Bogart’s Happy Tail
April 6th, 2022
By Savannah Verdon, Development and Engagement Coordinator
An actress and model herself, Sandra had worked hard to build her own model management firm. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities for her clients became fewer and further between. When she could no longer support herself being self-employed, she applied for unemployment benefits and hoped that the pandemic would soon be over.
In such a challenging time, the love of her three cats was more important than ever. Her two girls, Princess Leia and Patches, and her little boy Bogart had all been strays at one point before Sandra welcomed them into her home (and even with her own babies, Sandra still had love left over to help care for a small colony of cats near her porch). Bogart was the oldest of his siblings and joined the family in the summer of 2018.
“Bogart was living in a planter on my porch when I first met him. I found out later that he was abandoned by a neighbor. I took him in because it was starting to get very hot outside, and he was friendly and sweet. It took me a while to get him to be an indoor cat. He used to want to go outside. But now he’s a very relaxed cat, and he guards the house. If he sees another cat outside, he will meow and it sounds like ‘Hey mom! Hey mom!’ He is my watch-cat. He lies at the foot of my bed and stands on guard to make sure everything in the house is okay.”
Sandra’s business had been picking up, but as the Delta variant of COVID-19 became increasingly widespread, she feared what would happen when her unemployment benefits expired. Amidst her worry, Bogart suffered a terrible accident. His tail had been accidentally shut in a door, breaking the tip and requiring surgery.
While Sandra would be able to put some of her own money and donations from friends toward Bogart’s surgery, she didn’t have quite enough. Her final unemployment check would arrive in two weeks, but Bogart couldn’t wait that long. While he was in the hospital, she applied for a RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant to cover the full cost of his amputation.
After a successful amputation, Sandra reported that Bogart has been recovering well and eagerly accepting lots and lots of pets. We are grateful for providing second chances like these and keeping families together through crises. Thank you for putting your compassion into action for animals like Bogart and for bringing this family from crisis to care!
