KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
After being featured in the “KHTS Adopt a Pet” series last month, a then 10-week-old kitten named Faith has found her forever home. But before she can truly get her “happily ever after,” Faith needs surgery to correct a medical problem that is already causing damage to her eyes.
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Faith was born without fully formed eyelids, a condition called eyelid agenesis that can cause irritation and extensive damage to the corneas over time, if left untreated.
Faith in her foster home.
“Our eyelids are designed to protect our eyes,” said Melissa Lampert, co-founder of Madeline’s Angels Pet Sanctuary. “Without normal eyelids, Faith’s eyes are incredibly vulnerable. Even her eyelashes are scratching her corneas, and that will only get worse as she gets bigger.”
Related: KHTS Adopt A Pet: Rosie, Madeline’s Angels Pet Sanctuary (VIDEO)
At the time of her adoption in June, Faith already had scarring on both corneas, and was prescribed a topical ointment to help with irritation and discomfort.
While the ointment seems to be helping in the short-term, the only long-term solution for Faith is surgery, according to several veterinarians who have examined her.
“We knew when we pulled Faith from the shelter that she would need surgery at about nine months old,” Lampert said. “We were told the surgery would cost an estimated $5,000, and it seemed pretty clear there was no way this kitten was going to get adopted unless we stepped in to help.”
The leaders of Madeline’s Angels Pet Sanctuary began fundraising right away in hopes that covering the cost of the surgery would increase her chances of getting adopted, and their plan worked.
Faith in her new home.
Not only was Faith welcomed into what Lampert described as the most loving family the rescue could have asked for, but her new parents also decided to take in her best friend and foster sibling, Hope.
Related: Madeline’s Angels Pet Sanctuary Launches Website, Seeks Foster Homes
“Faith is so happy in her new home with Hope and two brother kittens named Bear and Little Jim,” Lampert said. “All four of them are spoiled to pieces, and so loved. Now that we found Faith’s forever home, half the battle is over, but the toughest part is still to come.”
In the days surrounding Faith’s adoption, MAPS Animal Rescue has raised just over $600 on a GoFundMe page they created specifically for Faith’s surgery expenses.
“We have a consultation with an eye specialist in early August, and we’ll be able to pin down exactly how much we’ll need at that point,” Lampert said, noting she plans to post pictures of invoices and estimates throughout the process. “The support we’ve gotten from the community so far has been great, but we still have a long way to go. Even if you can only give $5, every dollar counts!”
Animal lovers can follow Faith’s progress and make a donation on the GoFundMe page, with 100 percent of the funds raised going directly toward the cost of her surgery.
Faith in her new home:
About the KHTS Adopt a Pet Series
Every Wednesday, the KHTS Adopt a Pet series features an adoptable animal from the Santa Clarita Valley in need of a home. The KHTS Features team travels to different rescues and shelters in Santa Clarita to meet the pets and tell their stories in hopes of helping them get adopted. First launched in August 2016, the series has partnered with seven local rescues, as well as the Castaic Animal Shelter, to showcase more than 40 dogs, cats and bunnies, and has seen 30 — and counting — adoptions so far. The series was created by Features Director Melissa Lampert, who has more than 10 years of experience in the animal rescue world and co-founded Madeline’s Angels Pet Sanctuary in Santa Clarita in 2016.
See the full collection of the KHTS Adopt a Pet video feature series here.
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See the full collection of KHTS Feature Stories and Videos on hometownstation.com here.
