"I am very sick, please help me."

Catheter still in, kitten illegally abandoned at Helen Woodward Animal Center.

 

Rancho Santa Fe, CA - An 8-week-old kitten is fighting to survive after being abandoned with a catheter in its leg early Tuesday at Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe. A care provider foundd the black and white baby in the rain, in an open box with a note that said, "I am very sick, please help me." The note was signed "Cookie and Cream". 

 

When the Center's medical staff examined the kitten they cut off a fresh, blue veterinary wrap on its leg. Under the wrap they discovered a catheter that was still inserted. Tests revealed the kitten was suffering from "Panleukopenia" (pan-luke-oh-pee'-nee-uh), a highly contagious, often fatal virus also known as "Feline Distemper". HWAC officials suspect that the owner had taken the kitten to a veterinarian, then changed their mind and abandoned it at the Center.

 

"The kitten was very sick and vomiting," says HWAC spokesman John Van Zante. "Our medical staff is doing everything they can to save this baby. We've named her 'Twist' (as in 'Oliver') who was another orphan that managed to survive in spite of the odds."

 

"My guess is that someone brought her to the vet because she was sick," says Adoption Manager La Beth Thompson. "When they couldn't afford the vet bills, they took her out of the hospital and left her here. Sad."

 

Van Zante says "Twist's" owners passed two signs stating that abandoning an animal is not only cruel, it's also illegal. "Under California Penal Code 597 anyone who abandons an animal is subject to fine of up to $20,000, and imprisonment. We believe the person was hoping we could save their kitten. But it's still illegal. If Lead Kennel Technician Jerry Parks had not arrived at work early, Twist may have died out there in the rain by the time we opened the office doors."

 

HWAC officials say that "Twist" seems to be responding to treatment, but they're taking it hour by hour. "The fact that Twist had a catheter leads us believe that treatment may have begun, but we have no guarantee so we had to start from scratch."

 

For more information about Helen Woodward Animal Center call 858-756-4117, or visit the Center at 6461 El Apajo Road in Rancho Santa Fe.