UPDATE: The fund is now up to $770, from $410 before Kossacks started helping. Today I saw one of those signs with the tear off tags in my local bank. Someone is on gofundme, looking for help getting a kitten surgery. Without it, Jack the Kitten will be put down.
Earleville, where Jack lives, is in a rural part of the rural Eastern Shore of Maryland. In other words, way far from large towns. Forget cities.
While I don't know Jack's mom Sharon Houser personally, I know what local incomes generally are.
UPDATE: It turns out I've talked to Sharon many times during my days as a news reporter, as she works for the county government. I just never knew her last name.
On top of that, the small population can make it hard to get word out. Frankly, it's not clear how many of our residents on the rural Eastern Shore even use the net much. That tends to lower local response too.
So far she has raised $410 toward an operation which will cost around $2,500 minimum or $3,000 at the high end. Maybe Sharon can get a little break from a sympathetic vet. Here's the note from the Gofundme page,
http://www.gofundme.com/....
Jack, cat with one eye
Jack was born with anal atresia. We were so focused on his eyes that it took some time to realize there was a much more serious problem. Anal atresia means Jack does not have an anus. He has a fistula between his rectum and his urinary tract that allows him to pass feces through his urinary opening. This is very painful for Jack. A veterinary specialist has said that Jack can have surgery to create an anus and repair the fistula, but the cost is between $2600 & $3000. I simply cannot afford it. I will keep trying to raise funds for as long as I can, but I will not let Jack suffer either.
Sat Sep 20, 2014 at 5:59 AM PT: The donations have nearly doubled in just a couple days.