12 Saves of Christmas: Day #9 – Dexter
Each day, we’ll share one of FieldHaven’s 12 most heartwarming cat saves of 2021. Each happy story was made possible through your generosity!
Jeanne, a member of our FieldHaven team, had an unexpected knock at her door. Her neighbor found a cat who looked like he was hit by a car. She said it was bad, so Jeanne grabbed gloves, a carrier, towels, and a microchip scanner and ran out the door.
A beautiful Siamese was laying on the sidewalk. His eye was severely damaged, his mouth and nose torn up, and his jaw looked askew. Jeanne slowly approached him, and when he didn’t move, she gently placed him in the carrier. She knew he was going to need emergency treatment, but his body felt intact and he did not react painfully.
She quickly scanned him for a microchip. He had one! She sent the information to fellow colleague Audra, and within minutes, we identified the cat as Dexter and knew his person lived around the corner.
When we know there’s an owner, we can’t legally proceed with medical care without consent. Jeanne sprinted to Dexter’s home and banged on the door. A woman answered. Jeanne warned her that it was bad, but her gut instinct was that it wasn’t life-threatening. As the woman looked at him, she exclaimed, “shouldn’t we just euthanize him?”
You can guess our response.
The woman described how she bred him from purebred parents, and still had his siblings, yet said she couldn’t afford medical care. “Can we surrender him to you?” she asked.
Jeanne said yes, quickly got it in writing, and rushed Dexter to an emergency veterinarian.
His eye was ruptured and had to be removed. His jaw was broken and needed to be wired shut so it could heal. He would need to be fed by a tiny tube because of this, but it was manageable. He had blood drawn and x-rays to ensure no internal injuries—everything looked good. He was given antibiotics and pain medication, then was set up for a long recovery.
Dexter was saved thanks to you.
Your donations help keep our emergency fund replenished, which means we can make quick decisions when needed without immediately worrying about the cost. Truly, your donations save lives.
2021 is winding down but our work is not done. That’s why we are so grateful for a $60,000 donation match, because that means when you donate right now, it’s doubled!
Please donate today to give cats like Dexter a fighting chance. It’s the gift that keeps giving. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and paws, for your support.
– Joy Smith, executive director of FieldHaven
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