Receiving the Love He Gives: A Happy Tail for Hercules
March 26th, 2024
By Savannah Verdon, Development Manager
The story of the mythical hero Hercules is one of strength and adventure; this story of Hercules the young cat is one of love and compassion.
Melissa’s heart was exhausted and her bank account was drained after a long, difficult year. Her mother had passed away shortly after her father did, and all the while several of her pets needed emergency care of their own. But she was never alone in her grief or frustration with five cats and a dog at home to comfort her.
Hercules was the newest addition to the family, having left behind an abusive situation at just one year old. He looked almost mythical himself with his bright white coat and brighter green eyes. Naturally a sweet little boy, his past had left him a bit shy but Melissa had “taken the time and care to help him give the love he receives to the world.” Now he loved unconditionally because unconditional love is all he knows.
As enchanting as Hercules’s green eyes were, they would spell trouble for him and Melissa. He had been part of the family for two years by the time she lost her parents and an important part of her healing. But just as she began to struggle financially, one of his eyes began to recede into the socket. The skin became inflamed and infected, until you could no longer see the eye at all. Melissa could only imagine how bad it must be for him that Hercules couldn’t even hide his pain.
Sometimes the infection would go away with antibiotic eyedrops and eye creams, but it would return with a vengeance. The veterinarian informed Melissa that the safest choice would be to remove Hercules’s eye entirely before he suffered an abscess. She wanted to give him the life she promised him when he was rescued – pain-free and surrounded by love. Her savings were gone, and she had already leaned on friends and family in recent months for financial support. Where could she go for help now?
Her veterinarian delivered the bad news with the good: Hercules’s surgery might be expensive, but some compassionate people could help. She applied right away when they told her about the RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant program and other options for assistance. More good news came when her application for an Urgent Care grant was approved and funded by a generous On-Call Angel. Combined with her other efforts, she could now give Hercules the care he needed.
“Thank you and all those who made this possible again for help with Hercules’s surgery. He is doing well and will get his stitches out from his enucleation tomorrow. Hercules was always lovable but you can tell he’s in far less pain now and constantly wants belly rubs and pets. He’s super friendly and curious about some of my other cats with whom we were hesitant to introduce him before the surgery because we know that pain can cause them to be extra irritated. The hair on his face is starting to come back and he’s so stinking cute. Thank you again.”
An Urgent Care grant not only saved Hercules’s life, but it gave him a second chance that brought him closer together with his family. An On-Call Angel ensures that the bonds between people and their pets are protected, strengthened, and appreciated all the more with their support for individual families in crisis. Thank you for being a part of our compassionate community and making Happy Tails possible for families like the stinking cute Hercules and Melissa!
