Donations roll in for mauled cat
A Porirua cat attacked at a dog owner’s behest will get the best medical care after a $21,000 splurge of donations.
And it wasn’t just money that had flowed, Jan Walton, the owner of Tom the cat, said.
Random strangers had come up and paid for extra nights accommodation at the camp ground where she and her injured cat lived.
Others had dropped off cat food, and a Nelson man offered to have the pair come to live with them in the sunny south.
Ten-year-old cat Tom was sunning itself at Camp Elsdon on New Year’s Day when a muscle dog burst from the bushes – urged on by its owners – and mauled the cat.
After the dog was chased off, the owners simply laughed and continued their walk.
It left Walton – a beneficiary who had been living in her car with Tom before recently moving into a camp ground cabin – with no idea how she was going to pay the vet bill to tend to Tom’s injuries.
She was willing to move back into her car to save money for the further treatment needed.
But now that won’t be needed. The Wellington SPCA set up a Givealittle page on Tuesday afternoon to help with the bills.
Donations soared past $20,000 by yesterday morning and Walton was overcome with gratitude.
‘‘I only want enough money to do my cat and they [SPCA] can have the rest,’’ she said.
Tom was back at the vet getting X-rays yesterday and was expected to make a full recovery.
SPCA’s Ros Alsford said the money would easily cover the vet bills and the leftover money would go into an investigation pursuing the dog’s owner. Any remaining money would go to help other pets in need.
‘‘We were just blown away by the generosity of the public,’’ she said.