Pittsburgh rescue helps cat that lost leg after firecracker abuse
A cat named Pickles is being cared for by Pittsburgh’s Humane Animal Rescue after her leg was injured by firecrackers and had to be amputated.
The rescue organization posted on Facebook Tuesday about the case of animal cruelty, which it discovered when good Samaritans brought the 3-year-old cat to the organization this past weekend. The post didn’t indicate where the cat was found.
According to the group, firecrackers had been tied to her front left paw with rubber bands, likely soon after the Fourth of July, resulting in the limb becoming severely infected and infested with maggots.
“There wasn’t really any paw left. What was still there was barely hanging on by the rubber bands,” Jamie Wilson, the group’s director of medical business, stated in the post. “Her bone was exposed and she was severely dehydrated.”
Because of the severity of the injury, the rescue group decided the best option was to amputate the entire leg.
Pickles is expected to make a full recovery and will be featured on the Humane Animal Rescue website when she is available for adoption.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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