One early morning in April, as Saria A. hurried to get ready for work, a split-second accident changed the course of her day.

As she closed her bedroom door, her beloved cat, Argyle, slipped through the doorway.

“His tail got slammed in the door,” Saria recalls. “I felt terrible, but the hallway was darkened, and I didn’t see him.”

Distraught, she rushed Argyle to an emergency veterinary hospital, only to discover the cost of treatment was beyond her reach. Then she remembered the ASPCA Community Veterinary Clinic in the Bronx, where she had once accompanied a friend. Staff referred her to the ASPCA Community Veterinary Clinic by The Rachael Ray Foundation™ in Queens, where they could get Saria an appointment immediately.

From left, Dr. Wesleigh Porter surgically amputated the tip of Argyle’s tail with guidance from Dr. Eloise Cucui. Top: Dr.…