HOLLY

Last Friday, on his way to church, Paul noticed a very sick cat wandering the streets all alone. She looked so weak and in such obvious pain that he couldn’t get her out of his mind. From that day on, Paul has been making the 45-minute drive each way from the sanctuary just to check on her — determined to do something to help.

After several days of trying, last night he finally managed to trap her safely. We named her Holly, since she was found near a church She’s now at the emergency vet hospital, finally receiving the urgent medical care she so desperately needs. This poor girl has been surviving on the streets — only God knows for how long — with a large mass on the right side of her face, near her mouth. The swelling makes it almost impossible for her to eat. She’s clearly been suffering for a long time, yet no one stopped to help her… until now.

Holly is currently hospitalized. She behaves like a feral cat so she’ll need to be sedated to be examine the mass and determine whether it’s an abscess or a tumor — and if it turns out to be a tumor, whether it can be safely removed through surgery or not. They’ll also run a full check-up to evaluate her overall health and decide on the best next steps.

We don’t yet know what the outcome will be — but what we do know is that Holly is finally safe. She’s warm, cared for, and no longer invisible. Please keep sweet Holly in your thoughts and prayers. We’ll share an update as soon as we know more.

UPDATE

Rest in Peace, sweet Holly

After a thorough evaluation, the vet discovered that the bleeding mass on the outside of her face was only a small part of a very large and aggressive tumor growing inside her mouth. It had already spread into her throat, making it almost impossible for her to swallow without pain, and it had begun to block her airways — causing her to struggle just to breathe.

There was nothing more that could be done to save her. The kindest and most compassionate choice was to end her suffering and help her cross the Rainbow Bridge peacefully and with dignity, instead of alone and in pain on the streets.

Holly is going to be cremated, and her ashes will stay with us at the sanctuary. She will now and forever have a place where she belongs — a place where she will always be remembered and cherished. Even though her time with us was heartbreakingly short, we hope she left this world knowing she was finally seen, loved, and cared for.

Run free of pain, sweet Holly — you are resting in angels’ arms now.

We are beyond heartbroken.