At the heart of North Shore Animal League America’s no-kill mission are stories like Little Betty’s. Only seven months old and pregnant, this precious cat’s life hung in the balance. Through the collaborative efforts of our North Country Initiative (NCI) team in Warren County, NY and our staff and volunteers on Long Island, Little Betty not only survived against all odds but emerged as a symbol of hope for countless animals in need.
NCI Director Deborah Oligny remembered the day that her facility got a knock on the door from Little Betty’s owner, who was holding the suffering feline in his arms. The cat had recently delivered two deceased kittens and was gravely ill from a third that was left stuck in her pelvic canal. Sadly, she had not been spayed, and she was physically unable to handle her pregnancy. Since Little Betty’s owner could not provide veterinary care for her, her situation would likely have been fatal but, true to our no-kill commitment, we weren’t going to give up on her. We gave the go-ahead to rush Little Betty to a local animal hospital for emergency surgery to save her life.
Post-surgery, Little Betty was transported to our Pet Health Centers. She was having difficulty eliminating on her own, and it was not clear whether she had permanent nerve damage from her ordeal, or possible genetic deficits. Little Betty needed more time to heal so we could determine her prognosis. We found just the right nurturing environment for her in the home of Katerina, one of our dedicated foster parents.
