Ode to Billie
Billie, beloved inspiration for the Billie Emergency Fund, has passed away. Read her remarkable story below and help us celebrate her life and legacy.
Billie’s relationship with Alley Cat Advocates starts in August 2001, when we were called to a neighborhood to help spay a momma cat and, eventually, her kittens. A property owner (Billy) had seen this momma cat carrying her kittens, one by one, over the privacy fence in his back yard. Unfortunately, with the last kitten in her grasp, the momma cat slipped and caught her leg between the slats of the fence. In horrible pain, she cried for help. Property owner Billy rushed to her aid. He released her from the fence and she scampered away, dragging a horribly wounded and broken leg behind her.
Because we knew she was injured, our volunteers stayed in the neighborhood for hours trying to trap her. Hours dragged into days and days dragged into weeks. But we were determined. And, three weeks after her leg was broken, we were successful. Billie (as she was now called) was trapped – and just in time to be spayed at one of our BIG FIXes.
Alley Cat Advocates has created the Billie Emergency Fund in honor of sweet Billie.
Unfortunately, three weeks with a wounded, broken leg had taken its toll on Billie and she was in grave condition. Gangrene had set into her leg and no amount of antibiotic care was going to save it. We knew that options were two in number: Euthanize this beautiful, determined momma kitty or find the funds to amputate her leg. Of course, wonderful people stepped up to provide us the funds we needed and her leg was amputated.
Billie recovered from her amputation and her spay and came to live with the founder of our organization as, being three legged, we questioned whether she would be ok if returned home. Watching her run and play with her new found kitty friends taught us that she would likely have been just fine back home!!!!
Billie never wanted to be touched by humans, even after 12 years, as she was critically ill and dying of (suspected) FIP, touching by those who had fed her, twice a day, for each of those 12 years, was not allowed. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t loved and cherished. (And well fed and warm!)
As the first cat to come to one of Alley Cat Advocates’ BIG FIXes in grave condition, it was she that taught us loud and clear that having funds to help critically wounded or ill community cats was an essential part of our mission. She embodied that need.
If you would like to help us help future Billies, please consider giving a gift in her name. Specify that the funds go to the Billie Emergency Fund and we’ll see that future Billie’s are put back together so that they can live full, happy lives – just like momma cat Billie.
Visit our donation page or mail your gift marked “Billie” to Alley Cat Advocates at 3524 Newburg Rd., Louisville, KY, 40218.