Two weeks ago we received a call about a little black kitten that was found in a garbage can and was trying to get out. We immediately put the wheels in motion to go and get the kitten. One of our volunteers was on the road within 15 minutes of the phone call.
The kitten arrived at the Ark and was terrified. It was no more than 5 weeks old, was covered in fleas and smelt of diesel oil. We noticed she was basically a walking skeleton; you could feel every bone in her body and she was dehydrated. We treated her for fleas and hydrated her and started to force feed her, and then we hit the road to the vet.
Once at the vet she weighed in at only 9 ounces. The vet said she didn’t get that way overnight and that she had a long rough road ahead. She needed to be hydrated twice a day and fed in small increments every two hours. She was also started on a regimen of antibiotics and wormed.
The little girl was brought back to The Ark. One of the volunteers named her Angel, and the healing process began. Angel was taken care of by one of our volunteers. She was force fed every two hours, just like clockwork, and the vet’s instructions were followed to a T.
The first week was rough and we were not feeling too optimistic. We were now into the second week with no improvement. Then, one morning, we saw Angel at the food dish and she was eating on her own.
But then another problem cropped up: because she had been covered in diesel oil, her fur started falling out. The skin underneath was perfectly healthy, but her fur was peeling off in sheets. The vet said this could happen.
Angel is now a very plump little girl, weighing in at 1 1/2 pounds, and is always looking for more food! She looks a little funny because of the missing fur, but it is already starting to grow back in. Angel is still a little leery of humans, but she has one volunteer who comes to visit her just about every day and who dotes on her.
I am not sure how Angel ended up in that garbage can or how she got covered in diesel oil. It breaks my heart to even think about it. What I do know is that she is safe and sound now. She is warm and has an endless supply of food and love.
Angel wasn’t rescued by one individual; she was rescued by a group of volunteers whose main focus is to help animals in need. This group of individuals took a tiny kitten with no hope and gave her a second chance. They gave her the greatest gift of all – the gift of life.
Thanks to everyone involved. You have made a difference for this tiny little black kitten named Angel.
Please join us on Oct. 15 for Strut Your Mutt. Registration is at 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 10. Walkers will leave the Hollywood pet Salon and walk to the site of the new sanctuary. Pledge sheets are available at Hollywood Pet Salon. All proceeds will go to the care of the animals. We will be having a bake sale that same day from 10-2.
