A one-eyed cat named Willy (yes, One-Eyed Willy) stayed in the North Shore Animal League America for 1,461 days before he was adopted. The long wait was due to the cat's condition after he encountered a car accident.
The young black and white cat was brought to Animal League America's Lewyt Medical Center after he suffered multiple traumatic injuries after being hit by a car. he had several facial fractures, loss of one eye, permanent loss of vision in the other and neurological defects, The Dodo reported. Veterinarians expected Willy to recover after a few months, but it took years before he finally became eligible for adoption.
When Willy was ready for adoption, Tom Zukowski and his wife Lori saw Willy's photos online and decided to give him a home. The couple just lost their beloved cat Max. Despite not being ready to accept a new cat yet, they knew they were the right family for Willy.
"My wife's always had an affinity for cats and when I saw how great it felt to give Max a home with everything he needed to live the rest of his life to the fullest, I was totally on board with doing the same for Willy," said Tom, who has helped raise more than $13,000 to help animals. "He's such a loveable cat and it was really an emotional day when we took him home. Many of the people who work over there who have gotten to know him over the years were in tears saying goodbye to him. How could you not love an animal that's been through so much and persevered?"
