This summer has brought an unusually high number of animals with severe injuries or illnesses into the care of the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter. These cases always present challenges. They require intense observation and care by qualified staff and/or foster families, long-term placement can be trickier, and they are expensive.  We are fortunate to have a compassionate staff, skilled foster families, and supportive rescue partners who have helped us save many lives this season.

Most of the animals that have arrived in poor condition are strays. Animal Control is required to take any stray animal with a medical concern to a veterinarian’s office, so they can be evaluated and stabilized prior to coming to the shelter. Once they arrive, they will be assessed again by the shelter’s technicians and veterinarian and the staff will see to their continued care. Some will be moved into foster care where they can continue to recover and eventually be placed for adoption while avoiding the stress of the shelter. For the animals that have medical needs that we cannot meet long-term, we seek placement with our lifesaving partners who are better equipped to meet their specific needs. While placement looks different for each animal, the goal is the same: prevent suffering, encourage healing, and save lives.

When strays arrive with medical issues, their care is complicated by the mystery that surrounds their injury or illness. Nemo is an adorable tabby and white cat who was picked up by animal control and brought to a local vet who noted that there was suspected trauma due to weakness in his back legs. What happened to traumatize Nemo’s legs so badly will never be known. Nemo remained at the shelter receiving close care by the staff for two weeks, until suitable rescue could be found. Since he could barely move, staff needed to monitor him extremely closely, as well as tending to his daily needs such as fluids, medication, rotating his body so he didn’t get sores, and keeping him mentally stimulated with lots of love and affection.

While the majority of the animals we have helped are strays, our Outreach Program has also been busy helping animals in the community with medical needs. A family reached out for help after noticing that their outdoor cat, who has a habit of coming and going, had an injury that was getting worse and worse as time went on. Chester is a handsome grey and white tomcat with an affectionate and talkative personality. He had severe wounds up and down his front leg and had lost the ability to bear weight on it. We knew that time was of the essence, as his wounds were clearly getting infected and his life was in jeopardy.

Almost as if he knew we had a plan in action for him, Chester disappeared. For days, we could only hope he was okay. When he reappeared, he was not feeling his best and not allowing anyone to touch him.  His quick-thinking caregivers locked him in a shed, with a trap baited. Several stressful hours later, Chester was in the trap and en route to the shelter. We had already begun to seek rescue for him and were fortunate that the Pet Adoption and Lifecare Society was able to help him.  We were 100 percent confident that Chester would continue to receive the medical care he needed, and PALS is determined to save his leg. He’s currently being fostered by a veterinarian and receiving lots of medication and frequent bandage changes. His endearing personality has fully returned and he’s the sweetheart of the vet’s office.

Source: South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter: Injured and ill animals present challenges