The odds were already stacked against Esco when he was found as a stray near Sunnyside Restaurant in Adrian two weeks ago.

Esco arrived with a large, abscessed wound on his right rear leg, which our Hope Clinic team assessed and began treating immediately with high hopes that he would recover in no time. However, as they continued his physical exam, they noticed that his lymph nodes were enlarged and a simple blood test quickly confirmed their fears: Esco was also feline leukemia (FELV) positive.

Recent research has shown that cats who are otherwise healthy can live quality lives with FELV, which is an autoimmune disease similar to leukemia in humans. For Esco, however, we worried about how his compromised immune system would affect his leg’s ability to heal. He was ready to fight for his life though, and we promised we would do everything to help him.

Despite our high hopes for Esco, a third issue became apparent when a suspicious bald patch became visible on his head. Not only did Esco have FELV and a severely injured leg – he was also battling ringworm, a highly contagious fungus that is not life-threatening on its own.

With a trifecta of issues now stacked against him though, it wasn’t long before Esco’s immune system became overloaded. Esco’s ringworm grew from a dime sized spot above his right eye to covering his entire face within just a few days.

Antibiotics, antifungal medications, and even honey soaked bandages had no impact on Esco’s issues. With his raw, swollen face and injured leg that refused to heal, it was obvious that this brave boy was losing his fight to live.

Esco fought as hard as he could, but we had to listen to him when he finally pleaded for relief. Although we had only known him for two short weeks, it felt as if we had been fighting for his life for much longer. Esco crossed the Rainbow Bridge Tuesday afternoon surrounded by his new family, finally knowing compassion, love and dedication.

We promised Esco that his fight would not be in vain. Can you help us keep our promise? With a donation of any amount today, you can make sure every pet in our care gets the same fighting chance that Esco did. With your help, we can give second chances to future pets who enter our shelter battling FELV, severe injuries, ringworm and more. We can’t think of a better way to honor such a brave cat – can you?

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