REPAIRS ON HOLD!!

OMG we're so overwhelmed with patients right now!!!

Due to insanely overwhelming demand, I am unable to take on new patients at this time 🙁

After many, many years of working with stuffies and their living companions, I know just how deeply these bonds run and how heartbreaking it feels when a beloved stuffed friend is injured. Also, I am confident that pretty much every injury can be fixed!

That said, I have SO very many injured stuffies in my queue right now (um, like, 40…) that I’m really unsure when I’ll be able to get to new patients!

Needless to say, there is a HUGE need for the repair services I provide, but I am just one person (with a totally separate full-time job in addition to The SARF!) trying to work through the repairs as quickly as possible…

I’m in the process of trying to re-tool the whole repair process from start to finish, including:

  • Streamlining estimating, standardizing repair timelines, and creating a better scheduling system
  • Finding more people with skills like mine who can help with repairs
  • Tracking down / applying for funding to help pay the rent and pay for folks to help with this important repair service
  • Arranging repair workshops where people like yourself can bring in your injured stuffies and I can help you do the repair work… That way, I could tend to many injured stuffies at once!

But in order to make this process better, I have to carve out a bit of time to figure out the logistics! So that’s what I’m trying to do by suspending new telemedicine appointments.

I will be posting updates here to let everyone know when I’ll be able to take on new patients, and hopefully we will emerge from this a better-oiled [sewing] machine.

Best,
Wendy
The SARF

City of Austin Fix-It Clinic Might Be Able to Help!

An awesome resource for simple repairs!

While you’re waiting for new appointments to open up, we recommend you try this:

The City of Austin hosts an awesome event every month called a Fix-It Clinic. Amazing skilled volunteers help people fix broken items… not just stuffies, but also lamps, shoes, jewelry, bikes, electronics, etc…). There are always amazing sewists there who work wonders on any number of items. It is an amazing resource, and it’s FREE! You can sign up, and when you do you can describe what needs to be fixed, and the volunteers review in advance so they know what sorts of supplies are needed. I often volunteer there when I have time, and I can attest to the awesome skills of the volunteers!

Fix-It Clinic Info

NOTE: We are not currently accepting new patients. Check back for updates.

We offer a variety of stuffed animal repair services. We are located in Austin, TX, but we accept injured stuffies from all over the world! See below for information and to make an appointment!

Get Started

Step One: Telemedicine Appointment

Before we can do any repairs on injured stuffed animals or perform any elective procedures on consenting stuffies, we need to evaluate their needs. A quick telemedicine appointment will allow us to diagnose the situation and prepare a plan of action (what materials need to be obtained, how much time such an injury will require to complete, when we will be able to fit in a surgery or procedure, etc).

The cost of the Telemedicine Consultation ($5) will be applied toward any procedure we perform.

Book a Telemedicine Appointment

What Will Happen?

We will meet with you and your stuffy over Zoom to discuss your SA’s medical needs (emergency surgeries, elective/cosmetic surgeries, restuffing, missing appendages, etc). We will formulate a plan of action and will send you an estimate (time/cost/scheduling) at some point relatively soon after your appointment.*See Very Important Note below!

Cost of this consultation will go toward any medical services rendered.

Note: Repairs generally cost $35/hr, and typical surgeries can last anywhere from one to four or even eight hours! We will get a better idea of your SAs needs during our call, so you can make an informed decision regarding you stuffed animal’s care.

