Philadelphia might be a tough city in many ways, but beneath the bluster beats a heart of gold.
Last March, a horrific case of animal abuse was caught on film. The video showed two youths siccing a pair of dogs on a neighborhood cat known as Buddy in an East Frankford neighborhood. The dogs mauled the cat horribly until a neighbor saw what was happening and rescued him.
The 12 and 17-year-old youths were arrested for animal cruelty, and their dogs were confiscated by the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA). The PSPCA also took over care for Buddy, who was on death’s door when he was transferred to BluePearl emergency veterinary facility. The cat was in shock, unresponsive, and bleeding internally. Vets weren’t sure he’d pull through, but they soon learned that Buddy is a fighter!
After the shocking crime went viral, the city of Philadelphia rallied around the new poster cat for animal cruelty. People offered to foster and adopt Buddy, and they sent monetary donations that exceeded the cost of his medical care. Thanks to Buddy, other animals will benefit from the influx of over $100,000 in cash, plus donations of cat toys, litter, food, and other supplies.
“While this act of cruelty was especially shocking in its intentional nature, the outpouring of support for Buddy the cat and the effort to bring the offenders to justice has been overwhelming,” said Julie Klim, CEO of the Pennsylvania SPCA.
The PSPCA has created the Buddy Fund for donations, and their “Save Every Buddy” campaign includes stickers, T-shirts, and other Buddy-themed gear.
“This is the biggest outpouring of support we have had for a single animal in the last decade,” said PSPCA spokeswoman Gillian Kocher. “There is nothing that comes close to it.”
The PSPCA now shares regular updates on Buddy’s progress with his legions of fans worldwide. He’s out of the hospital and living in foster care. His foster family is actually Katie Vananzi, the vet who cared for him at BluePearl, and her husband David.
Katie says Buddy fit right into their household, befriending their other cat and turning into a total purr machine. The former street cat now loves to cuddle in their bed with them. “He’s so, so, so loving,” she said. If he continues to do well in their house, the couple plan to adopt him permanently.
“It’s crazy to think about how this one cat has impacted so many animals and touched so many lives across not just Philadelphia and the country, but the globe,” Gillian said, adding, “I think everyone these days is looking for some hope to cling to, and Buddy gave it to people. He’s still giving it to people. Out of something pretty horrible can come so much good. Despite bad things happening, there is still so much good in the world.”
Talk about a happy ending! Not only is Buddy living the kitty dream in his new home, but his story will help thousands more animals recover from abuse and neglect. That’s what we call a silver lining.
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