Valentino the cat only wanted someone to give him some love. Sadly, his looks and condition prohibited just that.
Credit: John Hwang
The cat’s severely hardened fur was riddled with grime. His eyes were so terribly caked and swollen, they were literally sealed shut. What’s even worse is this poor cat suffered from sarcoptic mange, a condition that’s highly contagious to both cats and humans.
No Paws Left Behind
And so Valentino was left completely alone – just begging for love, and people were too afraid to go near him.
That all changed when a woman named Elaine Seamans entered the story.
While passing by his cage at the Baldwin Park animal shelter just last week, she heard his pitiful cry for help.
“He reached out with his little paw and made the tiniest meow,” Seamans said to The Dodo. “It was like he was screaming without verbalizing it: ‘Please help me.'”
No Paws Left Behind
“There are times when it’s not an option to keep walking,” she adds. “You just have to stop. This was one of those times.”
Credit: John Hwang
She also opted not to wear gloves, but to press Valentino directly to her heart.
Credit: John Hwang
“When I picked him up, he put his little head on my shoulder,” Seamans went on to say. “That was it. I had to get him out.”
Credit: John Hwang
Seaman immediately contacted Toby Wisneski from Leave No Paws Behind to help
“When I was talking to Elaine on the phone and she let me hear his little meow, I said, ‘That’s it,'” she told The Dodo. “I could hear him. That sealed the deal.”
Wisneski then took Valentino to the vet to get the medical attention he needed.
“He couldn’t move and he couldn’t see. But God love him, he’s a fighter,” Wisneski stated. “Everybody just adores him and they’re very protective of him.”
No Paws Left Behind
His prognosis is good, and staff believes he now has a long life ahead of him. They literally cannot wait to find him a loving home that he so deserves.
“He’s so loving,” Wisneski stated. “You can tell he is very grateful. He will purr for them and try to rub up against [veterinary staff]. He knows he is safe.”
Credit: John Hwang
Once Valentino is finally able to open his eyes, it will be to a brand-new life – in his forever home!
If you are interested, you can follow Valentino’s recovery on Facebook. In addition, if you’d like to help, you consider leaving a donation here. And if you’re by chance interested in giving Valentino a loving home, you can get in touch with him here!
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