Galen Kusic, Editor

(This article was originally published in the Dec. 6 print version of the Herald)

Solano County Friends of Animals is a no-kill animal rescue organization serving Solano County. The non-profit is 100 percent volunteer run and every penny raised goes straight to the animals.

This weekend, a fundraiser will be held at Pet Food Express in Benicia for Elsa, a stray cat that recently had emergency surgery to amputate her hind leg.

Elsa was adopted in 2012 as a kitten but somehow ended up being a neighbor’s stray for the past four to five years. She was being fed by several neighbors until one of them noticed she had a growth on her back leg that appeared to be growing aggressively.

Katie Copeland found her crying in pain and noticed that the growth had opened up. She contacted Solano County Friends of Animals hoping they would help her. Besides the growth, Elsa had many scratch marks as the other neighborhood cats started to attack her due to her injuries.

Solano County Friends of Animals held a fundraiser for Elsa, who recently had her hind leg amputated.

Elsa was approved for services as a community assist and was taken to Broadway Pet Hospital where it was determined that she needed emergency surgery. The growth was cancerous and beside having ruptured, it was pushing into a leg bone causing it to bow and create pain.

“Katie decided to foster her while she recovered from the surgery. Elsa is very sweet and loving. She deserves to spend the rest of her life safe and secure in a loving home. She will be available for adoptions soon,” said Solano County Friends of Animals President Leona Edejer.

The fundraiser is being held to help pay for the medical bills and to find Elsa a permanent home. It will take place on Sat. Dec. 7 from noon to 5 p.m. and Sun. Dec. 8 from noon to 3 p.m. at 838 Southampton Rd. in Benicia, where a Cat Nip Toy Christmas Tree is being raffled off to pay for her $2,500 in medical fees.

“Individual donations can also be made at through the Pet Food Express registers by stating ‘this is for Elsa’,” said Edejer.

Solano County Friends of Animals will hold another fundraiser on Dec. 14 from noon to 3 p.m. at Pet Food Express called “Pet Pictures with Santa.” For a small donation of $10, you can bring your pets down to take pictures with Santa to create joyous holiday memories for years to come.

Over 150 members of the Benicia-based organization are dedicated to reducing the population of unwanted and abandoned pets in the community for the last 25 years by providing adoption services and low cost spay/neuter options.

All animals adopted from Solano County Friends of Animals will come spayed/neutered, micro-chipped, and up to date on all vaccinations. Though the non-profit does its best to work with all small mammals, the primary focus is on cats and kittens.

With the slogan “no more homeless pets,” Solano County Friends of Animals volunteers work hard everyday to help animals find homes and stay healthy and safe.

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