Charlotte’s Happy Tail
January 28th, 2020
In the past, when Anna was in good health, she volunteered hundreds of hours at her local animal shelter and adopted four cats. The last of the four passed away recently at 20 years old, and Anna was now living with a disability, leaving her unable to work or volunteer. She lived alone and often felt isolated.
Anna helped her next door neighbor by caring for her cat, Charlotte. She noticed that Charlotte seemed to be neglected and left alone for long periods of time. When her neighbor mentioned that she was moving, Anna asked what she planned to do for Charlotte and was sad to hear that she would be given away to anyone who showed interest. Anna worried for Charlotte, but she was hesitant to take her in. She knew how expensive high-quality food and veterinary care could be, and her income was very limited.
Still, she decided to make it work and adopted Charlotte. For Anna, “My house is a home when there are pets in it.” For years she had afforded veterinary care for her cats because her veterinarian allowed payment plans. When she took Charlotte in for a check-up, she was heartbroken to hear that Charlotte had severe dental disease and would need to have many of her teeth extracted. But her veterinarian had opened a new, larger clinic, and he was no longer willing to accept payment plans.
Determined to get Charlotte the dental care she needed as soon as possible, Anna learned of a new veterinarian in town who specialized in dentistry and – just her luck – this veterinarian was offering discounted treatment. With a more affordable plan in place, Anna applied for a RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant. If she waited any longer to save the money, she knew Charlotte’s teeth would get worse and worse. Already she was losing weight and having difficulty eating.
Even though Charlotte was new to Anna’s home, they shared a special bond. Anna had been the one taking care of Charlotte when she was neglected so often by her previous owner, and now Charlotte took care of Anna, providing companionship and affection to help her cope with her disability.
Grant in hand, Anna took Charlotte to the new veterinarian to have her teeth treated. Ten teeth were extracted, but that hasn’t slowed Charlotte down one bit. Anna shared this update on her new best friend:
“It was a bit of a rough road, but Charlotte is doing much better. We will both be much happier when the medications are finished! She caught a mouse and brought it to me in bed in the middle of the night. This was amazing, especially considering her upper canines were removed! She was obviously very happy and proud of herself. She was very perky, fluffed up and trilling. I have not seen her looking so healthy and happy for too long. I told her what an amazing cat she is. I thank you with all my heart for the help you give people in need, people who are conscientious about the welfare of their pets! RedRover made a profound difference in our lives. Thank you again SO very much.”
