Crouched between a wall and a wood pile in Rutland, shivering and in pain, a senior cat is now recovering at a local veterinarian thanks to the efforts of a resident and an Okanagan Humane Society volunteer. 

The Rutland resident found the feline at about 9 p.m. on Tuesday and noticed he had scratches on his body and was unable to move. 

First, she offered him food and tried to coax him out, but the black cat did not respond. 

That is when the resident turned to Facebook making a desperate plea for help.

A volunteer for OHS, Jasmine Lakusta, saw her post and responded within minutes.

鈥淎 friend shared the post with me and I knew right away that I needed to go and try to find him,鈥� said Lakusta. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 leave him to be cold, alone and in pain. No animal deserves that.鈥�

As Lakusta rushed to the scene she also arranged for immediate intake with Fairfield Animal Hospital, suspecting that the cat鈥檚 condition was critical.

Estimated to be 10 years old, the cat is experiencing kidney failure due to starvation, dehydration and hypothermia, said Romany Runnalls, volunteer president of OHS. 

鈥淚n his condition, it is unlikely that he could have survived another night outside alone,鈥� said Runnalls. 

Although the cat鈥檚 condition is critical, Runnalls says they鈥檙e not giving up hope.

鈥淲e never give up on an animal, especially when there is a chance for recovery. This cat isn鈥檛 actively suffering, and at this point, we believe that there is hope,鈥� she said. 

Members of the OHS team decided to name the cat 鈥淢iracle". 鈥淏ecause he needs one,鈥� explained Runnalls.

The cat is being kept warm and comfortable and will be closely monitored by the vet over the next few days to see if his condition improves.

鈥淭he unfortunate reality of rescue is that rescues can鈥檛 be scheduled,鈥� said Runnalls. 鈥淲e have volunteers monitoring intakes and peeking at Facebook groups constantly, so in times like these, we can respond to urgent calls for help. We don鈥檛 have to wait until 9 a.m. or whenever we open our doors because our volunteers are more than willing to take action when it鈥檚 needed.鈥�

OHS uses a foster model to bring animals into its care, meaning that pets move through veterinary offices partnered with OHS throughout the valley, and are housed by fosters who volunteer their time and supplies to care for animals in their homes.

Runnalls explained that calls like the one to help Miracle are to be expected at this time of year, as requests for help with lost or abandoned animals increase with food, water, shelter and warmth becoming more difficult to find.

鈥淐ats are domestic animals, they鈥檙e not equipped to survive outside,鈥� said Runnalls. 鈥淭hey rely on us to keep them alive and well with food, water and shelter. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 so crucial that we work together as a community to support these animals.鈥�

OHS serves a region from Osoyoos to the Shuswap responding to calls for lost, abandoned, stray and feral animals throughout the region. In 2024, the charity has already helped more than 3,700 animals and believes it will exceed 4,000 before the year is out.

The average cost of care for an animal is $300 and to save the approximate 4,000 animals expected to be brought to OHS, the charity needs to secure more than one million dollars in revenue.

To assist with this the OHS has launched its annual holiday fundraising campaign. Until Dec.31, all donations made to OHS will be matched up to $125,000. The campaign goal is to raise $250,000 for animals in need in the Okanagan Valley.

To make a donation that will be matched go to .