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Thriving in the Warmth of Love

Olaf

Olaf is recovering from severe frostbite in the comfort of his forever home thanks to the ARL.

A kitten found next to a building…frozen to the ground. Even during a bitter cold snap, it was not a call for help that we expected to hear.

The 4-month-old kitten, who we named Olaf, is lucky he was found when he was. If he’d spent any more time in the bitter cold and wind, he may not have made it. He was obviously not used to being outdoors.

frostbitten pawWhen Olaf arrived at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, he was suffering from severe frostbite on his back paws, as well as parts of his front paws and part of his tail. We placed him on pain medications and antibiotics to make him more comfortable. Thankfully, he was now safe and warm in our care, but he was not out of the woods.

Our chief veterinarian took Olaf into surgery to remove dead tissue from his paws and promote healing. We wrapped his fragile paws and set him up in our surgery suite so we could keep a close eye on him.

Olaf sleepingAs the days went by, we were happy to see improvement, and eventually Olaf started to play and act like the spunky kitten he was. Once his feet were healed enough so that they no longer had to be wrapped, our veterinarians decided he could continue his healing in a foster home. By then, one of our surgical technicians who had been working with Olaf had fallen in love with him, so she took him home to continue his care.

Olaf looking up at youHe quickly made himself at home, and his paws, although sometimes sensitive, are continuing to heal well. Our surgical tech has renamed him Oliver, and once he is ready for adoption, she plans to make her home his forever home. He’ll never have to suffer in the cold again.

Olaf resting in bedOlaf’s rescue, surgery and healing would not have been possible without your support. YOU make stories like this possible every day and your support allows us to always be ready to help the next pet who comes to us with nowhere else to turn.

One of the many ways you can help pets in need, like Olaf, in our community is by making a planned gift to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa. Contact Lora Rogers at (515) 473-9119 or legacy@arl-iowa.org to learn more.