MEET SPARROW

Little Sparrow has had a rough start to his life. 

Last fall, the then 8-month-old kitten was hit by a car that shattered his pelvis and legs. Luckily a Good Samaritan took him to an emergency hospital, which asked Trish Malone, the vice president of the the Clifton-based Angels of Animals, to take him in. 

Trish quickly brought Sparrow to Animal Emergency and Referral Associates in West Caldwell, where Dr. Brian Brophy performed intensive pelvic reconstruction to repair his wounds. 

While recovering at Trish's home, Sparrow began having seizures, which led Dr. Brophy to discover that Sparrow had a liver shunt -- a large blood vessel on the outside of his liver -- "that is a fatal condition if left uncorrected," says Trish. 

A grant from PAW helped cover the cost of Sparow's surgeries: the first needed to repair his broken pelvis and the second to repair the shunt, a congenital condition. 

Both surgeries were successful. "The post-op diagnostics were perfect - his liver is functioning normally," says Trish, who is "thrilled" to have received the grant.

Sparrow is recovering wonderfully and gained three much-needed pounds since the liver shunt surgery, bringing him to 9 pounds.

"We are so happy with his progress," says Trish. "He’s very happy, and he and his best friend Dove (another foster cat) have been playing like kittens together. It’s nice to see him feeling so well!"

To follow Sparrow's progress, go to Angels of Animals: Facebook @angelsofanimalsinc 
​Instagram @angelsofanimalsinc