Dutch Fund helps injured kittens

Four kittens are on the mend thanks to medical care provided by the Dutch Memorial Fund.

Funds were used by the Henry County?Humane Society’s Geneseo Chapter to pay for amputations for two cats and eye removals for two others.

“The Dutch Fund made all the difference in the world for these kittens,” said humane society volunteer Cindy Avey.

A Dutch Memorial?Fund was established in April after a cat, dubbed “Dutch,” was found tortured and nailed to a utility pole in rural Geneseo.

Hearing Dutch’s story, donors from across the country sent thousands of dollars to the Henry County Humane Society.

Dutch succumbed to his injuries, but the funds donated in his name have been used to help other injured animals.

To date, medical care for 12 animals has been paid for from the Dutch Memorial?Fund, including, most recently, kittens Tammy, Darlene, Roamer and Cabela.

“Tammy was about six weeks old when someone found her wandering with a rotted leg,” said Avey.

“They took her directly to our vet (Miller Vet?Clinic in Atkinson).”

The rotted leg was removed at the shoulder, and Tammy was placed in foster care with Avey. Her stitches were removed earlier this week, and a home has been found for the kitten.

“She’s doing great and should need no further treatment with the leg,” said Avey.

Eight-week old cat Darlene was hit by a car before being brought to the humane society shelter.

“We got her to our vet wondering if she would survive,” said Avey. “They knew part of her front leg would have to be removed, but they kept her for a time because of a concern for internal injuries and whether she would make it or not.

“When the threat of internal injuries had passed, they removed her front leg at the ‘knee,’” explained Avey. “A few days later, she was at the shelter playing with toys.”

Darlene also has been adopted.

Fellow kittens Roamer and Cabela both required eye surgery.

“Roamer was probably 10 weeks old when he was found laying in the middle of the road. His eye was huge and sticking out of the socket. His other eye was infected, and there was concern that he was blind in that eye. He also had other wounds,” said Avey.

Roamer was kept under veterinary care until he was well enough for surgery. Once his eye was removed, the cat was placed in foster care with Avey. His stitches are scheduled to be removed soon.

“If all goes well, he will go to the shelter with hopes of finding a home soon. He can see around the cloud on his eye, and I have a video of him playing with toys,” said Avey.

Cabela was estimated to be between four and six weeks old when left in a Penzoil box at the shelter.

“When we opened the box, we found a very sick, boney kitten barely alive with his eye bulging out of the socket and his other eye infected,” explained Avey.

“We rushed him to the vet, but, before anything could be done about his eyes, they had to get him healthy,”?she said.

Cabela was placed on fluids, checked for injuries and placed in foster care

with?Avey.

“They sent him home with me to foster with medicine to get him healthy and fattened up,” she said. “Once they felt he was strong enough for surgery, they removed his eye and he came back to my house for further recuperating.”

Cabela has since had his stitches removed. “Once everything heals and his hair grows back, you probably won’t see a scar at all,” she said.

“Thankfully, he did not lose all the sight in his ‘good’ eye. He cannot see everything, but can see some things like a laser dot which he loves to chase,” said Avey. Cabela will soon be back at the shelter awaiting adoption.

“All four of these unique kittens are very playful. They have adapted to their losses and are living life like they should,” said Avey. “I think if you told them there was something wrong with them or that they were different, they would look at you like, ‘What are you talking about?’”

Donations may still be made to the Dutch Memorial Fund which is used to cover medical costs for extra needy animals.

Checks to the Henry?County?Humane Society with “Dutch Memorial Fund” on the memo line may be mailed to P.O Box 145, Geneseo, IL 61254.

Donations for the humane society’s general operating fund may be mailed to the same address.