National Rescue

Heartbreaking. There’s simply no other way to describe Forest’s condition when he first arrived at North Shore Animal League America. The 8-year-old Shih Tzu was found abandoned in a vacant parking lot struggling to survive. His black and white coat filthy and severely matted. His ears and skin badly infected. Both front legs mangled, the left also wounded due to the unkempt hair that wrapped itself so tightly around the limb it caused lack of blood flow. There’s no telling how long this poor creature was left to suffer in this condition, but he’ll never feel that pain again thanks to the high quality compassionate care he’ll receive at our Pet Health Centers.

Kittens, so innocent and full of life, should spend their formative years exploring and playing, basking in front of sun drenched windows, and enjoying the company of human companions. Unfortunately, not every animal who finds themselves at our Port Washington, N.Y. campus has the luxury of enjoying such spoils. Recently, we met Trey, a 5-month-old kitten, when he and his sibling were picked up by our Rescue Team and swiftly transported to our Pet Health Centers.

Imagine being so malnourished and hungry that your ribs begin to protrude through your skin. So weak and dehydrated that you can barely hold yourself up right. Suffering from an array of physical ailments that never heal because you have no access to medical care. Now imagine being in this condition, but having nowhere to turn and nobody to lean on for support.

Barry Allen, a 4-year-old orange tabby, was a stray in desperate need of human intervention. Found with lacerations and scarring on his head and face, as well as symptoms of dehydration, Barry was also suffering from a severely damaged front right paw that would likely have to be surgically removed to avoid further complications.