Kitten Rescued From Puppy Mill Is Now Face Of Hope In Anti-Neglect Campaign.

We’ve told you before about the horrors of puppy mills. There was this story of Daniel the puppy, who crawled to his rescuers when they raided the mill where he was born, and there was this story of a Humane Society worker who formed a tear-jerking bond with a Chihuahua he saved from a different raid. But, as awful as these stories are, they always end with hope and joy as the animals saved from puppy mills transform into oftentimes beautifully, unrecognizable dogs under the proper care.

But it turns out not only puppies are affected by the neglectful breeders. A kitten named Athena was recently rescued from a puppy mill in North Carolina, and her transformation is absolutely jaw-dropping.

When Athena was discovered during a raid back in 2014, she was just a kitten. The tiny kitten was terribly sick, with a persistent upper respiratory infection that made it almost impossible for her to breathe.

“The first vet I took her to said she might have to be put down,” says the woman who now owns Athena, “I have never cried so hard.”

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But, despite her bad condition and that first vet’s grim prognosis, Athena survived!

But her nose had to be entirely removed– leaving Athena to breathe through her mouth. It seems terrible, but she still able to breathe better now than she did before!

But Athena is more than just a cute kitty. She has become a symbol. Through her Facebook page, Athena is bringing awareness to puppy mill laws.

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The puppy mill from which Athena was rescued was run by a repeat offender. The woman who operated the mill had been arrested for neglect before but because of a lack of laws in North Carolina regulating breeding, she was able to start up her practices again.

Athena has become a spokesperson for the fight to change the breeding laws, so that no animal has to go through this again.

Share Athena’s incredible rescue story today to spread awareness for her cause!