Healing Horatio: Customers and the Community Rally Around Seventh Son’s Beloved Cat
The neighborhood cat is well-known in Italian Village, so when he got sick, his fans quickly backed a fundraiser to help him and other pets with cancer.
Increasingly, businesses are expected to support their loyal employees, especially their medical needs. But when the employee in need is a beloved neighborhood cat, it turns out the community is also willing to step up.
Horatio the cat first wandered onto the premises of Seventh Son Brewing Co. in Italian Village a decade ago, instantly winning over owner Collin Castore and his employees. Over the years, Horatio has become a star within the brewery and beyond. Neighborhood residents and visitors have come to love him, and Seventh Son leaned in, naming him “assistant manager,” a title that inspired one of their most popular beers.
So when Horatio was diagnosed with fibrosarcoma, a malignant tumor, Castore didn’t hesitate to get him the help he needed from MedVet. But that bill wasn’t cheap, so he launched a GoFundMe fundraiser targeting $15,000 for radiation that could give the 10-year-old a few more years of a normal life.
That money wouldn’t just go toward Horatio, however. The funds would be split between the mascot and two causes: The UC Davis Feline Cancer Research Fund and Ellie’s Rainy Day Fund, an Ohio organization that assists with pet cancer treatments. It took barely two weeks to raise all $15,000. Castore says Seventh Son will keep the fundraiser alive for as long as people want to donate, providing the charities further funds.
“Pets are family,” Castore says, his voice full of emotion. “You’ve got to take care of them. Even unofficial pets.”
This story is from the May 2024 issue of Columbus Monthly.