Robin Hood, Who Survived a Near Fatal Bow and Arrow Wounding, Is Sent to a Sanctuary in Order to Live Out the Remainder of His Life

"We didn't want to send him back into the wild."
-- Abigail Appleton of the Humane Society of Pinellas County

Robin Hood, who was shot in his right front leg with a two-foot-long aluminum arrow in early summer, was transferred to a sanctuary in Sarasota operated by In Defense of Animals on October 22nd where he will be able to live out the remainder of his life. (See photo above of him in the back of his carrier upon arrival.)

He was discovered on June 16th at the junction of U.S. 19 and Whitney Road in the High Point neighborhood of Clearwater by feral cat caregiver Gail McFarland who promptly notified the Humane Society of Pinellas County (HSP). By that time Robin Hood already had been walking around with the arrow embedded in his leg for perhaps as long as forty-eight hours and surely would have died from either a loss of blood, infection, predation, or starvation if it had not been for McFarland's timely heroics and compassion.

Although he had to undergo a rather lengthy convalescence, he has now made a full recovery. (See photo below of him shortly after surgery.)

Initially, HSP had planned on putting him up for adoption but that plan was later aborted because of his feral nature. At In Defense of Animals, he will join other cats who have been victims of cruelty, abandonment, and sickness. Although not strictly limited to cats, the sanctuary has been caring for hundreds of animals in distress since its founding in 1989.

"We didn't want to send him back into the wild," HSP's Abigail Appleton told the St. Petersburg Times on October 20th. (See "Cat Shot by Arrow to Be Set Free in Sanctuary.")

Actually, almost any feral cat can be socialized to one degree or another provided that the appropriate amount of time and resources are invested in the project. There are not too many of them around, but there are nonetheless some extremely bright individuals who have the savoir-faire for such a demanding task.

Of course, HSP probably has neither the time nor the resources for such an undertaking. The best that therefore can be hoped for is that Robin Hood will have a long and happy life at the sanctuary.

At least he will be safe there against the machinations of those monsters who get their kicks by shooting down cats with bows. Nevertheless, it is a shame that no one could be found who was willing to have invested the resources needed to socialize him for domestic life. Considering all that he has been through, he most certainly deserved the special care that only a loving family is able to provide.

It is disturbing that no arrests have been made in this case. Despite the rash of cats who have been shot by archers in the Tampa area in recent years, neither the police nor humane officials can be prevailed upon to take these types of attacks seriously.

"For someone to be out there shooting him (Robin Hood) is just unimaginable to me," McFarland commented at the time of the rescue. "I don't know what kind of person does that. If they are going to hunt animals, what's next, children?" (See Cat Defender post of July 23, 2009 entitled "Robin Hood Is Wounded in the Leg in Yet Still Another Bow and Arrow Attack Upon a Cat in the Tampa Area.")

McFarland is making an important point. It is just too bad that the authorities are far too deaf to ever hear her.

Alles Gute, Robin Hood!

Photos: HSP and Bay News 9.