This is Dori, she has had a very rough time of things and now her owner wants to take her away from Iraq so she can have the life she deserves.  Dori had a very bad accident and was almost killed but due to her loving owners dedication she survived.  Her story is below along with some pictures (very graphic).

”Dori first came to our attention in Sep 2008 while standing next to one of the bins in the Danish Demining Group compound Basrah – she was around 8 months old at the time, Lone took her to her room, fed her a tin of tuna and the bond was established, after a quick house meeting it was decided that Ms Lone could keep her.  She was named Dori after one of the character from the Film “Finding Nemo” (she wasn’t the smartest cat on the block – bless!) 

After a happy 4 months Dori decided that it would be a good idea to jump onto the electricity transformer box inside the compound; maybe she was attracted by the hypnotic buzz and the warmth the transformer produces, they say “Curiosity Kill’s the Cat”, well it nearly did that day.  Dori managed to arc her-self between two of the electricity phases and 50,000 volts passed through her body, causing some horrific injuries.  How she survived is a mystery at least 5 other cats have met their destiny this way.  Apart from her front left hand paw (which swelled up to nearly the size of her head) she seemed fine but then the skin on her two legs started to peel off exposing muscle and tendons.  Her back right leg was the next to go; it appears the electricity passed through her body and exited through the Hock Joint (ankle in humans), the leg from the Hock Joint down was completely dead and started to decay; there was no saving the leg and it had to be removed.

Operation 1

We took advice from a UK Vet (Jasper Gale – many thanks Jasper!) on how to remove the leg, I went on R&R and bought a junior hack saw, Lone went to Denmark and managed to smuggle in some anaesthetic and suturing material and we were prepared to amputate the leg at the mid femur.  Then we found an Iraqi vet who said he would conduct the operation (after he offered to “give us a better cat, one with 4 legs” – I don’t think he grasped the pet concept!).  After clear instructions, with drawings supplied by Jasper, he performed the operation.  He took the leg off at what would be in human anatomy the shin bone; the flap of skin he folded over the stump when he closed the wound was not enough and the bone burst through the stitches.  Again, Jasper was called.  He made it clear that if the exposed bone was left, infection would set in and we would have no chance; Dori would die a slow and painful death.

Operation 2

The vet was asked to come in again and do it right!  We explained on the white board where to cut and how to do it.  I stayed with the vet for the first skin incision and all appeared to be going well, so I left to tell Lone he knows what he is doing and not to worry.  When I returned he had taken the leg off at the knee joint! What can we do, the poor little thing has now being through more trauma in her short lifetime than most people see in a lifetime.  After 2 weeks Lone and I took out the stitches (with the help of Dori) and she started her rehabilitation, again!

The Future

Dori is now completely healed physically, although she still needs the leg to be amputated properly before she develops long term mobility problems.  At least now she is pain free; it is one year today (09 Jan 10) since she ventured onto the transformer box!  With the help of Louise we hope to get Dori into Denmark with Lone; so Dori can start her new life with Lone and her other rescue cat from a Mine Action mission in Angola.  Lone promises not to work abroad again as there are too many cats that need to be saved!”

Dori’s owners, Andrew and Lone are desperate to get this little girl home.  Both of them work for the Danish Demining Group and will be leaving Iraq soon so we are aiming to try and get her out before the end of March.   For anyone wishing to know more about the humanitarian efforts of the group please visit DDG