A fractured pelvis. A festering infected wound to her hindquarters. A painful severely injured tail. That’s the state that Belladonna was in when she came to us near Thanksgiving. Upon veterinary examination, euthanasia was recommended, as her pain level was high and her prognosis was poor. The thing was, Belladonna didn’t seem to know the terrible shape she was in. She was purring. She kneaded us with her little front paws and still moved around her cage as best she could. The injuries we knew she had didn’t line up with the little cat in front of us. We were told that ending her suffering was probably best, but she was telling us how much she wanted to live. We didn’t share the awful pictures of her wounds, but they were there. When she laid down, she somehow hid both her injuries and her pain.
So we treated her awful infection and gave her pain medication she didn’t act like she needed. We cared for her every day and got more opinions from vets. She was improving. It wouldn’t be easy or inexpensive, but there were beginning to be some options for Belladonna.
No one wants to decide which animals live and which ones don’t. We abide by a promise to not let an animal suffer when their quality of life is poor. Every time you put a lot of resources into one shelter pet, you wonder if you’re doing the right thing and if they will recover. We always want to get it right, but who decides what right is? Sometimes you have to make the calls, have the conversations, go with your gut and if you’re lucky, your heart will agree. Sometimes you just have to look in their eyes and they will tell you.
We received a quote from a veterinary hospital for the two surgeries it’s been determined that Belladonna needs. It was $7,000 for a hip surgery and $5,600 for a tail amputation high enough to avoid nerve damage. We were lost and very sad. By this point, we already knew how special she was, but we also knew exactly what $12,600 could do. We began speaking with our medical connections and trying to find a way. If Belladonna could fight her situation with so much love, then so would we.
We found a very trusted veterinarian who would perform both surgeries for us for $2,000. We couldn’t believe Belladonna’s good fortune but also we can. She’s got a bit of magic in her eyes.
We put a plea out on Facebook and raised $2,500 in the next week, so our Belladonna had the first of two surgeries in mid-February. She is now in a loving foster home and recovering nicely!
We’re so grateful to our donors and the amazing Anamosa Veterinary Clinic for rallying around Belladonna.
If you want to help with future care for Belladonna, we would be so happy.
Our Venmo is @PAWS_and_More
Online/PayPal is at pawsandmorewashington.org
By mail or in person, our address is:
PAWS & More
1004 1/2 W Madison St
Washington, IA 52353
Thank you for reading Belladonna’s story. She has been through horrific times, but she has never given up and she’s never stopped being full of love, so we’ll do the same for her!