Oakley's life was on the line

When Serena heard the numbers, she began to cry. They just weren’t feasible for her—even if it was to save her beloved kitty’s life.

Serena has had Oakley since she was in college, and he’s stuck by her side until she found her forever home with her husband and, now, her young son. Oakley playful and can be wild, but is also a huge cuddle bug and source of emotional support for Serena. He knows when she’s having a bad day and is always there to comfort her with his purrs. 

So when Oakley started behaving strangely, Serena knew something was up. He was hiding under her bed and not eating—very unusual for him. A trip to their usual veterinarian showed on x-ray that Oakley had eaten something he shouldn’t, and he was going to need emergency surgery. The family transferred to the emergency veterinarian, only to have that heartbreaking, tear-inducing revelation that the cost of care to save Oakley just wasn’t in their budget. 

Serena turned to her social media community to share her heartbreak and ask for advice. She knew that euthanizing due to the cost of care wasn’t an option for her, but didn’t know what else to do. Oakley is her family, and she had to figure out how to save him.

A friend working as a veterinarian in Northern Minnesota recommended that Serena bring Oakley to Mission Animal Hospital. 

“Mission Animal Hospital was exactly what we needed,” Serena said. 

Mission Animal Hospital made it possible for Oakley to have the life-saving surgery he needed. Our veterinary team performed the operation the day Oakley came in, removing a long string that was causing the issues.

When Serena brought Oakley home, she was thrilled to see him feeling better. In no time, he was rubbing on her legs. She felt as though he was saying “Thank you for saving me” and was so grateful she’d been able to get him the help he needed. 

Serena is grateful to Mission for the accessible care for her beloved Oakley. 

“Mission is the only place I want to go now, because you make it doable to keep your animal around when they’re sick,” she said. “For how much we love our pets, it feels unfair to have to choose between your family and money.”

Oakley is now thriving at home with his family, back to being a lovable snuggle bug.