In observance of National (USA) Animal Abuse Awareness Month (from her clinic's website):
APRIL Pet of the Month- Lily
Before we tell Lily's story, we first want to advise anyone who may be reading this that April is Animal Abuse Awareness Month and one of the photos below is graphic and may be disturbing. None the less, we feel Lily's story is one that needs to be told to make everyone aware of some of the atrocities that are done to innocent animals, and also to share how courageous Lily is. Regardless of how horribly she was repeatedly tortured, not once did it break her spirit.
Lily first came to see us in January 2015 weighing only 1.4 pounds with a broken tail. She was only ten weeks old. It was obvious her owner was very concerned about her and had no idea how this may have happened. It was thought she perhaps had gotten her tail caught in a door. Regardless of how it happened, her tail needed to be amputated. Her surgery went well.
Two weeks later she returned, this time with her face swollen and she was lethargic. Uncharacteristically for her, she wouldn't eat. Her owner said she had got stuck in a closet and we assumed she may have gotten into something that caused a reaction. We treated her as such and sent her home. Three days later, she presented with worsening facial swelling and additionally, her tail was injured again. Something didn't seem right about all of these unexplained injuries. She was sedated to begin treatment on her tail and we found scabs on her face, head, and torso. We were now puzzled as to what was going on with this kitten. Dr Folland examined her, and I can still hear his words pounding in my head-"This kitten has been scalded"! Who would have done such a thing? There seemed to be no question her owner loved her dearly, it couldn't be her.
It was about this time I received THE CALL! An elderly gentleman from Arizona just happened to call our hospital. He was on the hunt for the hospital that had been treating Lily. He was Lily's owner's father. He explained he had received a desperate call from his teenage grandson. Earlier that day the grandson heard Lily crying and went downstairs to see what was wrong. He witnessed his mother's fiance' holding Lily by the scruff of the neck, thumping her face with his finger, and she was soaking wet.
Dr Love, her attending doctor decided immediate action needed to be taken. Lily's owner was asked to come to the clinic to discussed Lily's condition. When confronted with our suspicions, she wondered if her fiance' was responsible for the injuries, because his mother's kitten, Lily's litter mate had similar injuries. We informed her we would need to report the incident to the authorities and asked her to relinquish Lily's ownership to our hospital. She reluctantly agreed her home was not a safe place for Lily or any other animal.
During the following months, Lily had numerous surgeries and painful treatments. Through all of this, she still purred and not once did she try to retaliate or bite anyone. Once she was nearly healed, we began a hunt to find her the perfect home. Almost three months from her initial injuries, Miss Lily went to her ideal and forever home. She now lives with her human mom and two feline siblings and is deeply loved. She races happily through her new and safe home. She has large areas on her back where the fur no longer grows and she has to wear a green "Onesie" to keep her from scratching where she has nerve damage from the burns. However, when she comes to visit us, she is still full of affection and has that bright sparkle shinning in her eyes!
Animal abuse is a real and all to common problem. Often the perpetrator also abuses children and others in the home. We all need to be aware of this and do all we can to prevent it. This is why for the month of April, there is no better candidate than Lily to be Parrish Creek's Pet of the Month.
This is Lily during her first treatment for burns. She is heavily sedated in this picture.
This is Lily today with her favorite human.