AlleyCATS Alliance representative Theresa Nolet peered into the cardboard box with trepidation, being unsure of what she was going to see.
Inside the box was a cat that had been surrendered to AlleyCATS Alliance by a kind woman and her children who had found him earlier that day.
The woman thought the cat now named Phoenix appeared to have been caught in a leg hold trap and had a badly injured front leg.
What was in the box was a very frightened, beautiful soft grey cat with large amber eyes and he was in serious trouble. His leg did not look good.
Phoenix was taken to Rose Valley Veterinary hospital in West Kelowna where it was confirmed that the leg was beyond the point of saving and would have to be amputated. The wound was not fresh and all tissue below where the trap had caught was now dead and lifeless. To add to the situation, Phoenix was very dehydrated and infection had set in.
AlleyCATS Alliance is a very new and small group and we do not have the funds for such an expensive operation as an amputation. After discussing all options with Dr. Oz, he generously agreed to do the operation and all follow-up visits for no charge to AlleyCATS.
However that is just a small part of the financial puzzle that AlleyCATS Alliance faces every day when confronted for requests to help abandoned and feral cats of the Okanagan Valley.
We have done some amazing things, but we need help if we are to continue to grow and help more cats. AlleyCATs Alliance is dedicated to the feral and abandoned cats of the Okanagan and it is not an easy task. The need is great and our group is small. We struggle every day with decisions we must make as to which cats we are able to help.
Phoenix is one of the lucky ones as he found his way to a compassionate woman who took him in, and in spite of the horrendous result of being caught in a leg hold trap Dr. Oz has given Phoenix a second chance at a full and happy life, however Phoenix will need a special home where he will be kept inside and given the medical attention he may require in the future due to his amputation.
Once Phoenix is fully recovered he will be available for adoption. If you think you would like to help all of the other cats living outdoors struggling to survive please consider a donation today.
Donations can be done online at www.alleycatsalliance.org. And check the AlleyCATS Alliance Facebook page for updates on Phoenix.