understood that most people in their position couldn't — despite loving their dogs just as much, if not more.

"Ellie is our life," Molly said. "We would have cancelled our wedding and gotten married at the courthouse if that meant our dog was going to live."

Once Ellie recovered, the McNabbs approached Cornell about setting up a fund to help those people. The hospital said it would require a large pledge due to the resources needed to manage the fund, and so the McNabbs agreed to pledge $25,000. No one has used the fund since it was set up last month, but the hospital told the couple a similar fund is almost spent, making the timing fortuitous.

"Cornell animal hospital saved our dog, and we will do whatever we can to help others in similar emergency situations," Molly said. "We'll carry it on for as long as we possibly can."