Dear Sponsor Pet Parent,

Life is such a precious gift. Days go by so quickly and we are blessed with countless wonderful memories. Today we are celebrating the memory of a lovely little feline who was only with us for a short time, but who still made a tremendous impact in our lives and in our hearts.
On the evening of July 7, 2009, a few months after being diagnosed with a malignant cancer on his tongue, our sweet, charcoal cat, Napoleon, passed away. When Napoleon first came to the Animal League, it was apparent that he was once somebody’s pet. However, he had been living as a stray cat for more than a year. Napoleon had several conditions which included a heart murmur, chronic uveitis (inflammation of the middle layer of the eye) and tumors in both ears due to neglected ear infections. Luckily, Napoleon made his way to North Shore Animal League America where he was cared for and loved. Shortly thereafter, he was placed in a loving foster care home, where he lived out the rest of his very happy life.
Napoleon was a wonderful cat – loving and affectionate, personable and sweet. We feel grateful to be able to have given him the care he needed and the love he deserved.
The Animal League would like to extend our deepest sympathy to his foster family, his Sponsors and to all who were lucky enough to know him. Napoleon will be greatly missed but remembered forever.
The Sponsor Team

Dear Valued Friend,

There comes a time when we know we have to convey some news that will bring sadness. Though we dislike being the messenger of despair, we know it’s important to keep our dear friends informed of the animals we all care for so deeply. That is why we write to you today. It is with great sorrow in our hearts that we inform you of the passing of our beloved feline friend, Lady Grace.
Lady Grace was abandoned at North Shore Animal League America. She was adopted and returned in May 2005 due to her multiple health problems.  She was initially diagnosed with asthma. Shortly thereafter, upon further examination, it was discovered that Lady Grace also had diabetes and liver disease. Lady Grace was on an array of different medications for her conditions. Lady Grace lived at the Animal League for 6 months in the Surgery Ward before going to a wonderful foster care home with one of the Animal League’s veterinarians in November 2005.  Lady Grace could not have been in better or more loving, skilled hands.

Lady Grace passed away peacefully in her sleep on her favorite pillow. Her foster mother says that she seemed to be as content as one could be. We estimate that Lady Grace was between 12-14 years old, but can not be exactly sure.The Animal League is extremely saddened by the loss of our very special onyx kitty, who was known for giving her foster mother the sweetest kisses on her nose.

We extend our deepest sympathies to her Animal League Sponsor Program donors and especially to her foster mother, who cared for her so tenderly for the last three and half years.

At the Animal League, all her needs were met and she was able to live a good quality of life.A beautiful Lady indeed, she will be greatly missed.
The Sponsor Team

Lady Grace stopped eating and we were scared that she had a tumor in her mouth since that area in particular was very painful and swollen.   Because of her diabetes it was imperative that Grace regain a healthy appetitie quickly so that we could continue to give her her normal dose of insulin and not cause any disruption in her glucose regulation.  She was sent to a specialty hospital and examined by a veterinary dental specialist.  The good news was that Grace did not have a tumor — in fact the swellling of her left jaw was an abscess from an infected tooth root.  Grace was immediately put under anesthesia with top of the line monitoring of her respiration (due to her history of asthma) and had dental x-rays taken.  It appeared that more than one tooth was not very healthy and the veterinary dentist needed to remove 9 teeth!  Grace returned to her foster care home for post operative care and initially could only eat a special canned food that was good for both her diabetes and her dental extractions. 

Dear Friend and Sponsor,  It is with great sympathy that we relay this latest news about our tiny Sponsor kitty, Bean. When a loved one passes, it is often very difficult to make sense of it all. We are left to grieve in their absence, and sometimes we feel compelled to ponder if we could have prevented their untimely passing in any way or what we could have done better. Bean joined the Animal League’s Sponsor Program in 2008. Sweet little Bean was a tiny domestic shorthair cat who weighed only 1 3/4 lbs. She was 8 months old when she came to North Shore Animal League America with her littermate, Jelly. Jelly was a full-sized kitten and did not have any medical conditions, so she was able to be placed for adoption right away. Bean, on the other hand, needed special care. Bean’s growth had been stunted, though we were unsure as to exactly why. In addition to being teeny, Bean had elevated liver valves. She required regular monitoring and regular examinations to further research her condition. Bean was medicated and on a special diet to get her weight up, and to aid in liver function. Sadly, in her last weeks, Bean’s condition worsened. Bean was not acting like herself and started showing signs of neurological disorder. She was more wobbly than usual and began having problems navigating her food bowl. While her appetite was ravenous, Bean was not able to eat enough to maintain her weight. Her health declined rapidly. Bean passed away before her first birthday. Our heart goes out to her wonderful foster mother and to all of her caring sponsors. Though Bean’s days were few, they were full – full of love and full of life. Sincerely,The Sponsor Team

Dear Valued Friend,Today we have some heartbreaking news to share with you. Our adored charcoal kitty cat, Celine has left us and passed away. Celine had only been in the Animal League’s Sponsor Program for a short time. Sweet and petite, Celine was a very young cat. At 8 months old, Celine had found herself back where she started – in North Shore Animal League America’s care.

When Celine was just a kitten, she and her littermate were adopted. But less than a year later, Celine started exhibiting strange behaviors. She was falling down and would shake involuntarily, so her owners gave her up. Celine had a neurological disorder which affected her balance and stability. Though she did not suffer from seizures, her condition still needed regular monitoring and maintenance and she needed strict supervision. Beautiful Celine was a very loving and playful cat. Regardless of her medical challenges, she still showed immense spirit and personality. She was a tough little cat who finally found peace and comfort in her last year of life. Her foster family as well as all her many sponsors gave her the love and support she needed and deserved. She was treated with respect and dignity and she walked with valor.

Your generous sponsorship of Celine enabled her to live a good quality of life. She was comfortable, happy and cared for. No one could ever say she was not adored. She was surrounded by those who loved her and all her needs were happily met.

Though we’ve only known Celine a short time, her memory will stay with us forever.

Sincerely,

The Sponsor Team

Little Bean was brought to an Internal Medicine veterinarian where a Porto systemic shunt has been ruled out. Her recent blood tests, symptoms and failure to grow still point toward a shunt. Bean has been referred to a specialist at Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine who specializes in liver disease. At Cornell, they will be able to perform specific tests to diagnose exactly where the abnormal blood vessel in her liver may be. Once it is found, a surgeon will hopefully be able to ligate it (tie it off) and return the blood flow to her liver to a more normal pattern. This will be tricky since she is only 2 pounds. The goal is to keep her on medications to help prevent neurologic signs associated with liver shunts. She was started on a second prescription to help with this 3 times a day. Bean continues on a low protein diet to keep her liver functioning well.

Thank you for sponsoring Celine!  Celine is a wonderful new addition to the program.  Thankfully, Celine is in the care of a loving foster home.  Her neurological problems are stable.  She does have trouble walking, but that doesn’t stop her from getting around and playing.  She gets along with the other cats in the household and they have bonded just like a family.  When Celine is having difficulty moving around, the cats rush to her aid.  It is a very endearing sight.