Fred is a two-year-old Domestic Shorthair cat in Portland, OR, who needs $800 for urgent ear surgery.

The air was thick and heavy with choking smoke. The sky was blood red-orange. Flames from an Oregon wildfire were closing in, and the clock was ticking on their lives.

In the midst of this danger and chaos, Hyde J. and his ten-year-old daughter, Sophie, were on a mission to save a group of stray cats before the blaze reached the area where the animals lived. "We were wearing masks because it was impossible to breathe," Hyde tells Waggle. "The interstate next to us was shut down. The visibility was limited. We were out there with a couple of humane traps and a giant fishing net."

If they didn't get the cats out quickly the animals might not make it. "We knew they were going to be frantic," Hyde says. "When the flames hit, the cats would not know where to go. They might run right into the fire or not realize someone was trying to help them."

During this race against time, the father and daughter duo spotted the saddest and sickest looking cat they've ever seen. "He was near death," Hyde recalls. "He had flies sticking to his face and his head. I said, 'I've got to take this guy home. I need to do something for him.' He just had the energy that he was about ready to leave the planet, and someone had to step in and help him."

When Sophie saw the cat's deteriorating condition, she burst into tears. "He was so infested with parasites he would wobble back and forth," Hyde adds. "My daughter shouted, 'Dad please get him! Please get him!'"

Hyde soon realized the cat had trouble hearing. "I saw I had an advantage," he says. "I could sneak up behind to get him. I told my daughter to distract him-- get him to look at her while I snuck up with the net. It worked! I grabbed him, and we got him out of there!"

They named the cat Fred and he was in even worse shape than they originally thought. His eyes were runny. He had files attacking his face and blood coming out of his ears. Fred was also dehydrated and malnourished. "The moment I saw him, he broke my heart. I've seen everything you can imagine. I've been working with animals since 1986," Hyde exclaims.

Hyde made sure Fred got round-the-clock medical care and eventually the cat started to heal, and blossom into a wonderful, loving family member. But a horrible ear mite infestation left Fred with a massive bleeding polyp in his ear the size of a quarter. When he shakes his head, blood spatters all over.

The medical staff at DoveLewis Emergency Veterinary Animal Hospital is ready to operate on Fred and remove the growth, but Hyde is trying to come up with the money for this unanticipated surgery. He is unemployed because of COVID. "I am the dad of four kids, and my wife has a disability. I was a social worker who worked for a major non-profit for kids. Unfortunately, I was let go in July since my job requires "in the community" contact. I'm in dire straights," Hyde says.

Hyde and his family turned to Waggle for help, and young Sophie wrote a letter about Fred she wanted to share: "This cat means a lot to me. I try to make him as comfortable as possible. I taught him how to purr and how to be loved. Whenever I walk into the room, Fred starts purring. He loves a good story. His favorite are James Herriot stories. I check out special books at the library for him. When I read to him, he purrs. It is almost like he is saying that he likes the story. He especially likes scratches on the head. I love him so much. I would be very thankful if we could raise money for his surgery to keep him alive."