FARS Program – Bonnie and Bear’s Story
A Simple Way to Help Cats: Add Years To Your Cat’s Life With Spay/Neuter
January 26, 2022
A Simple Way to Help Cats: Reducing Your Cat’s Weight
April 20, 2022
Providing programs that help keep people and their cats together is one way that MRFRS better serves our communities, and our Veterinary Funding Assistance Program (FARS) is a great example. The mission of the FARS Program is to provide financial assistance to help cat owners afford treatment for illness or injury by either covering the entire cost or a portion of the care needed. Assistance from the FARS program can make all the difference for a pet owner faced with an unexpected veterinary bill – just ask Bonnie and Bear.
An Early Diagnosis Turns into Emergency Surgery
Bear had a tough start in life after being bounced between owners who didn’t provide the best care for him. Bonnie changed all that when she adopted this handsome tuxedo about five years ago. Bear bonded very quickly with his “Momma”, as she provided the first loving home that let him show his easy-going personality. Bear had always been a healthy boy, “eating like a champ”, playing with his toys and helping Bonnie whenever she worked on her puzzles.
Things changed this past November when Bonnie noticed that Bear’s left hind leg looked swollen. A visit to the veterinarian and then a specialist diagnosed deterioration in the digits of his paw, believed to be caused by cancer. Scans were done to confirm that the cancer had not spread, and surgery was recommended to amputate his leg to remove the cancer and give him the best chance to live a full life.
After calling across the state, Bonnie discovered that the pandemic has caused a backlog of appointments for surgical treatment, which meant the earliest available date for Bear’s surgery would be mid-February. However, after coming home from work one day in January to find blood all over her kitchen and Bear’s leg bleeding, Bonnie rushed him to an emergency appointment at her veterinarian. Bear endured two weeks of re-wrapping his leg every few days to keep the bleeding in check, but it was clear to Bonnie that he needed help now. Another emergency visit to her vet confirmed her worst fears and Bonnie was told to bring Bear to Tufts for immediate surgery and a blood transfusion as Bear had become anemic.
“I Can’t Thank MRFRS Enough”
