Photos, Red Huber/ Orlando Sentinel
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A special needs kitten and a two year old Dachshund abandoned together have proven to be a remarkably bonded pair. The shelter found the perfect person and place for them so they can stay together.
Seminole County, FL Animal Services picked up the cat and dog when they were abandoned together at a gated driveway in Geneva, FL in October. The dog was very protective of the little, disabled cat, barking and growling at anyone who approached them. The kitten was unable to use her hind legs, and dragged herself around using her front legs.
“We actually don’t know what’s wrong with her,” said Diane Gagliano, program coordinator for Seminole County Animal Services, in a feature in the Orlando Sentinel. “We think it may have been something she was born with. It was really a strange situation — both of them were found in fairly good shape, not filthy or malnourished, so it seems as though they probably had a home at some point. But on the flip side, no one came and claimed them, and how could the cat get very far without the owner knowing?”
The shelter tried to help the kitten but nothing seemed to improve her mobility. After steroid shots didn’t help, an organization called TEARS (Together Every Animal Receives Support0 of Seminole County paid for therapies, including acupuncture. Nothing worked.
Whenever the kitten was separated from her, the dog pined,and the shelter made special arrangements for the pair to be together in their own pen.
In recognition of their great bond, the pair were named Ruth (the kitty) and Idgie (the dog), after characters in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe.
Wanting the best for the unique pair, the shelter contacted Jacqueline Borum at Hollywood Houdz Boutique & Spa in Lake Mary, FL. Jacqueline works with the shelter, taking adoptable pets, and has rehomed well over a thousand animals. She also runs a nonprofit called Project Paws, that helps rescuers to save animals.
Jacqueline took Ruth and Idgie, but they are not, and will not, be available for adoption, though. Jacqueline has given them a permanent home with her, and they hold court in their pen at Hollywood Houndz, where they have become very popular with customers and other local residents.
Jacqueline says: “We’ve seen friendships between dogs and cats before, but never anything like this.”
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Hollywood Houndz Boutique and Spa at Facebook
Read the full story at the Orlando Sentinel.
