Rescues Rock is a weekly feature that celebrates rescue animals and their forever homes! Check back often for a new pet success story. Special thanks to the rescue groups all over the Inland Northwest and the work they do that makes stories like these possible!

Lazarus Lives

Tuesday, February 26, minutes to closing time a woman walks through the doors of Priest River Animal Rescue clutching a bundle wrapped in a towel. That bundle held an inert, underweight tabby cat. According to this good samaritan, she found the cat by the side of a road off Hwy 41 with his back legs completely stuck in a frozen puddle of water. She actually had to pry this poor cat out of the ice. Extremely dehydrated and with a core body temperature of 93 (anything below 94 degrees typically results in death), he was showing signs of potential frostbite on his back legs. His whiskers had broken off and at first it was feared that his tail had, as well. Thankfully he is actually a bobtailed cat.

It was late in the day and other facilities were closed. On-site volunteers Renee, Carrie F. and Simone took him in, knowing he had little time left and was in need of immediate medical care. With phoned-in directions from the volunteer Shelter Coordinator (who works as a vet tech herself), the rescue volunteers started the process of saving this cat’s life. Clutched in nurturing arms and heated towels, he was administered a warm IV fluid drip to rehydrate him, this scrawny cat eventually started to pep up.

After a three hour vigil beyond the rescue’s closing time, the dilapidated cat appeared to be stabilizing, with a core temperature of 95 degrees (normal temperature range is from 99.5 to 102.5). The rescue’s seldom used special heating pad for cats, heated water bottles and a cozy kennel were prepared and he was put to bed for the night with a bowl of drinking water. Anxiety percolated among the full roster of volunteers as they all heard of the day’s dramatic event. To everyone’s great relief, by the next morning the cat’s temperature had risen to a very normal 101.1 degrees and he was summarily dubbed Lazarus.

Thanks to the rescue’s fluent use of Facebook’s Lost & Found Pets page, a photo posting of bedraggled Lazarus got a response from a woman a couple days later. Her cat had gone missing 1-1/2 years ago. She believes he hitched a ride in a UPS truck which was delivering a package to her home. Upon being shown Lazarus in his kennel, the woman teared up. Within ten minutes of reunion, she and Lazarus had re-established their relationship. Lazarus had been named BoJangles when he was adopted by this woman from Priest River Animal Rescue back in 2014. Not only was his life saved, but this survivor was heading home!

To volunteer, donate, foster or adopt from Priest River Animal Rescue please visit our website: www.PRAnimalRescue.org or call 208-448-0699

Submitted by Beth L., Volunteer at Priest River Animal Rescue