Tragedy struck on the eve of November 15th as flames engulfed a two story home in Berlin. The most terrifying detail of all was that a cat named Bernadette lay trapped inside. It was nothing short of a miracle that this brave kitty found a way to escape – but somehow, she did. Once free from the flames, a frightened Bernadette fled to the streets.
CAHS immediately offered to take her in, but it took authorities an additional day to catch her. During this rescue effort, CAHS received a phone call from a kind gentleman who had been helping the owner of Bernadette. He asked if there was anything that we could do because they could not afford her medical care and she clearly had burns.
As soon as Bernadette was found, she was transported to our facility. Our own Dr. Sara took a look at Bernadette and found her to be in stable condition despite the left side of her face and feet being severely burned. It was clear that she needed chest x-rays and advanced burn care. Unfortunately, her owners could not afford such care. Conway Veterinary Hospital came to the rescue, offering to treat and foster this brave kitty.
Since this time, Bernadette has been receiving all the love and care needed to make a successful recovery. She was even renamed ‘Seraphina’ by hospital staff, which means ‘fiery one’. Bernadette, now Seraphina, has needed to have the bandages on her feet changed daily.
Update: As of December 4th, one of her foot bandages had been removed. A second should come off in a couple of days. She was able to receive treatment and care following such a horrific event because of our donors. Thank you, CAHS community, for your support and care.
Update: As of December 10th, three of Seraphina’s bandages have been removed from her feet. This is great news! Although she will experience lingering pain, she will be able to walk freely without these bandages very soon.
Update: As of December 18th, Seraphina is now back at CAHS!
Update: January was a great month for Seraphina. She continues to transition to shelter life and feel more at home in this space. Animal care staff relay that she is doing well. She still needs to finish up a couple of things with our vet, and after this she will be ready to start looking for her new home!
