Today's the Day! Happy Giving Tuesday!

Just yesterday, an amazing thing happened. A life was saved.

It actually started about five days ago, when a family cat named Sybil went missing. Her people were only mildly concerned, though; Sybil was an outdoor cat and disappearing for a few hours or even days wasn’t terribly uncommon. Their concern turned to panic, however, when Sybil somehow found her way to a neighbors house on Sunday night. She’d been attacked by something – most likely a coyote – and her right hind paw was nearly torn off. It was a gruesome sight.

Her family turned to Facebook for information. Who could help their kitty, and quick? With a two-year-old child and another baby due in January, money was tight and they couldn’t afford what would undoubtedly be an expensive surgery.   

That’s how Sybil ended up at Kitsap Humane Society and on the operating table in the new Veterinary Lifesaving Center. Dr. Jen Stonequist wasn’t scheduled for surgery yesterday, but she answered the call, and by noon, Sybil was being prepped for an amputation. Upon further examination, the doctor determined that the cat had been injured for at least 48 hours, probably longer. What’s more, her tail had multiple fractures.

“We want to give her every opportunity to live,” said the doctor. “She’s going to feel a lot better very soon.”

Barely two hours later, Dr. Stonequist was finishing her final stitches. Sybil was in recovery and on her way home by 5:15 p.m. And the bill – and follow-up care – was picked up by a very generous and anonymous Facebooker, at a fraction of what it would’ve cost elsewhere.

“It absolutely restored my faith in humanity,” said Sybil’s grandmother. “There are good people in the world.” 

Now Sybil is back with her family and her best friend, two-year-old Toni, one leg short but feeling a whole lot better. And it’s thanks to people like you – lovers of animals, supporters of KHS, and givers of the gift of life.

Please consider a Giving Tuesday donation to Kitsap Humane Society – for all the Sybils and their families in need.