**UPDATE 28th April**

Sometimes small miracles happen that make everything we deal with at the centre - from cruelty and neglect to serious injuries - all worthwhile.

Mighty Joe was all prepped and prepared for his operation to remove his front leg. We had had the chat with him that he would be coming home, we would care for him, love him and nurse him back to health and then find him a loving home. We had prepared his recovery accommodation and his medication. Everything was ready

Mighty Joe was resigned to the fact that he would be a three-legged cat from that point on.

Then the miracle happened...

The vet carried out an x-ray, which was required before the removal of the leg to determine the place to amputate from, and when Mighty Joe was coming round from the sedation, he began to show signs of feeling discomfort in his leg.

Our vet thought that Mighty Joe had regained some feeling and minor use in his leg and that some of the nerves in this leg were starting to recover. He said that Mighty Joe should not have his leg amputated at that time and that we should try physiotherapy and or hydrotherapy to help Mighty Joe recover more feeling. As a very big boy, if there is any hope that Mighty Joe can keep all four paws then we need to try.

Your generous and amazing donations mean that we can organise therapies for Mighty Joe with immediate effect. Mighty Joe is to receive a month's treatment to monitor any improvement and then a further assessment will be made. At this point the end decision is still uncertain, and his leg may still need to be amputated.

Mighty Joe has gone into a foster home to start his treatment and to have lots of love and care. He is already making himself at home and has worked out where the food cupboard is. He broke into the cupboard to help himself to his biscuits and was found fast asleep, very full and surrounded by cat biscuits.

Please keep checking our Facebook page for updates on Mighty Joes progress.

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Sadly, Joe recently arrived at Abbey Street via an RSPCA Inspector as a stray, due to his noticeable size and statue (he weighs a mighty 6.8kg) he was named Mighty Joe after the infamous Gorilla. Mighty Joe arrived, requiring immediate veterinarian assessment and treatment to determine the extent of an existing leg injury; it was evident that Mighty Joe was in some discomfort. After being examined by the veterinary team the results showed that Mighty Joe had previously dislocated his shoulder and, as this injury had gone untreated, the blood supply had reduced. Unfortunately, as a result, the muscle had wasted away making his front leg paralysed. Poor Mighty Joe also looked in a sorry state having spent so much time alone on the streets having to fend for himself.

To help Mighty Joe be more comfortable he requires an operation to remove his front leg. In total Mighty Joe's diagnosis, pre-operative care, operations and aftercare will cost the Centre in the region of £500.00 which is a huge amount for us to find.

The Animal Care Team are doing everything they can to make Joe more comfortable in the short term, however he is in desperate need of an amputation as he is currently dragging his leg around whenever he moves, which of course is not ideal and is causing Mighty Joe a lot of discomfort as it is resulting in him grazing his paw.

We rely entirely on the support and generosity of people like you, to help animals like Mighty Joe. It costs £10,000 per week to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome the many animals that require our help to find new loving homes. Our vet fees on a yearly basis cost in the region of £60,000 and we will continue to treat animals just like Mighty Joe for as long as we are needed.

Please support our life saving work by making a donation today. We don't have to tell you that every penny that we raise will support Mighty Joe and the 1,000s of animals that come through our doors just like Mighty Joe.