When it comes to special animals, Alex can only be described as super special. Adopted as a young kitten from the local SPCA, he first won my heart by stretching his paw out of his cage, and crying out what seemed to be "don't forget me" when I made my adoption selection. Tiny and alone in the cage, he so wanted to be loved. And no, I did not forget about him.

Alex is smart and talented, catches treats in his mouth, and even though cats love to sleep through the day, Alex follows me wherever I go and struggles to stay awake. If by chance he dozes off and awakes to find me gone, he cries his little heart out until he hears me calling from another room. He loves watching television with me, gets along with all the other animal family members, and sleeps by my side every night. He's the best pal ever.

Recently I noticed Alex, now 10 years old, had difficulty urinating and was only going a few drops at a time. I took him to the vet and after x-rays and ultra-sound it was confirmed Alex had bladder stones requiring surgery. Luckily we have the most skilled and compassionate animal doctor ever, Dr. Jonathan Gonzalez at Harleysville Veterinary Hospital. It took Alex about a week to recover but the procedure was completely successful and Alex is now better than ever!

Going through that experience with Alex made me realize, what if I couldn't have afforded the medical care for Alex? His condition would have led to complete blockage and kidney failure. I would have lost him, and that would have been unbearable. And so, For the Love of Alex was born. And every time we help save a pet's life, it's a beautiful thing.