Without a vet in until Monday, they could not let these two sit in a kennel over the weekend without vet care. The shelter needed foster rescue placement ASAP!

In dire need, we are the go-to rescue for CAC to reach out to. We have stepped up time and time again for urgent shelter needs, and this was urgent! We said YES, and our director, Kerry D'Amato, met the duo at Como Park Animal Hospital Saturday night to assess the situation and ensure they received the care and attention they needed. Once there, she quickly realized this was something special. 

 

They are the SWEETEST pair. When the pup makes a noise, the kitty is there to comfort him. When the kitty leaves the room for vet care, the puppy whines. When they are together, it's as if they cannot get close enough to each other.

 

We do not know what life they had before finding their way to us, but we do know that the puppy is 15 pounds underweight and has muscle wasting beyond nutrition. His muscles won't hold him well, and walking is difficult and awkward, as if he has little experience walking.

The kitten was in better shape but still weighed a pound underweight. She seems to take care of this pup and constantly purrs when next to him, yet she craves attention from the people around her. She is conflicted about leaving her pup but needs to comfort herself too.

 

They will be going to the same foster home together, and we have decided to name this duo Peter Pan and Tinker Bell (thank you, Kathleen!) as it seemed so fitting for them, always playing a game of follow-the-leader and sticking by each other's sides.

Pete, who is about 14 weeks old, has bounced back incredibly well in just seven days with us, too weak to even stand on his own to up and walking around his foster's home. He is on a slow refeeding program to prevent refeeding syndrome, as giving an emaciated animal too much food too quickly can harm them.

 

Even kill them.

Our vet determined that his muscle wasting is not just due to malnourishment but is also consistent with being crated for long periods of time. This is also evident with the scrapes on his nose likely pushing against a kennel. He also seemed to have some vision loss due to poor nutrition but will hopefully regain his eyesight fully.

While 16-week-old Tink appears in good condition on the outside, she is bursting with every single worm and parasite you can imagine - coccidia, tapeworm, roundworm, whipworm - you name it, she's got it. She is on all the medications to help treat these and is getting over some loose poops. UGH!

We can also surmise that she was taken from her mom much too young, as she will sit and suckle on clothes and blankets. She has quite a bit of anxiety if alone. But, boy, is she the sweetest little lady with SO much love to give!

This is a story absolutely bursting with love, resilience, and forgiveness, from their incredible bond to the kind human who found them, to the impound and intake coordinator who reached out immediately to our director, to the vet who saw them, to the fosters who are diligently caring for them, and to the Pet Haven staff who said yes without batting an eye.

Pet Haven "Leads with Love" and strongly believes in FAMILY and that bonded animals should stay together. A cat-and-dog pair is no exception!