A much loved family pet has been going through a traumatic experience.
Bruce, an eight-month-old cat, had a front leg amputated Monday after escaping from what’s believed to be a trap near his Lumby home.
“The damage to his paw was the most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen,” said owner Alana Reinhardt.
The incident occurred early Sunday morning when Reinhardt and her boyfriend, Casey Neufeld, heard Bruce meowing outside.
Neufeld went to look for Bruce and found him injured on the other side of a fence.
“His paw, from the elbow joint down, was demolished,” said Reinhardt.
Bruce was immediately taken to a veterinarian, where the couple was told that the damage was caused by a trap.
“You can’t get an injury like that from a car accident or another animal,” said Reinhardt.
The options presented were euthenasia or amputation.
The decision was made to go with amputation, although it the surgery costs about $2,000.
“It’s a whack load of money but we can’t justify putting him down when he fought to get out of the trap. He wanted to live,” said Reinhardt.
A Go Fund Me account has been established to cover the veterinary costs for Reinhardt, a full-time student, and Neufeld, who just started a new job.
It’s not known why someone would have a trap set up, but Reinhardt says it presents a safety concern for children and pets.
“Lots of cats have gone missing in Lumby.”
The Village of Lumby has not received reports of cats being trapped, but Mayor Kevin Acton says the injuries sustained by Bruce are troubling.
“That’s horrible, that’s people’s pets,” he said.
The Go Fund Me account is at www.gofundme.com/2jqpubw.