Faces of No-Kill: Cat noses way into vet’s heart

Veterinary surgeon Dr. Christina Boekhout has seen it all in her practice. However, no pet has ever stood out to her quite like Stone Cold, a gray tabby from the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in Salt Lake City. Not only did this gentle giant have the most easygoing personality, but he also had a shocking injury: a hole in his nose.

The Best Friends veterinary team was waiting to examine Stone Cold when he arrived from a local shelter partner. “He had a very deep hole on the bridge of his nose. It kind of went down into his nasal cavity,” says Dr. Megan McCarthy, Best Friends veterinarian. “He was having a hard time breathing that way.”

The team referred Stone Cold to a specialist to examine the wound, which had left the inner lining of his nose exposed. No one is exactly sure what caused the hole, other than some type of trauma. From exams to radiographs to a CT scan, Stone Cold kept his friendly demeanor every step of the way.

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Dr. Christina determined that surgery was the best course of action. The procedure would allow Stone Cold to breathe normally and give him the best chance at a healthy future.

“We essentially cleaned up all the dead tissue and then were able to stitch it back together to close the hole,” says Dr. Christina. “If we had not intervened with Stone, he most likely would have developed a life-threatening infection.”

After a smooth surgery, Stone Cold’s wound had to be protected for several weeks, and he needed to stay in a small area to help keep him calm. Despite these challenges, he remained a model patient.

Stone Cold is just one of the Best Friends pets Dr. Christina and her team have operated on over the years. “It’s rewarding to work on animals from rescue because they not only need medical care, but they need emotional care and love,” she says. “It’s really nice not only to do the surgery but to get to comfort them and snuggle them.”

While Dr. Christina connects with every pet she treats, the bond she developed with Stone Cold was different. “Stone and I just clicked,” she says. “He was absolutely coming home with me.”

After being adopted, Stone Cold quickly adapted to life with Dr. Christina’s family, which includes her husband, two young children, and two dogs. “When I brought him home, he laid down in the middle of my entire family for a belly rub. That’s when I knew he was the perfect fit,” she says.

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Today, life is all about cuddles and playtime. “He loves to play with the string feather toy with my son. I wake up every morning, and they’re chasing each other around the house. He even naps on my husband’s chest pretty routinely,” says Dr. Christina, adding that her spouse was nervous about getting a cat in the first place. But bringing Stone Cold home was a decision that changed all their lives for the best.

Though Stone Cold will always look a little different, his unique appearance only adds to his charm — the same charm that won over Dr. Christina. He’s no longer defined by his nose but by the joy he brings to his family.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill in 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.