“Blessed to Have Her” – Leilei’s Happy Tail

By Savannah Verdon, Development Manager –

A pet is simply an animal you choose to love and care for. One person’s “livestock” is another person’s best friend. And for Mysti, one person’s cockfighting victim was her beloved rescue hen, Leilei.

Leilei had spent the first six months of her life living in a tiny cage at a cockfighting facility. As a hen, she would not fight, but she would be used to breed males for the ring. It was no life for a living being. Her existence had been reduced to someone’s idea of her usefulness, rather than the love she had to offer, or the kindness she deserved. Yes, Mysti was grateful for the eggs Leilei gave her family, but more importantly, she was grateful to be part of the family that loved her.

“She is a very loved family pet who stays indoors with us. She provides eggs for my family and is an all-around sweet girl. We are blessed to have her. I know we saved her life, but she really saved mine due to a bad depression.”

It was a regular zoo at Mysti’s house with Leilei, a cat, a bearded dragon, and two of her three children living at home. But they had settled into a routine that worked for them. Leilei got to spend her days freely outside in the sunshine, scratching for bugs and dust bathing in the dirt. Before it got dark, Mysti was always sure to bring her back inside so she would be safe from predators. Whenever they needed to travel, the family was careful to explain all of the pets’ needs to the house sitter so the three pets could stay comfortable in their routine if they were going to be apart.

Mysti and the kids left to stay with her mother one weekend and had a neighbor watching the house and the animals. The neighbor remembered to bring the cat inside as it got dark, but forgot Leilei needed to come inside, too. Alone in the dark, she was attacked by a raccoon that partially ripped her comb off her head. The comb was dangling over one eye, affecting her vision and equilibrium. When Mysti came home from her mother’s and saw poor Leilei, she immediately rushed her to be seen by the veterinarian.

Leilei would need surgery to either remove the torn portion, but it had taken all of Mysti’s resources just to have her evaluated by the vet. They were sent home with antibiotics and a quote for the surgery. A single mother, Mysti was responsible for the bills, groceries, and food for the animals. She had no way of raising the money needed for Leilei’s surgery, and there wasn’t much time to wait. She was determined to find a way to help her sweet girl.

“We love her very much, and it breaks our hearts that she’s going through this. She’s already gone through so much before we got her. We just don’t want to see her suffer.”

Mysti applied for a RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant and was paired with a generous On-Call Angel ready to fund Leilei’s grant. Not much time had passed since Leilei was attacked, and the antibiotics were working, so the surgery to remove the torn portion went well. After a careful recovery period indoors, she was bravely enjoying the outdoors again, leaving no stone unturned for bugs and no pile of dirt unsettled.

“She’s doing amazing, spoilt as ever. We now sing ‘Baby Shark’ to her because she looks like a little shark.”

Thanks to a RedRover On-Call Angel, Mysti was able to get Leilei the surgery she needed for the life she deserved. Becoming an On-Call Angel is easy, and you, too, can help individual pets like Leilei and their families. It’s all part of the lifesaving difference you make as a part of our compassionate community. Thank you!