Spirit’s Story of Survival

Spirit was found in Altadena just days after the Eaton Fire broke out. He had burns all over his body and his whiskers were singed off. In fact, the burns on his paws were so bad that he could barely walk. Our veterinary team treated Spirit’s wounds, bandaging his paws and giving him fluids, oxygen, and pain medication. For over a month, this sweet boy continued to receive treatment in our ICU, slowly healing from his injuries. During that time, many people who lost black cats during the fire came to see if Spirit was theirs—but unfortunately, there was never a match.

As Spirit began to feel better, his personality blossomed. He loved being scratched on his head and would happily roll around on his back when he got attention. He was looking more and more like the cat we imagined he was before the fire. His fur and whiskers were starting to regrow, and his paws had finally healed enough for his bandages to be removed.

The day came when Spirit was ready to be adopted. Elizabeth had seen Spirit’s incredible story online and knew she needed to meet him—and once she did, she fell in love with his expressive face and sweet personality. When we took this photo, Spirit was already relaxing into her arms. He knew he was finally going home.

We are so happy for Spirit (now renamed Reggie) and his new family. We are incredibly thankful to everyone who sent words of support to our staff and cheered Reggie on during his recovery. It was incredibly emotional to witness this sweet boy’s adoption day, and we wish him a lifetime of joy!