Second Chance Pets: Emergency Medical Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
This Emergency Medical Grant award was used to help offset the cost of bilateral enucleation surgery (removal of both eyes) that was required to relieve pain and improve the quality of life for Stevie Wonderful, a totally blind 2-year-old cat who came into Second Chance Pets' foster care program in November 2023.
How many pets did this grant help?
1
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Stevie had been abandoned in a motel room by his prior owner and was impounded at a crowded high-volume county shelter in bad shape, suffering from severe infections in both eyes along with other medical issues. When the shelter sent out an urgent plea to local rescue groups, SCP responded immediately to save Stevie and get him the medical treatment and care he so badly needed.
Stevie was under the care of one of our veterinarian partners for a couple of months while she worked to treat his recurring infection issues. Surmising that his chronic high white blood cell counts appeared to be related to his malformed eyes, she referred Stevie to a veterinary ophthalmologist, who confirmed that his eyes had not developed normally in utero (microphthalmia) and were non-visual.
One of Stevie’s eyes had possibly ruptured and the other had no eyelid, with fur sticking to the lens, so bilateral removal surgery was recommended since the eyes would only be a source of chronic pain and inflammation in the future.
Stevie’s major eye surgery took place in January 2024 and, while his search for a forever home was delayed due to post-op complications, his brave spirit and sweet personality never wavered.
His story touched many hearts online, including that of a kind young lady who was looking for a special cat to join her family. She did a lot of research on caring for a blind cat, and it was love at first sight when she was able to meet Stevie in person at one of our adoption events.
We are thrilled to share the heartwarming news that Stevie’s adoption was finalized on April 24, 2024, with his happy new mom sharing this sweet update:
“We are absolute besties for the resties, lol. Every night, he’s slept right in my arms or on my stomach, and during the day he follows me around and cuddles up! He’s the most affectionate cat I’ve ever met and my fiance and I love him to pieces!”
We don’t know anything about Stevie’s life before he was abandoned, but have been continually amazed at his resiliency and gentle, trusting nature with all people in spite of what he suffered in the past.
This sweet, special boy was so deserving of a second chance, and with the Petfinder Foundation’s grant award, we were able to provide the surgery and treatment he needed to help him heal and find the true forever home of his dreams. Thank you so much!
