Struggling family’s beloved cat, Biggie, survives neighbor's gunshot, finds hope in unexpected acts of kindness

When a family’s beloved cat gets injured, it’s a stressful and heartbreaking situation. But when it’s revealed that the injury was caused by a neighbor’s gunshot, the situation becomes even more unthinkable. This is exactly what happened to a young family whose cat was shot by their neighbor. They initially thought it was another neighbor’s dog that had injured their feline friend.

The family, who didn’t have much money to begin with, spent all they had for an emergency room visit only to find out that it didn’t provide much help. However, the cat needed help urgently. It was only after the X-rays were taken that the family discovered the real reason for their cat’s agony – a bullet had caused a fracture that required amputation of the leg as the only option.

“We wanted to provide care first, find funds later, as the cat was in a lot of pain,” stated Dr. Julia Williamson of All Pets Animal Hospital and Rehabilitation Center. “I wanted to not only help the cat, but also remind the young family that there are good people in the world that will be happy to help them and their cat family member.”

Fortunately, there are people willing to help. Not only did the injured cat receive the care and attention it needed, but also the family was reminded that there are compassionate and empathetic people who want to make a difference in their lives and the lives of their pets.

The AVMF REACH program exists to help veterinarians provide the best care for all animals, at any time and in any town. We can’t do it without the generous gifts from those who want the best for all animals, regardless of their owner’s financial means. If you’d like to support this program with a tax-deductible gift, select “REACH Animal Care Program” from the “I want to support” dropdown menu on the gift form.

Thank you for helping us REACH as many animals in need as possible!

This program is supported in part by PURINA through the ProPlan Veterinary Support Mission.