Hope Plays Ball

Over the weekend Hope’s energy picked up. She was videotaped fetching a tennis ball and appeared generally energetic. She seemed to have no fear of a cat sitting in a room with her though we can’t say the same for the cat. She was upbeat and friendly. ​“You can really start to see her personality!” Laura Burban, director of the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter, reported.

On Sunday morning she did what most of us do on Sundays. She took the morning off, lounging on a couch. She also received lots of snuggles and belly rubs from the staff.

But you never know what might happen next.

On Sunday night Hope spiked a fever and had a discharge from her nose. She would not eat. But by yesterday morning her fever was gone. She was in good spirits and wagging her tail, Burban reported. Biopsies showed she has Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the result, said the vet, of ​“a lowered immune system.” Burban said she will be treated for that as well.

“All and all Hope is doing really well. She has maintained her weight gain of 9 pounds or so, and she is eating every three to four hours,” Burban said. 

On Sunday, a ​“Pizza for Hope” day long fundraiser sponsored by Frisco’s Pizza in New Haven was sold out and raised $16,000 toward Hope’s rehabilitation, Burban said. She offered ​“special thanks to John Frisco for sponsoring this fundraiser and thank you to everyone for their generosity!”

As Hope continues to gain strength, Burban is focusing on trying to find the person or persons responsible for Hope’s condition. She was emaciated when someone picked her up on Route 1 and brought her to the shelter on March 6. A week or so later, veterinarians discovered and removed a small stuffed toy animal from her body, which may have been the cause of her inability to eat. It is not known how long the stuffed animal was in her body and why it had not been removed by her previous owner.

There is a $9,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and the conviction of the person responsible for Hope’s condition.

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