Posted: June 4, 2008 2 a.m. EDT
Patches the cat needs an expensive surgery as a result of a spinal cord injury. To help their parents pay for the estimated $700 in veterinary bills, 10-year-old Aspen Granath and her 8-year-old brother, Skylar, set up a lemonade stand in their Ogden, Utah, neighborhood, The Associated Press reports.
“(I’ll) do this as long as it takes,” Aspen said, explaining that Patches is one of her favorite pets. A hand-drawn sign asks stand customers to “Buy a drink, help my cat.” Aspen and Skylar have been open for business for just a few days, but they say they plan to operate the stand at least four hours a day.
Patches’ recently suffered a spinal cord injury that caused partial paralysis. Patches’ veterinarian recommended amputation of the affected leg to help give the cat a more normal life.
Lemonade stand customers can help the Granath children help their cat by making a small purchase: Bottles of water cost $1, while packets of powdered lemonade or fruit juice cost 25 cents.