May 13 (UPI) -- A Houston woman celebrated her cat's 15th birthday with a quinceañera that went viral online and ended up saving a local animal rescue group.
Miranda Gonzalez said she had been dreaming of throwing a quinceañera for her cat, Holly Marie Gonzalez, ever since getting the feline as a kitten 15 years ago.
"It was always a dream of mine since she was little," Gonzalez told The Dodo. "I wanted to celebrate our life together and show everyone my love for her!"
She said planning started in earnest when Holly was approaching her 14th birthday.
"It took me months to plan," Gonzalez said. "I had friends and family as padrinos, which are people who donate and help with the event. It was very detail-oriented."
The party ended up having a grand entrance for Holly in a remote-controlled Bentley, a father-daughter dance, an elaborate cake and even a full mariachi band, who said it was their first time playing a quinceañera for a cat.
"It was a quinceañera. I really wanted to go all out to celebrate my love for her," Gonzalez told KHOU-TV.
The celebration also served as a fundraiser for struggling animal rescue Almost Home Cat Haven. Videos Gonzalez posted online ended up going viral, causing donations to the rescue to skyrocket.
Deena Urich, managing director of Almost Home Cat Haven, said the donations took the rescue from the verge of closing to financial stability.
"It has been a ride all week long. We have been blessed beyond," Urich said. "Every time we think I don't know if I can keep doing this, some blessing will drop in. And this time it was Miranda, her family and Holly's blessed day she got to have."
