A Northern Virginia animal shelter raised more than $65,000 to save an orange tabby cat that was discovered shot in the head with an arrow on Valentine’s Day.
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington expected the cat’s surgery and other medical expenses to total about $6,500. It sought donations from the public to cover the bill.
In an Instagram video two days after Cupid’s surgery, Chelsea Jones, the league’s communications specialist, revealed the large fundraising total.
“This is fantastic,” said Samuel Wolbert, the league’s CEO, in the video. “I was told I wasn’t going to believe it, but even this is beyond my wildest expectations.”
Cupid is doing well after Sunday’s surgery, Jones said.
The cat was found last week in West Virginia, Jones told WTOP on Monday.
When the Potomac Highlands Animal Rescue Group, which found Cupid, said it couldn’t afford to pay for the procedure, he was transported to Arlington.
It took veterinarians two hours to remove the 5-inch arrowhead.
The arrow didn’t make contact with Cupid’s eyes, brain or other major organs or arteries, Jones said.
Jones had previously said extra money raised would be used to fund other emergency procedures. Now, that will be possible.
“Anything that we don’t use for Cupid, we’re going to be able to help so many other animals with this money,” Jones said in the video. “We’re going to be able to say yes when we get phone calls like this and to help when we need it.”
Cupid’s progress can be monitored on the cat’s Instagram page.
