Christine Wise was pulling weeds outside her home on Church Road in Lehigh Township April 11 when the unthinkable happened.

Wise said she was tending her lawn with her feline companion, Kitty, who was rolling around in the dirt and enjoying the fresh air, when a gray Volkswagen came speeding down the road, despite the 30 mph speed limit.

The vehicle reportedly swerved to the side of the road where Kitty was, striking the cat and dragging him away. Wise said he must have gotten stuck beneath the car’s low profile.

“I thought I would never see him again,” Wise said. “I’m distraught over witnessing this. I’m completely heartbroken.”

She searched the area hoping for a sign of Kitty - with no luck.

Wise reached out to her neighbors on the Nextdoor app. The app allows neighbors to “come together to greet newcomers, exchange recommendations and read the latest news,” according to its website.

Wise wanted to let her neighbors know about the speeding car. She simultaneously wanted to inform them to spread awareness, possibly get information on the driver in case anyone else saw anything and receive some support. On this last point, her neighbors came through.

“Everyone started praying for me, my family and especially for Kitty,” Wise reported. “Within two days, there were hundreds of people praying. Anyone who believes in the power of prayers knows what I’m about to testify to.”

A few days after the incident, Wise’s prayers were answered, and Kitty came limping home. On April 16, Kitty appeared in the driveway and entered through the cat door at Wise’s residence.

He was immediately taken to the vet, as he was clearly in distress. According to Valley Central Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Whitehall, Kitty’s pelvis was displaced and had multiple fractures from being struck by the vehicle.

The operation was expected to cost $4,000-$6,000, not including the fee for an emergency veterinary visit.

“Being that we couldn’t afford the surgery, they gave us pain medication to administer for him for the next five days, and we went home,” Wise said. “He laid on my bed the rest of the night and never moved.

“He was in so much pain,” Wise added. “I thought to myself, ‘God would not have brought Kitty back to me just to take him back days later.’”

Wise was keeping her neighbors updated on the Nextdoor app. Her group, “Help for Kitty,” currently has approximately 90 members. She started getting messages from people asking how they could donate to the surgery.

Wise started a GoFundMe page, so people could contribute to Kitty’s care. Once the donations started coming in, Wise called the vet and scheduled the surgery for April 19.

Surgery went well, and Kitty is recovering at home.

Wise is reaching out to the community for one more time to help pay off the balance of the vet bill for Kitty’s surgery.

“I am asking anyone who is in the position to help with Kitty’s medical bills to please donate either to the GoFundMe that has been set up or directly to the veterinarian’s office,” Wise said.

The GoFundMe page can be found at gofund.me/bdf0a059. The fundraising page has raised $1,760 out of the $7,000 goal, as of May 3. Or you can call the veterinarian directly at 610-435-1553, ext. 7, and tell them you want to donate to Kitty’s medical bills.

“I believe Kitty was brought back to me to remind people, especially myself, that there are still lots and lots of wonderful people in the world and not to give up on humanity,” Wise said.