An animal sanctuary started a fundraising campaign to pay for surgery to remove the damaged eye of Welcomea baby seal found last month on a beach near Newquay, in Cornwall, England.
According to the media Need To KnowAbeona came to the team after being found on October 8 by volunteers and initially transferred to the Rescue of Marine Life by British Divers (BDMLR), a UK voluntary charity that rescues marine animals such as seals, dolphins, whales and turtles.
At the time of rescue, Abeona was underweight for her age and his left eye was completely closed. After two weeks of care with antibiotics and painkillers, she began to show slight improvements before being sent to the hospital. Cornish Seal Sanctuarya rescue and rehabilitation center, where he continued his rehabilitation.
Adeba was found underweight and with a damaged eye on a beach in Cornwall, England. Photo: Facebook/Cornish Seal Sanctuary.The follow-up was carried out by the veterinary team of Rosevean Veterinary Practicewho administered anti-inflammatories and antibiotic eye drops in the hope of recovery. However, after several weeks, professionals assessed that the damage was irreversible and recommended removal of the eye as the option that would give him the best quality of life and the possibility of a full recovery.
The caregivers described Abeona as a feisty calf with a great appetite for fish, a fact that favors her nutritional recovery and adaptation after the operation.
«Abeona has been such a brave puppy from the moment she arrived,» he said. Beth Goodridgeanimal care specialist at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary. The team is confident that the seal will quickly adapt to seeing with only one eye and will maintain good social behavior with other pups.
Donations and community support for the well-being of Abeona
Through a Facebook post, the sanctuary enabled a link to receive donations with the aim of covering the costs of the intervention and aftercare, estimated at approximately £1,500, a little more than 1,900 US dollars. The campaign seeks to cover both the surgery and the postoperative follow-up necessary to guarantee comfort and recovery.
Veterinarians consider that eye removal It will offer Abeona the best opportunity to live pain-free and to integrate with other offspring when she is ready. The procedure will also reduce the risk of recurring infections and other complications that could worsen your condition.
The campaign seeks to cover both the surgery and the postoperative follow-up necessary to guarantee comfort and recovery. Photo: Facebook/Cornish Seal Sanctuary.Goodridge indicated that They tried everything to save the eye and that now surgery was the most appropriate option to avoid pain and complications, and to give the calf a real chance to recover.
«Seals are incredibly resilient animals, and we are all rooting for her to make a full recovery and return to the wild where she belongs,» he said.
The team is confident that the seal will quickly adapt to seeing with only one eye and will maintain good social behavior with other pups. Photo: Facebook/Cornish Seal Sanctuary.Once recovered, the sanctuary’s plan is for Abeona to join other chicks in the colony and, when they have the appropriate health and weight conditions, they proceed to return them to the sea. This possibility motivates the campaign and the mobilization of volunteers and donors.
The funding request and veterinary follow-up show coordination between BDMLR, Rosevean Veterinary Practice and the Cornish Seal Sanctuary to ensure Abeona’s welfare and eventual return to the wild.
