On December 8th, 2025, an ordinary, peaceful afternoon turned into a nightmare that no family should ever have to endure.

Leo, a gentle 18-month-old cat, was quietly relaxing in his own front yard — a place he had always known as safe. Without warning, two roaming Staffordshire dogs entered the yard and brutally attacked him. He never stood a chance. The dogs tried to tear him apart, leaving him broken, bleeding, and fighting for his life.

Leo isn’t “just a cat.” He is deeply loved — especially by his 11-year-old girl, who bottle-raised him when he was tiny. From the very beginning, Leo has been her constant companion, her comfort, her best friend. He sleeps beside her, plays with her, and gives her a sense of safety that only a beloved pet can. That bond makes what happened even more devastating.

Leo was rushed straight to Fairfield Road Veterinary Hospital to the care of Dr Donna Schofield. He arrived in shock, with a badly shattered leg and a large, open bite wound on his hip. He was immediately given strong pain relief, antibiotics, and IV fluids as the team worked to stabilise him and save his life.

X-rays confirmed the severity of the damage. While the initial hope was to repair his leg, despite intensive care and twice-daily wound cleaning, a serious infection developed. The bite wound became infected and spread rapidly to the exposed bone. At that point, there was only one option left.

To save Leo’s life, his leg had to be amputated.

On December 11th, Leo underwent surgery. The operation was successful, but his fight was far from over. He went into recovery under the careful watch of a retired vet nurse, as he required constant monitoring, pain management, and ongoing antibiotics.

Just days later, complications continued. Leo developed a fever and pus began leaking from the wound. His stitches had to be removed so the wound could be flushed twice daily, allowing infection to drain instead of building up and becoming fatal.

On December 21st, Leo’s condition worsened again. He became lethargic, struggled to breathe, and had not passed a bowel movement in over 24 hours. X-rays revealed dangerous pressure on his diaphragm. Further testing showed anaemia and trauma-related enlargement of his liver and spleen — all consequences of the brutal attack his small body had endured.

As if that wasn’t enough, Leo’s immune system finally gave way. He developed a severe upper respiratory infection, followed by suspected calicivirus. He stopped eating, lost weight, and spiked a dangerously high fever of 40.6°C. He had to be hospitalised once more for IV fluids, IV antibiotics, and intensive care.

When he could no longer eat on his own, a feeding tube became his only chance. Tube feeding is complex and time-consuming, requiring specialised food, electrolyte solutions, precise preparation, and multiple feeds every single day — all carefully managed by someone with veterinary experience.

Despite everything, Leo is still here. He is still fighting.

The medical costs have now exceeded $5,000 — and continue to grow. While the owner of the dogs responsible has been identified, they have refused to contribute toward Leo’s care, despite knowing their dogs have previously injured and killed other animals. The financial burden has fallen entirely on Leo’s family — a family who would never consider giving up on him.

Some may ask, “Why spend so much on a cat?”

The answer is simple: Leo is family.

He is a little girl’s best friend. A source of comfort, joy, and unconditional love. He was innocent. He was safe on his own property. And he deserves the chance to heal, to run again in his own way, and to grow old surrounded by the people who love him.

We are humbly asking our community to help Leo continue his fight. Any contribution — no matter how small — will make a difference. Every dollar goes toward his lifesaving care, specialised food, medications, and ongoing treatment.

If you’re unable to donate, even sharing Leo’s story helps more than you know.

Thank you for taking the time to read Leo’s story, for caring, and for helping give this brave little soul the chance he so deeply deserves. ❤️

All money donated is going DIRECTLY to the vet...as such, people need to put in their payment reference ‘Dayna Hawkins Leo’...

Thank you so very much from the bottom of our hearts