A few months ago, Laura Alvarado said, her family noticed a beautiful gray cat spending time in their backyard in Long Beach.
“The cat looked scared and it was hanging around in our yard. So we decided to rescue it. It was very friendly and it came to us,” Laura said. “My mom took the cat in the house and took care of her. We had never had cats, just dogs before. We got her the shots she needed and had her spayed.”
But not long after taking in the cat they named Beba, a beautiful short-haired gray domestic, the Alvarado family got some shocking news. Beba was pregnant – and she needed to have a cesarean section. Leticia, Laura’s mother, had taken Beba to Los Coyotes Pet Hospital, where she was examined by Dr. Sonah Jo.
In early April, the surgery was performed. None of the kittens survived. “Dr. Jo told us to give Beba a lot of love because cats mourn the death of their kittens,” Laura said. “We have been giving her as much love as we can and she’s doing great.”
The Alvarado family gets by on a limited income. Leticia had to quit her job to provide care for a son, Gustavo Jr., who is disabled. Gustavo, the father, can no longer work and gets a disability check. Laura works as a probation officer in Riverside. She spends half her days there and the other half at her parents’ home.
Dr. Jo told Leticia about Angel Fund. “We couldn’t have paid for the surgery without it,” Laura said. “When Angel Fund was brought to our attention, it was just a sigh of relief. We didn’t think when we rescued Beba, that we’d have to be so involved financially.
“Angel Fund was really great. What they did for us was amazing.” The grant was for $232.49, an amount matched by the hospital. “We were devastated by what happened,” Laura said. “We didn’t know what to do.” Angel Fund helped provide the Alvarado family with the answer.
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