Care for kitty
Three-year-old Basil, a black domestic short hair cat, did not ask to have his leg amputated.
“A good Samaritan found him. He was hanging around their house for a little bit,” said Shanna Best, Butler County Humane Society kennel director. “He disappeared, and then he came back and they realized there was something obviously wrong with him.”
That good Samaritan contacted the shelter, which was able to take the cat. When Basil arrived on Valentine's Day, the bone in his back leg protruded from an open wound.
Shelter employees do not know exactly what happened to Basil, she said.
“He went to the vet then,” Best said after the cat was brought in. “They think he might have been shot.”
Basil is under a veterinarian's care for parasite treatment. He has to be cleared of his parasites before an operation.
“We enjoy what we do here,” said Debbie Aglio, assistant executive director. “However, it's very difficult at times when you do get animals in here like that, but we do everything in our power to do as much as we can.”
Once the vet medically clears Basil, he will come back to the shelter where he will be processed and go up for adoption.
“Every day is different here,” Aglio said. “You never know what you're going to get each day.”
The Butler County Humane Society Emergency Medical Fund is a way to help animals such as Basil who come to the shelter in need of urgent care.
“The need for this sadly is high,” said Jennifer DiCuccio, the society's executive director. “The animals we've been getting in are very sick, and it gives us the ability to continue to care for the sick and abandoned and unwanted animals in Butler County.”
In the past three months, the shelter has had 15 animals that have needed emergency care.
The fund has been around for several years, DiCuccio said.
“We saw a need to bring it back to life, especially over the last three to six months. We've had some very sick, emaciated animals come in and it's costly,” DiCuccio said. “As a no-kill facility, we try everything we can to save them.”The shelter does not have a veterinarian on staff, she said.The cost of an amputation could range between $400 to $800. Surgery costs vary from vet to vet, severity, length of procedure and complications.Lillian, a 10-year old brown and orange domestic medium hair mix, is another cat who has benefited from the emergency funds.Emily Brooks, who has been a kennel attendant since July, works with the animals, keeps their spaces clean and makes sure they have fresh food and water and shows them to customers. She also gives them prescriptions and is trained to administer medicine.She recalled taking care of Lillian after she had her ear flap removed because of a hematoma, or cauliflower ear, Brooks said. Untreated, a hematoma can cause a cat to have other issues and loss of hearing.“We're all animal lovers at heart, it does get emotional,” Brooks said. “We see some tough cases, but how I like to look at it — how can I help this animal. It's hard, but seeing the transformation with these animals makes it all worth it.”Caretakers monitor animals with medical needs daily and make sure any incisions are not infected or swollen, Best said. They are also given a special type of litter that will not infect them.A vet could prescribe them fluids or antibiotics which also have to be administered and follow up with any care.“An emergency doesn't always just mean a shot leg,” she said. “An emergency could mean poor health conditions, emaciated, dehydrated — all of those are emergency situations as well because if left untreated they can cause serious complications.”The shelter spent over $110,000 in vet bills last year, DiCuccio said. The goal is for the shelter to raise $10,000 in the emergency fund. About $3,905 has been raised so far.Aglio said emotions can run high when an animal arrives in a state of emergency. However, they are in a place that can help them.“It's difficult because sometimes it gets to you more times than others ... It is sad that the way some of them come in.“However, knowing that they're in a safe place, this is their safe haven on their journey home, and we're here to provide that, I think that's very comforting for us to know that it's better than them being out there and we can give them the care and everything they need,” she said. “I think that helps us see us through it,” said Aglio.
The Butler County Humane Society took in 357 dogs and puppies and 294 cats and kittens last year. Here is a breakdown of intake for 2018:Strays: 388 animalsOwner surrender and other: 252 animalsSeized by local police: 10 animalsAdoptions: 505 total