*Very Important Note: I used to promise that you would receive your post-telemedicine-appointment follow-up email within 24 hours, but this doesn’t seem to happen. I am mostly just one person running this show, and I have issues related to correctly judging my relationship to TIME. I promise I will send you a follow-up email, but sometimes it takes me awhile. Part of my enjoyment of this whole endeavor is the writing part: I write my detailed ‘medical notes’ and send them to you. This takes longer than I imagine some people would like, but it brings me great joy and keeps me motivated to continue doing this work. Unfortunately, sometimes I get overwhelmed by the number of appointments that have been scheduled, and my brain starts to explode. When this happens, it might actually take me a week to get all of the estimate/medical notes emails out. Rather than feeling extreme guilt and anxiety about this situation, which I am wont to do, I’m letting you know right here that I PROMISE I take tons of notes during our telemedicine call and I actually have an organizational system that keeps track of every single call and notes and that you will eventually receive a perhaps-more-detailed-than-needed email from me with all of the necessary information. I promise that my ability to fix your stuffy is way greater than my time management deficiencies, so please bear with me as I struggle through my crappy skills in order to get to be able to use my awesome skills. I am very much an artist and a writer and geometrist and very much NOT a time/money/businessy person. Please feel free to send me a reminder email, especially if your repair is time-sensitive! I promise I don’t mind, and you will be doing me a service by doing so. Thank you very very much for your patience and patients!!

What to Bring / How to Prepare

After booking your appointment, you will receive an email with a Zoom link. Just click the link when it’s time for your schedule appointment!

Please have your injured stuffed animal available for us to view over Zoom.

Step Two: Medical Procedure Appointment

After your Telemedicine Consultation, you will receive our time/cost estimate, a summary of our medical notes, and a link to where you can schedule the procedure, if you choose to, and pay a deposit.

Step Three: Pickup or Return Travel

We will discuss timing and transportation during our Telemedicine Consultation and will follow up with details in our post-consultation email.

Outpatient procedures are available for Austin residents for some SA ailments. However, many procedures require overnight stays at The SARF Headquarters, even for Austin residents.

Any remaining payment is due when you pick up your patient.

Ready to get started? Step one:

Book a Telemedicine Appointment

What sort of medical services do you provide?

We do a variety of stuffed animal repairs, including corrective restuffings, fur grafts, seam stitching, eye or nose replacement, and more.

We also do elective surgeries (holiday reassignment surgery, rhinoplasty, etc) and custom costumes and accessories (Halloween costumes, custom clothing, etc)!

We can discuss your stuffy’s needs in our Telemedicine Consultation.

How much does it cost?

All of our services begin with a Telemedicine Consultation ($5) so we can evaluate the situation. After the consultation, we will formulate a plan of action and will send you an estimate (time/cost/scheduling) along with our sometimes-amusing medical notes and observations within 24 hours after the appointment.

Repairs generally cost $35/hr, and typical surgeries can last anywhere from one to four or even eight hours! We will get a better idea of your SA’s needs during our Telemedicine Consultation so you can make an informed decision regarding you stuffed animal’s care. Repairing stuffies is a specialized field, and we take great care to make sure our work is top quality- and also a fun experience!

The cost of the Telemedicine Consultation ($5) will be applied toward the cost of any procedure we perform.

How do I get started?

All of our services begin with a Telemedicine Consultation so we can evaluate the situation. You can make an appointment here. (If you do not have access to Zoom or cannot attend a Telemedicine Consultation, please email us at info@thesarf.org to make other arrangements)

The cost of the Telemedicine Consultation ($10) will be applied toward any procedure we perform.

Book a Telemedicine Appointment

How long does it take?

All of our services begin with a Telemedicine Consultation so we can evaluate the situation. We will formulate a plan of action and will send you an estimate (time/cost/suggested scheduling date) at some point after your appointment. Once you receive our estimate and approve it, we can schedule and confirm the actual procedure. Timing depends on our workload. We can discuss in greater detail during the Telemedicine Consultation

Where are you located?

The Stuffed Animal Rescue Foundation
2825 Hancock Dr. #111
Austin, TX

Do you accept stuffies from out-of-town (not Austin)?

Yes! For out of town patients, you are responsible for shipping your stuffy to us. Cost of returning the patient to you will be added to the cost of any procedure. We can discuss the method of transportation you feel most comfortable with, as we know shipping your stuffed companion can be stressful.