The Dart That Nearly Killed Xena.
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6 photos · 1 video
About this campaign
Evil walks among us.
On 9/5/26 at 9 pm, we received a message about a dead cat and an injured kitten at the Honeysuckle Exxon in Erin, Tennessee. Both appeared to have been shot with darts from a large blowgun. The kitten had a dart completely through her torso and was hiding beneath a storage container.
Early Sunday morning (9/6/26), one of our staff members was able to rescue her and rush her to Nashville Veterinary Services (an Emergency Vet) for a CT scan and emergency surgery. Despite her horrific injuries, this sweet baby was purring and making biscuits as she was taken back for treatment. One mm above, and her spine would be severed. One mm below, and her aorta would be punctured and she would have bled out. Her veterinary bill is over $10,000. We need help.
This is NOT a solution to animal overpopulation. Cruelty is never the answer. Thankfully, an adult and two juveniles have been arrested and charged with Aggravated Cruelty to Animals x 3 (Class E Felony) in the State of TN.
Updates
October 2, 2026
Xena Is One Step Closer to Being a Kitten Again!
We have some wonderful news about our little survivor!
Xena just had another cast change, and she is doing very well! Her healing continues to progress, and we are incredibly hopeful that in just two more weeks, she may finally be out of her cast.
At her next appointment, the veterinary team will sedate her and take X-rays to make sure everything has healed properly. If her healing continues as it has been, she could finally be CAST-FREE!
That would be an enormous milestone for Xena.
After everything this tiny kitten has endured, we are dreaming of the day when she can put all of this behind her and simply be a normal kitten - running, playing, climbing, wrestling with toys, and getting into all the mischief a kitten should.
It is hard to believe how far she has come. Xena was found with a dart completely through her torso, just millimeters from a catastrophic injury. She underwent emergency surgery and has spent weeks recovering in a cast.
And now, she is getting closer and closer to the life she should have had all along.
Thank you to everyone who has donated to Xena's Waggle campaign and helped us get her this far. Her medical care has been extensive, and every donation has helped us continue saying "yes" to this little girl when she needed us most.
Please continue to share Xena's story and help us get her medical fund across the finish line.
Two more weeks, Xena. We are rooting for you! 🐾❤️
Here's to a cast-free future and a very happy, very spoiled kitten!
Xena update! 
Xena update!
- Location
- Burns, TN • Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue
- Species:
- Cat
- Breed:
- Mix-Breed
- Age:
- 7 months old
- Sex:
- Female