Remember Sangria, a Furkid of the Week in July? She was a shelter favorite with a reputation for her lively, spunky personality. We are heartbroken to tell you that Sangria died last week after a sudden illness. Sangria’s story is a sad one indeed. She was rescued from a filthy, cockroach-infested trailer in Gray, Georgia, where her owners used her as a kitten mill, pumping out litters of kittens. Furkids rescued her just in time, rushing her to emergency, where she almost died from labor complications and infection. Life changed for Sangria when she was adopted into a loving home. Then her owner was deployed with the U.S. Army to Afghanistan for 12 months. She asked Furkids to foster Sangria while she served our country. Tragically, her owner never returned. Sangria spent the last two years longing for a forever home. She never got that second chance. Shortly after Sangria got sick, seven other cats in our shelter – Belle, Beau, Carmen, Deliah, Fairy, Thea and Tiki -- developed the same symptoms and now are fighting for their lives. The Furkids staff, volunteers and veterinarians have devoted themselves to isolating the source of the problem, and while we’re not yet certain, initial test results point to certain food as a suspect. As a precaution, we have discontinued the suspected contaminated food, notified the supplier, and are following strict measures to identify other cats that could possibly be affected. During the past three weeks, Furkids has incurred about $12,000 in emergency room and urgent care, medications, lab tests and other costs related to treating sick cats and uncovering the source of the problem. Our emergency costs will increase because these little guys aren’t out of the woods yet. This is an emergency for Furkids! These costs fall far outside our operating budget, and we urgently need your help in meeting our mission. Please make a donation now and spread the word to your animal-loving friends, those in the Army or anyone who can help us remember Sangria and help the seven other cats recover. Thank you! GO HERE TO CONTRIBUTE