Submittted News
Due to the coronavirus shutdowns, veterinarians across the country halted elective surgeries in April so that personal protective equipment could be diverted to use on the frontlines of the pandemic. The ripple effect of this action was that local cats and dogs at the Humane Society of Adams County (HSAC) animal shelter in West Union had to wait to be spayed and neutered. Per HSAC policy, animals that are housed at the animal shelter must be sterilized before adoption in order to curb the severe pet overpopulation problem in the community. This meant that unsterilized animals were taking up all available space at the shelter, no animals were able to be adopted out, and there was, therefore, “no room at the inn” to take in new animals.
Unfortunately, limited space does not stop animals from desperately needing help. Three young kittens with severe eye infections were brought to the attention of the Humane Society in mid-June. They had been found in a local fast-food restaurant’s drive-through lane by a Good Samaritan. The shelter put out a plea on social media to find someone to care for the kittens.
Brittany Purdin and her two daughters, nine-year old Aiyana and six-year old Aerilyn, answered the call to help. When Purdin first picked up the kittens on June 15, she could tell that they were in terrible shape. Nicknamed “Huey”, “Dewey”, and “Louie”, all three kittens were dehydrated, emaciated, infested with external parasites, and had eye infections so severe that Purdin feared they might be permanently blind. After consulting with her veterinarian, Dr. Joan Gish of the Georgetown Animal Hospital, Purdin learned that the kittens were probably about 10 weeks old, but that their physical condition caused them to be the size of kittens half their true age.
Purdin got down to business raising the funds that would be needed to restore the three orphan kittens to health. In a matter of days, Purdin raised over $1,700 from 15 generous donors, including one donor who paid for life-saving surgery to remove one of Louie’s eyes when it became clear the kitten was in danger of dying from the infection. Purdin says she feels “blessed by the support” of the donors. She credits the skill of Dr. Gish and of her own two young daughters for the constant feeding, cleaning, and caring for the kittens.
Purdin will begin to screen new homes for at least two of the kittens, Huey, a male, and Dewey, the only female. Purdin feels a special bond with Louie, due to the extra care he required to survive, and has not yet decided if she will be willing to let him go to a new home. The kittens will be ready for new homes in a few weeks.
For more information about how to adopt Huey, Dewey, or Louie, please email the animal shelter at [email protected].
For more information about the Humane Society of Adams County, please visit http://www.adamscountyanimals.org or call (937) 544-8585.