The numbers of pet abandonments are increasingly alarming in our country. According to data from the Affinity Foundation and the Animal Protection and Defense Associations (FAPAM), three dogs and cats are abandoned every five minutes in Spain.
The shelters and city councils collect 400 dogs and cats from the streets a day. Only 2 in 10 dogs are taken to shelters by their families, 60% of abandoned pets are found by individuals and less than 50% end up adopted.
Now it has been Wilfred, an elderly kitten that no one wanted to adopt, who has found a new family. The feline was taken in by an association based in New Mexico (United States), and his volunteers healed the deep wound he had on his neck.
After a thorough check, veterinarians discovered that Wilfred had tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). "The immune system weakens and a cat can become more vulnerable to secondary infections. That's probably what happened to him," reveals Mattie Allen, director of communications for Española Humane, the association that took in Wilfred.
The small feline had scars from head to toe, having spent years on the streets. Wilfred had a sad, but incredibly hopeful look on his face. As the years passed, his health improved and his wound healed.
Luckily, Wilfred has found an ideal family: a home without other cats that could transmit the virus, but with several dogs and loving owners. "We were all in love with Wilfred - says Mattie Allen - our sweet kitten who purred and we fell in love with him." Now Wilfred can enjoy the life he deserves.
