Bellatrix

Bellatrix came to the sanctuary on Monday after spending two weeks at the vet following "surgical repair." Why? She'd been found as a stray with one of her front legs stuck in her collar. She now has a collar of the "cone" variety and is getting cage rest while she heals. As the sign on her door says, she's a little cranky right now.

Shayla, who I posted about back in April, was in the same predicament when she came to RAPS. In her case though, the leg must have been stuck a lot longer as the tissue damage was extensive enough to require a great deal of attention from animal care staff at the sanctuary. With Bellatrix, Lisa tells me, the vet did not indicate the need for this much cleaning.

Updated October 4, 2010: Sadly, Bellatrix's wound did not progress in healing as it should have. It was just too far along and, with terrible mouth ulcers on top of this, there was nothing our vet could do for her but to end her pain.
Even knowing intellectually we can't ever save them all, it never gets easier for the heart to know it.
Bellatrix, we're sorry you couldn't have come to us earlier.