FREELAND, MI – A local animal rescue service is calling for help from the community to find out who doused a cat in Saginaw County with gasoline and seriously injured its skin.
Liz Quarm, president of the Humane Society of Saginaw County, said the organization received a Facebook message Friday night alerting them to a cat covered in gasoline in Freeland. According to Quarm, the cat was an outdoor communal cat that was fed and housed by a local family. Quarm said the family became concerned and alerted the Humane Society when they discovered the cat showed up covered in fuel.
The Saginaw County’s Humane Society set a live trap for the cat at 6 p.m. Friday, and Quarm said the cat was caught in the trap at 9 p.m. that night, much to the relief of his family by janitors.
“When we picked it up, they said they were so relieved that it would be removed and never hurt again,” she said. “They also said that he showed up with a bloody ear in the winter. It was cut on purpose. The damage was not done otherwise. “
Since Saginaw County’s Humane Society is a rescue operation that involves animals living in volunteer homes, the cat was brought home with quarm after being trapped and washed several times with Dawn dish soap. Milo did not escape his ordeal unscathed, however. He suffered burns and skin damage that resulted in loss of fur.
“His fur came out in clumps from his skin that was burned by the fuel,” Quarm said.
The Saginaw County’s Humane Society is actively seeking information on who did this to the cat named “Milo”. Quarm said the organization is offering a $ 1,000 reward for information leading to charges being brought against the person who harmed Milo. Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling (989) 501-8672.
Quarm said Milo is currently being treated with foam antiseptic pain reliever and that he will be hospitalized today to be monitored by a veterinarian.
“We don’t yet know if he will have permanent health problems, as gasoline can cause harm by absorbing it through his skin and he digests it by trying to lick his fur clean,” Quarm said.
Quarm added that Milo huddles in fear and gets scared when people try to stroke him, leading the Humane Society to believe that someone has mistreated him for some time. However, Milo shows some positive signs after his ordeal.
“With a little baby talk and cheek massages, he starts to relax and purr,” Quarm said. “Milo doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.”
Saginaw County’s Humane Society is currently accepting donations to cover Milo’s medical bills. Quarm currently states that it has no estimate of the total cost of its care. Donations can be made online at https://humanesocietyofsaginawcounty.org/home or directly to the Animal Alley Veterinary Hospital in Freeland.
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