More animals will receive much-needed help thanks to an outpouring of love for a cat injured with an arrow on Valentine’s Day. Cupid, as the cat was named, is still recovering but doing well.
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington originally asked for $6,500 in donations to cover medical expenses after taking the cat in from West Virginia.
Since then, more than $80,000 has been donated.
Chelsea Jones with the group said the extra money is going to a fund that pays for specialized care for their animals. The group is “going to be able to save so many lives with this money,” Jones said.
“We can say ‘yes’ for quite some time now, which is going to be awesome,” said Jones. She also added the fund had been low recently.
Jones said they’ve already used some of the money to pay for eye surgery for another cat.
In Cupid’s surgery, it took about two hours to remove the 5-inch arrow, which managed to miss his eyes and brain. On Friday, veterinarians removed Cupid’s drains that were put in to help control an infection. And for more good news, the result from the bacterial test showed that Cupid’s infection is not antibiotic-resistant.
His stitches are scheduled to be removed the following week.
“We have high hopes that he’s going to recover really nicely,” Jones said.
Cupid is not yet ready for adoption, but Jones said that hasn’t stopped people from around the country from inquiring about him. He could go up for adoption in a week or two, after he heals up.
How Cupid’s placement will be handled has not yet been decided.
He was originally found by the Potomac Highlands Animal Rescue Group in West Virginia, not far from the Virginia border. The Animal Welfare League of Arlington stepped in when that group couldn’t afford to pay for surgery.
The orange tabby also has an Instagram page tracking his progress.
