To say Marvin was in rough shape was putting it mildly. This past summer a stray, senior cat was found in a police station parking lot in Madison. He was emaciated with muscle wasting away, covered in lice and ear mites and sick from internal parasites.

Marvin had also been shot several times, most likely from a pellet gun, and several bullets were lodged in his forehead.

Marvin was brought to Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) and immediately examined by our Animal Medical Services (AMS) team. Despite all his pain and discomfort, Marvin was such a loving boy. He purred through all his exams and would lean in and give you a mighty head bump. You could feel how badly this little guy just wanted to be loved.

After several weeks in our Intensive Care Unit within AMS, Marvin gained some critical weight and was healthy enough for surgery. Our staff were able to delicately remove the bullet fragments from his forehead and his final step of healing could begin.

Thanks to support like yours, over 2,200 surgeries are performed at DCHS every year by our expert medical staff.

Since Marvin would need more specialized care during his recovery, he was taken in by foster mom Lisa, a member of the AMS team. Even with all of Marvin’s continued medical needs, Lisa knew right away her family would be a ‘foster fail’ and Marvin was home for good.

Marvin, now known as Axel Black, joined a family full of DCHS alumni and rescue pets, including Pomeranian mixes Biggie and Smalls, Thumper the three-legged cat, kitty Neepolioni Bologna Pepperoni Boneparte, and rabbits Spoons and Pancho.

Thanks to your generosity, Marvin received the second chance he deserved and transformed from frail and abandoned to healthy and loved. Your love of animals helps ensure we have the necessary resources to provide quality medical care, shelter, foster care and wildlife rehabilitation to thousands of animals like Marvin each year.

Join us on #GivingTuesday when we announce our Matching Gift to see how your donation will have double the impact! Thank you for donating and providing senior animals like Marvin the compassion and medical care they need to find a loving home.

Thank you for your generosity and patience! Due to all the support of DCHS this #GivingTuesday, our donation form below may take a minute or two to load.