Tuesday

Mickey the cougar could barely walk when rescuers found him.

Mickey had languished for years in a nightmarish backyard zoo in Alabama that was operating without a license — its USDA license was revoked in 2006. It had been discovered that the woman running the zoo, which was also serving as the local dog pound, was feeding domesticated dogs to her exotic cats. Big Cat Rescue was determined to save any animals it could from this horror story.

In 2014, Big Cat Rescue negotiated with the owner of the captive wild animals, and last August she finally surrendered Mickey to the Tampa-based rescue organization. When Mickey was finally rescued, he was emaciated, his teeth were rotting and his legs were so debilitated from what specialists believed were torn ACLs that he could barely stand up. After further examinations, veterinarians determined that Mickey's knees were ravaged, with no ligaments or cartilage left at all.

Veterinarians tailored surgeries for Mickey to give him every chance possible at a happy life. The doctors used artificial ligaments to stabilize Mickey's knee and helped him learn how to walk again with physical therapy. "He's never going to walk perfectly but he's doing incredibly well, and he's able to get around on his own," Bass said. "We're so happy to be able to give him a home for the rest of his life."


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Responses to "Cougar rescued from a painful life in a horrible zoo is learning to walk again"

  1. Anonymous says:

    the people who do this to animals should be dam well shot theres no excuse for this horror on this beautful cat its time the world punished these mongerals and make them suffer the same as they do to the poor animals the law needs to chage to protect the animals more and karma needs to act quickly Val in Perth Western Australia

  2. Amy L says:

    It is incomprehensible the things that humans do to each other, animals, and the planet. I just don't get how someone can consciously and purposely harm an animal. It makes me rage, it makes me incredibly sad, and it makes me wish the unthinkable on these cretins. I'd love nothing more than to do to those what they have done to animals and humans!! -- PNW Washington.

  3. Unknown says:

    Zoos should be banned in my opinion.

  4. Ginnie says:

    It makes me so angry when animals are found to be in this kind of state of their life. Any person owning and letting an animal go to this extreme should be shot; that's my opinion. I am so glad that Mickey was given a second chance to life and be able to live out his life in a caring and loveable area.

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