FINAL UPDATE - July 30, 2025: After his surgeries at Madison Veterinary Specialists, Kevin spent a couple of months at DCHS recovering. Our veterinary team provided daily care, bandage and splint changes, and enrichment to keep him comfortable and engaged. One of his wounds took longer than expected to heal, but Kevin never lost his spark. Thanks to the generosity of our community, he had everything he needed for a full recovery.

When Kevin was finally medically cleared, he was made available for adoption and was scooped up the very same day.

Now known as Bubba, he has settled into his new home, where his adopter, Jan, says:

“He is sweet, curious, and quite the talker. He has something to say all the time. If I open a cabinet or closet door he is right there to check things out. He climbed into the dishwasher when I had the bottom tray pulled out. I only found him when I tried to close the door.”

Bubba now enjoys life with his two furry siblings, a cat named Emma and a dog named Nugget. He’s even learned some new tricks, like drinking from the bathroom faucet, and has made himself right at home.

Kevin’s story has a happy new beginning because of the care, compassion, and generosity shown by our community. Today, he is safe, loved, and exactly where he belongs.

UPDATE - April 16, 2025: Kevin is back at DCHS! He'll continue to heal under the close watch of our veterinary team and will be sporting a cast and a cone for the foreseeable future, with many weeks of recovery ahead.

Through it all, Kevin has remained his charming, affectionate self — rolling over, offering head bumps, and greeting staff as they check in on him. Even after such intensive procedures, he’s often up and hobbling around to say hello.

UPDATE - April 10, 2025 - Evening: Kevin is out of surgery and resting comfortably overnight at Madison Veterinary Specialists. His procedures went well! To repair his dislocated ankle and fractured fibula, his surgeon placed implants to stabilize the joint, and he’ll wear a cast to support the injury as it heals. His second procedure—a Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO) to address damage to his hip—was also successfully completed. Kevin has a long road ahead, but he’s doing well and has already taken the first big step on his journey to recovery.

UPDATE - April 10, 2025 - Morning: Kevin is at Madison Veterinary Specialists today for his much-needed orthopedic surgeries to repair his dislocated hip and fractured ankle. He just received an epidural to manage his pain and ensure smoother anesthesia, and he’ll be heading into surgery shortly. Kevin has already won over everyone at MVS with his sweetness, and we’re all hoping for a smooth procedure and a strong start to his recovery.

ORIGINALLY SHARED - April 8th, 2025: Friday, March 28th started like any other day for Ashley—until a cat in distress appeared on camera footage at her Madison workplace.

“While reviewing camera footage, we spotted a cat in the walkway,” she said. “As an animal lover, I immediately said, ‘I'm going to see what's going on with him.’ The moment I got outside, I could tell something was seriously wrong. He was panting, in pain, and trying to move, but could only drag himself along the pavement.”

Ashley sat beside the injured cat, doing her best to comfort him while she and a coworker figured out what to do next. When they gently lifted him into a box, he cried out in pain. “It absolutely broke my heart,” Ashley said.

They called Madison’s non-emergency line, and within 20 minutes, an Animal Services Officer from Public Health Madison & Dane County arrived and transported the adult cat—now named Kevin—to Dane County Humane Society (DCHS).

We hold the contract to serve as the stray holding facility for the county, so we must be ready at a moment’s notice to respond to medical emergencies like Kevin’s. 

Upon intake at DCHS, our staff and veterinarians acted quickly to assess Kevin’s condition. He was in clear distress, so our team performed a thorough exam and provided pain management to keep him comfortable. X-rays revealed extensive trauma: his left hip and right ankle were dislocated, and his right fibula was fractured. Our team carefully reset the ankle while he was under sedation for imaging, but due to the severity of the tissue damage, surgery will be required to stabilize the joint. His hip, dislocated for too long to simply reset, will also require surgical intervention.

Kevin’s condition was stable as our team worked to locate his guardian during the four-day stray hold period. Unfortunately, no one came forward, and we were unable to find his family. During this time, our veterinary staff was monitoring his condition and planning the best course of treatment.

DCHS veterinarians collaborated with a surgeon at Madison Veterinary Specialists to develop a care plan for Kevin. On Thursday, April 10, he is scheduled to undergo two orthopedic surgeries: one to correct the damage to his ankle and another, a Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO), to alleviate the pain caused by his dislocated hip.

Until his orthopedic surgery, Kevin is resting comfortably under the care of our dedicated Animal Medical Services (AMS) team, who continue to monitor his progress and perform additional diagnostics to ensure he’s ready for surgery.

But because of the extensive damage to Kevin’s right ankle and the surrounding tissue, the joint easily pops out of place. Our veterinarians on Friday, April 4, had to reset the joint again, this time building a different splint that would hopefully prevent it from popping out again. Using tongue depressors that look like popsicle sticks, they taped two ends together to create an angle, placed the splint on both sides of Kevin’s leg, and rewrapped it. After each step, our veterinarians took x-rays of the ankle to make sure the joint remained in place. While Kevin was sedated, staff also cleaned an open wound on his left foot and bandaged it.

So far, this new splint is providing the stability his leg needs, and for the first time since arriving at DCHS, Kevin was able to walk – although very wobbly – rather than drag himself around. But this splint is only a temporary solution. Kevin needs surgery to repair his injuries. 

Despite the trauma he’s endured, Kevin is sweet and affectionate and gives head bumps asking for more pets. From the moment he was found, he has shown a gentle and social nature with everyone he meets. The good Samaritan who found him believes he dragged himself toward the building and the people inside in hopes that someone would help him—and we’re so glad someone did.

Kevin has a long road ahead. Both of his legs will require extensive rehabilitation after surgery, and he’ll remain under our care for some time as he recovers.

We’re turning to our compassionate community to help us raise $6,000 to cover the cost of Kevin’s surgeries, other medical needs, and care while he stays with us at DCHS.

As an open admission shelter, DCHS is here for every animal who comes through our doors, no matter the condition they arrive in. This spring has brought us many animals in need, and your support ensures that we’re always ready to provide the high-quality care they deserve.

All of these costs to help Kevin heal really do add up… and YOU can help. Please consider donating to our Help Me Heal campaign to support Kevin’s surgeries and recovery. With your support and the hard work of our AMS team and community partners like Madison Veterinary Specialists, Kevin has a bright future ahead.

Make a donation online by clicking the Help Kevin Heal buttons or you can mail or drop off your donation at Dane County Humane Society’s main shelter (5132 Voges Road, Madison, WI 53718). Checks should be made payable to DCHS with “Help Kevin Heal” in the subject line.

Kevin will be in care with us for a while as our veterinarians manage their healing. We kindly request you watch our website for updates to his status, and not contact our Adoption Center at this time. Thank you for your patience and support!

Any additional funds raised will be used to continue the work our Animal Medical Services team does every day to provide high quality medical care to thousands of companion animals each year.