MIGHTY MUSTANG'S JOURNEY... Animal Rescue's Sad Side

Mustang was taken to the first veterinary hospital down the street called Muir Oaks Veterinary Hospital to be treated. They didn't offer help. They said the cat had a 25 to 30% chance of survival, which we found hard to believe. That day, Mighty Mustang's Journey began.

After we spent the morning driving all over to several veterinary hospitals and clinics around Martinez, Walnut Creek, and Concord, we reached SAGE hoping that they would help him being that they are the ones with specialists. However, sadly they did not offer help to little Mustang. Nobody came out from behind the glass reception window to even look at what exactly was inside the cardboard box. Just a hand came out through the little opening in the glass window with a piece of paper while they said, "Here are your options: Take him to the shelter to be euthanized or go to one of these places that might help you for cheaper."

We went to the place they had suggested, which was Apollo Veterinary Hospital in Walnut Creek. They took Mustang right away after we agreed to take financial responsability. They said that one of his legs would need amputated and that they would try to save the other one. He was taken to surgery that day. One week after Mustang was treated at Apollo Veterinary Hospital, his other hind leg began to show signs of infection. We pointed this out to the Apollo vets, but they were only focused on checking the amputated leg after surgery. They roughly checked the rest of Mustang's wounds and said that there was no infection or anything to be concerned of. They did whole body xrays, which showed no further broken bones. Trusting their diagnosis, we came back home with Mustang.

Two days later, we went back because Mustang's leg was not looking good. His wounds were deeper and there was bone exposed. This time, one of them kept discussing and arguing with us that there was nothing wrong with the leg and that what was seen were not bones. He then proceeded with his bare hands to scratch with his nail and pull on Mustang's bone, the kitten cried and wriggled, not satisfied with that, he took a pen from his pocket and began to poke and prod directly onto the bone, while saying "I told you that it is not bone." After seeing his behavior, we took the decision to seek another opinion while we were leaving that place.

The next day, Mustang's leg was inflamed, now with puss, and he was very sore.

This was when we arrived at Dr. Asseo's hands at Oasis Veterinary Hospital. She checked Mustang and confirmed the bad conditions in which his leg was in, and the rest of his injuries in the torso. She made the commitment to us, to do everything possible to save Mustang's leg, since he had already lost the other one. We proceeded from that moment to start treatment with her. Since then, Mustang has attended Oasis Veterinary Hospital almost daily and has had two surgeries performed by Dr.Asseo on his leg and torso, with the plan of needing more surgeries including a paw pad transplant.

Mustang, one month and one week after his rescue, is a different cat. He has gained weight and his general health is stable. However, the process of healing his leg still continues and veterinary bills have reached thousands of dollars, $7,567.13 to be exact. Dr. Asseo informed us that his leg still has a long road ahead before it is healed and predicted he would need his leg dressing to be changed twice a week until the end of the year, the cost for every dressing change appointment is over $200 and up to $500 when extra things are done towards treatment including lab work, cultures, and medicines.

On October 23rd, we talked to Dr. Asseo about the high costs of her practice, hoping to get a break or any kind of help, given the circumstances of Mustang being a rescued kitten. We could not get a positive option on her part with respect to helping us with the costs. She did not give us an alternative that we could explore with Oasis Veterinary Hospital, forcing us to look for another veterinarian.

We started seeking a veterinarian who's interest is more focused on the welfare of the animal and not the economic gain.

On October 24th, an animal advocate Sally Morgan, who runs her own cat rescue program, called Friends of the Formerly Friendless, contacted us, and she was able to get in touch with a vet she trusts and has worked with many times herself with her own rescue cats and arranged an appointment with Dr. Mike Evans at Animal Care Clinic VCA in El Sobrante, who has special interests in orthopedic surgery and advanced soft tissue surgery.

Dr. Evans saw Mustang and after checking his files from Oasis Veterinary Hospital, looking at his wound, and doing a full examination, he authorized us to do the dressing changes at home ourselves and he took the time to show us how to do it. He even gave Mustang some vaccinations that kittens his age should have. Dr. Evans was very compassionate, caring, and acknowledged how hard it can be financially to help animals that have been rescued as well as gave us advice and was open to help us. We will keep doing follow up appointments with Dr. Evans until the end of the healing process, and hopefully Mustang will have a functional leg. He may be using a little boot later on and end up being a real life "Puss in Boots".

Thanks again for following Mustang's story. Please help us to share his story and create awareness in the veterinary field. Spread the word so other good samaritans don't have to go through the same journey that we have been pushed to walk.

All of your donations have been so helpful and important in Mustang's care but we still need your help.

If you want to see the severity of Mustang's injuries, his treatment, and progress, follow him on Instagram for updates and more:

@MustangTheKitty

You can also show your support by donating through PayPal Mustang's Recovery Donation or at GoFundMe Mighty Mustang's Surgeries Funds

Any donation will help us to cover his treatment's bills.

We want to express that we have learned a lot through this process. We now have a whole new respect and admiration for people that run rescue organizations for animals. It is eye opening not only to how much it costs to save an animal's life, but to how much vets charge and over charge when you are trying to do the right thing and help an animal survive that would have otherwise been euthanized.

Animals have no concept of money, but are so appreciative when humans show them kindness, compassion and care, and that's what it is all about, letting them experience what love feels like. We love animals, but never really considered ourselves cat people, but we have bonded with Mustang in a way we never thought would happen, and he is now and forever will be part of our family.

God bless anyone who runs their own organization that helps save animals as well as all the people that volunteer their time helping animals and making the organizations possible. You are all amazing and incredible human beings!