'He's very affectionate': Burlington Humane Society starts fundraising campaign for cat's facial reconstruction surgery

The Burlington Humane Society is raising money to help offset the costs of an extensive facial reconstruction surgery for a cat in its care.

Dante, an eight-year-old grey shorthair cat, had a rare bone infection that caused a large bone growth on his lower jaw. That created a severe overbite that made it difficult for him to eat.

Dante underwent several surgeries, with one alone costing $9,000.

Veterinarians removed the dead bone as well as a number of soft-tissue cists that had formed. He also had surgery to realign his jaw and remove his remaining teeth.

Despite all he's been through, Dante, remains very friendly. He came into the shelter as a surrender from an elderly owner who could no longer keep him due to a change in living arrangements.

He's very affectionate," said Doug Shirton, the Burlington Humane Society's executive director. As soon as he's recovered, we'll put him up for adoption. We've already had a lot of interest."

The GoFundMe campaign, started earlier this month, has raised $7,215 of the $10,000 goal.