Besa was found wearing an old, tattered dog harness and hiding out in a shed in Dyker Heights. A neighbor, who feeds and cares for many of the local ferals and strays, heard her meowing. I knew this caretaker from helping other cats in the area in the past and she reached out to me for help rescuing this girl.

Over several days, we tried luring Besa into a box trap baited with chicken, sardines, and wet cat food - to no avail. She refused to be trapped and only retreated further inside, growling.

After 3 unsuccessful days, I asked Sofie of NYC Teens for Animals to help me grab her by hand. Within 30 mins, Sofie had her in the carrier. After a quick visual evaluation at home, we noticed she had an open wound with maggots, where the ill-fitting harness had dug into her over time.

I immediately left for VEG Ralph Ave, where it was found that the wound was far more extensive and deep than we expected. The amazing staff was able to clean it out, but we learned Besa would need surgery to close the wound, as well as extensive follow up care.

NYC Teens for Animals has graciously stepped in to help Besa with her surgical needs (Animal Surgical Center did her surgery Aug 9, and did a great job!) and her recovery, while I covered the ER bill at VEG. This fundraiser is specifically for the ER bill.

We would all greatly appreciate your support, and Besa (which means "to keep a promise" or "word of honor" in Albanian) is doing well so far!