After finally locating the cat on Dec. 23, Dyck began to care for him with the help of veterinarian Janet Jones. The cat, now named Dodge, weighed less than four and a half pounds, said Dyck. “When I picked him up, he felt like a metal rail.”
The cat’s arm also hangs oddly, indicating a brachial plexus injury, which causes pain and weakness in the shoulder. Pain medication has kept him comfortable in the meantime.
Dodge now tips the scale at 10 pounds and is becoming more adjusted to domestic life, although he’s still a bit shy. “I don’t think he had a lot of people experiences,” said Dyck. Dodge was approximately six months old when he was found, and Dyck speculates that he’s been in the wild since he was very young. He probably survived fine on his own until his injury.
Despite his previously limited human interaction, Dodge is well-tempered and hasn’t scratched or bitten anyone.
Recuperating Dodge comes with a price tag, so Dyck and other members of the Jasper Dog Owners Group (J-DOG) are fundraising. Last weekend, Dyck held a garage sale and may have another one in the future. She’s also collecting bottles and cans to recycle. School children have also collected coins and donated them to the “Dodge fund.”
So far, Dodge has been neutered and vaccinated, but money is needed for his booster shot. His arm injury can go one of two ways, said Dyck. “It could either heal or it might have to be amputated.”
There’s a vet in Mission, B.C. who creates a brace for this type of brachial plexus injury, and Dyck is also exploring this option.
Meanwhile, Dodge is happily recovering in Dyck’s home until he’s ready to be adopted. For Dodge updates and other fundraising initiatives, check out the Facebook group for Jasper pet owners at www.facebook.com/groups/barkinthepark.
Animals are a lengthy commitment, reminds Dyck. Have them spayed or neutered, and if they don’t fit in with your lifestyle anymore, surrender them to the SPCA rather than setting them free into the wild, she said.
“We’re not judging you, we just want them to be safe.”
