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October 25, 2005 telephone message:

“Hello, my name is Jade.  My husband and I are from New Orleans, Louisiana.  We are now staying with extended family in Hammond, Indiana.  Mike went back to pick up our belongings, and our cat, whom we had to abandon, was there greeting him at the door.  We can’t walk away from him again.  So we’re desperately trying to find a place to keep him until we can get a place of our own.  I need to do this before Mike gets on the plane on Thursday so he can bring PANZER back with him.  I have been calling animal shelters for two days.  If you have a space for our cat, please, please, call me.”

Of course, I did call Jade that evening, and a few days later she, Mike, and their youngest children carried Panzer into our home.  Since then they have been VALENTINE FAITHFUL in making the trip from Indiana once or twice a month to visit their cat and bring him gifts of food and cash to help support him.

PANZER himself is a big (18lb. now!), VALENTINE RED, melt-in-your-arms cat with an instant purr response and the sweetest, gentlest disposition.  There is no doubt that he loves their visits and patiently waits for the day when he will again live with his family in a new home of their own. 

But for now Panzer needs SPONSORING VALENTINES to help us with his intensive healthcare needs.  After spending all of September and October foraging in the floodwaters (the family lived next to the levees), Panzer came to us with many parasites including hookworms and one that is common to Gulf Coast animals but unfamiliar to most Midwest Veterinarians.  Panzer has open sores (4”x8”) on his back, and suffers a totally itchy body.  Dr. Cecilia Friberg, DVM at the specialty Animal Dermatology Center of Chicago, has seen this problem in other Gulf Coast animals, and has prescribed special ointments (Silver Sulfadiazine) 2x day, lyme-sulphur whole body dips, Aveeno oatmeal compresses, massive doses of antibiotics, cortisone spray, and hypo-allergenic foods.

These treatments follow many lab tests, cytology, biopsies, and consultations with veterinary university clearinghouses for problems of hurricane rescuees.  Some of you may have read the Chicago Tribune article in the Metro section of January 17, 2006, and you can check back on our website from time to time for more photos and updates about Panzer.

As you can imagine, all of these specialty vet visits, medications, treatments, and unique foods require a tremendous amount of our time and money.  People may question, “Is it worth it for one cat?”  Come and meet Panzer.  Look into his story-telling eyes.  Let him bury his head in your arms.  See him present himself as the super loving, non-complaining Valentine that he is, and that question will melt away!  Then meet his family and see their mutual devotion and you will want to help us restore Panzer to a healthy happy state before they are ready to go home together!

This is our TOUCHED BY AN ANIMAL mission:  to help people maintain their bond with their companion animals. We could not join the heroic rescue journeys to New Orleans that many wonderful organizations undertook, saving thousands of animals in trouble, but we can be here for the intensive care of one brave cat and his caring family.

We have been touched by Panzer and the Gribanov family as surely as humans are touched by the message of angels telling of the strength of God’s love. We hope you too are touched by Panzer’s story and will help us to heal him. We would love to decorate his isolation room with Get Well Valentines sent by our caring supporters and refill our depleting Special Care Fund with Valentine cash!