It’s almost unbelievable that someone would shoot a cat in the head 17 times with a pellet gun. More unbelievable: that any cat would survive such an act of cruelty. But somehow Joe did just that.
The Sarnia & District Humane Society in southwestern Ontario is appealing to the public for tips as a local veterinarian cares for the severely injured, malnourished and dehydrated cat. Joe, so named by shelter workers, was found “dragging” himself along a road on Sunday, according to the London Free Press.
“We are hoping that Joe will be strong enough by the end of this week or early next week to undergo surgery to remove some or all of the 17 pellets lodged in his head. It has been confirmed that his eye will be removed due to irreparable damage. Joe has a very long road ahead of him, however we are hopeful he will have a successful recovery with minimal long term damage,” the humane society posted Monday on its Facebook page.
The young male cat is being given pain medication, antibiotics and fluids through an IV drip, according to officials, who described the good-natured cat as “an absolute sweetie and is stealing the hearts of everyone who has come into contact with him.”
A man on his way home from church on Sunday spotted the cat “half dragging himself alongside the road,” Donna Pyette of the Sarnia humane society told Sun News. The vet suspects the injuries are a week old, she added.
“Definitely someone either held him down, or put his head in a vice to inflict that kind of pain,” Pyette told Sun News.
Joe was found on Lakeshore Road in Brights Grove by Mike Weir Park. Confidential tips can be made to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at 519-344-7064. Applications for adoption aren’t being accepted – yet. But the humane society is accepting donations through Wanda’s Wish Fund to help cover Joe’s hefty medical costs.
Maybe kick in a few bucks. After all, this amazing cat has burned through his nine lives – and then some.
h/t Sun News Photos Facebook
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