Catskill Animal Sanctuary

Mario, the beloved pig who was allowed to live because former pig farmer Bob Comis saw him as "the kindest pig," is home after receiving life-saving surgery to remove an infected toe. He's happy and relaxed in his deep bed of straw...and the real work has begun!

Mario has been able to live a very full life since he's arrived home! Exploring his pasture, playing in the mud and spending time with his friends Ginger and Amelia. To keep Mario walking comfortably for years to come he needs a little extra support and we are working with a prosthetic to make sure he has just that. The first prosthetic didn't fit quite right so we are doing a second casting and should hopefully have the newest one in a few weeks!

Donations from all sources, including GoFundMe, took a big bite out of the Cornell surgery bill, but we sure could use help with upcoming unbudgeted expenses.

Will you help "the kindest pig" ensure that he can live a normal pig life, where he can roll in the mud, root in pastures, and play with his friends.

Remaining costs:

From Mario's many friends, THANK YOU!

If you've visited Catskill Animal Sanctuary recently, you've likely met our flock of boy sheep, and you know what we mean when we say that "sheep are love on four legs." Rescued just over a year ago from prolonged, life-threatening neglect, these boys have made the brave choice to open their hearts and learn to trust again. One of the sheep who led the way was Amir, who steals the hearts of everyone he meets.

Since his arrival, Amir has had several choking situations, and while our vets were monitoring the situation, Amir's condition in the last 24 hours escalated to the point he could not keep food down. An emergency visit suggested that there was something more worrisome than choking occurring, and we were advised to take him to Cornell immediately for further imaging and diagnostics.

Amir was diagnosed with a severe case of pneumonia due to aspiration on the fluid coming back up, and the vets were baffled when they offered him a little food and saw his swallowing issues: they'd never seen anything like this before. The results of an upcoming swallow test will suggest the next steps, but each day, costs are mounting. In this tough fundraising year, we want to provide Amir with all the help he needs to return home to CAS, happy and healthy, ready to continue changing lives. Everyone at Cornell Animal Hospital has fallen head over heels in love--no surprise there!--with our sweet boy, and are working hard to find answers.

This has been an incredibly tough fundraising year, and when expensive and unexpected costs like Amir's stay at Cornell Animal Hospital come up, we need to be prepared to give him the care needed. The work that has gone into getting Amir the care he needs will easily total $4,500. With winter, our costliest time of year, quickly approaching, we need the help of our CAS family to cover the costs of Amir's urgent medical care.

Amir has been through more in his short life than any being should endure: we want to have him back home, healthy, and continuing to change the hearts of guests from around the world.

We greatly appreciate your support,

Kathy Stevens