“I’m ready for this winter to end.” “It’s been brutal this year.” “Polar Vortex, that’s a new one, never heard of that before!” “When did they start naming winter snow storms anyway?”
All of us who live in upstate New York know that this year has been freezing cold, snowy and seemingly never ending. Now imagine being outside, injured, hungry and alone during those bitter snowy days. Cold, wet, injured, starving and alone – that is exactly how Sarah was found on a frigid February day, sitting on the porch of an abandoned house. Had she wandered to this home looking for help and shelter? Had her people abandoned her here to fend for herself through the cold, harsh winter? Had she accidentally slipped out from a loving home and lost her way?
We will never know how Sarah ended up on that abandoned porch, but as fate would have it, this was her lucky day. Two cat loving people passing by just happened to spot her and knew immediately that this little girl needed help and needed it quickly. Leaping into action, they scooped up a scared and bleeding Sarah and rushed her to an emergency veterinarian where it was determined that her tail would need to be amputated. Our best guess is that Sarah must have sustained her injury because she climbed up into a car engine to try and warm herself. Sadly – or perhaps luckily – her tail took most of the trauma, which is a part she can live without.
Our good Samaritans were now facing the scary fact of how to afford helping Sarah in her time of need. They did the right thing. They didn’t turn their backs on Sarah’s meows for help. They didn’t leave her behind to suffer 
alone. But now what were they to do? With four pets plus a senior hospice foster already residing in their own home, how could they possibly help Sarah? That is when I received their email: was there anything Pets Alive could do to help them save Sarah? They couldn’t bear to see her suffer, but they couldn’t take on the responsibility of a very large and growing vet bill added to their already extensive responsibilities to their existing family. But could we? Winter months are always the hardest on rescues and sanctuaries. But how could we turn our backs on Sarah?
WE COULDN’T! That isn’t who we are. We quickly arranged for Sarah to be brought straight to our vet where she could get more essential medical attention she so desperately required. We would figure out the rest later. The important thing here and now was that Sarah was getting the help she needed.
Sarah is now at the Pets Alive Middletown recovering from her surgeries and available for adoption. It’s easy to see how grateful she is for being saved by the way she greets everyone as they enter her room. She’s always ready with a meow of thanks, a leg rub of gratitude, a purr of love. She has a full belly for the first time in who knows how long, and we’re happy to report we can no longer feel every bone in her body! She is warm and safe, with a place to sleep and rest her body as she heals. SARAH HAS BEEN SAVED.
Please always remember to bang on your hood of your car before you start it, it could save an animal from injury or even worse! And please consider making a donation to help offset the expense of Saving Sarah and every other Sarah that cries out to us for help.
To Adopt Sarah
http://www.adoptapet.com/pet/10334448-middletown-new-york-cat