So You Want Your Own Rescue?

Before I write any further, I wanted to thank everyone that commented or sent me private emails pertaining to my concerns and fears for my son.  If you missed it, you can read about it here.  I've read him many of your supportive comments and emails.  Many of you shared some pretty private stuff.  So far, he's doing ok and remains with us and out of contact with his abusive girlfriend.

Can't I just go back to buying Ninja Turtle stuff and Pokemon cards?  I miss those days.

It was a rough day.  Our "Melvin" passed away.  You can read about him here.  I always grieve for every loss of little life.  But it's been a while since I sobbed after authorizing his euthanasia this afternoon.  Losing Melvin really hurt.  I guess I put myself too far out on an emotional limb.  Maybe I've just been too stressed. Who knows?  But if you had met Melvin, you would've loved him too.  His vet bills will be in the thousands of dollars.  Ugh :(

Lately, there's been lots of talk on social media sites about several "rescues" that shouldn't be calling themselves "rescues".  Some people are starting a rescue of their own.  But you need more than just a name to start a rescue.

Let me tell you what you're buying into:

1.  You'll be financially and emotionally responsible for EVERY cat and EVERY volunteer in your organization.

2.  You'll need to be available 7 days per week and 24 hours per day.

3.  Looking for volunteers?  Good luck with that - so is every animal rescue organization.  What makes you think you're so special?

4.  YOU will be the only one that can say, "Yes, I authorize the euthanasia."  and accept the consequences of those actions.  You'll have to deal with your own grief and those of the volunteer that has loved him.

5.  After you've spent THOUSANDS of dollars on a kitten that has died anyway, you'll have to sit and wonder if you made the right decision.  Think of the cats you could've saved with that money!

6.  Then you realize:  He was worth every penny.

7.  People will get angry with you.  They'll adopt a wonderful, healthy cat who will get sick two weeks after adoption and they'll blame you.  They'll want their money back.  They'll want to give back the cat.  They'll threaten to tell all their friends how shitty YOUR rescue is, and it'll be your job to professionally choke back what you REALLY want to say and give them their money back so you can bring back the cat into your rescue and away from those assholes who shouldn't have adopted him anyway.

8.  You'll need money.  LOTS of money.  Money for spays and neuters, vaccinations, deworming, and vet exams.  There will be worried foster parents that will call you at 2 am about a limping kitten and x-rays that will be needed.  There will be "Melvins" that cost thousands of $$'s and you can't say that you don't have the money to treat him.  The cat AND the volunteer that loves him are counting on YOU to make sound financial decisions for the rescue to insure that there is always enough money for emergencies.

9.  Of course, you'll want your adoption fee to include the spay or neuter surgery.  If you're a legitimate rescue and are concerned about cat overpopulation, you'll insist on it.  Who is going to pay the vets?

10.  Ah yes.  Our hardworking veterinarians!  They deserve to get paid on time.  How quickly your bills will add up!!  It's always more than you think it's going to be.  Our rescue has 22 affiliated veterinarians to insure that ALL of our volunteers and adopters have a clinic nearby.

11.   Your family won't be happy because the calls will come in during movies, dinners, and family events.  They'll glare at you as it rings....AGAIN.    You can turn off your cell phone, but you know it'll be ringing and the voicemails will be waiting for you.  Your heart will always be thinking about who might be calling.

12.  Bookkeeping.  Yes, Revenue Canada (Canadian IRS) will want to know what you're doing.  Even if you're not a Registered Canadian Charity, you'll still have to keep track of your accounts.  Don't know the difference between a credit and a debit?  That's a shame.  Find somebody who does.

13.  How will all these cats that you're rescuing get adopted?  Sure, you want to help them all.  People will constantly call you.  You'll have to learn to say "no".  Your heart will hurt when they ask you to rescue a black cat and you already have 20 in your program.  Foster parents will wonder why THEIR foster cat hasn't been adopted.

14.  Think this isn't a business?  Think again.

15.  Just as you think things are organized and you have a moment to breathe, one of your foster parents will need a break and a cat will need to be moved, or an adopted cat is being returned because it's pee'ing on the couch.  Of course, the adopter didn't get the urine tested!  You'll have to pay for that when the cat comes back!

Believe me - I've barely scratched the surface.  I'm sure those who are reading could add to this list - please do!!!  

Negative post tonight?  Maybe.  But don't let it fool you - Cat rescue has been by far the most rewarding thing I've ever done with my life.  I love the people that I work with and I wake up each day wondering who will be adopted and who I can help.  I'm frustrated, frightened and my anxiety is always peaked.  But I wouldn't trade my life for anything.

A Different Blog Post

The urgent calls for abandoned kittens and pregnant Mom cats have now been replaced with calls about young cats (probably born in spring) that are outside for the upcoming winter.  It's a never ending cycle that keeps me constantly on edge.  Each day I look at the weather and am  grateful for the momentary lapse in frigid weather.

I don't really have anything controversial to write about today.  I've started to write about the several local "rescues" who have turned out to be hoarders and one in particular who continues to dodge the authorities.  Sometimes I'm in the mood to argue a point and other times...well...I feel too beaten up to do it.

My 25 year old son fled his apartment where he lived with his girlfriend and 2 cats the other night.   He showed up at our door at 7 am with 2 cats and all of his belongings.  We knew that the girl was abusive and my son was "battered".  But he wouldn't leave her and despite numerous attempts and begging from us he'd go back.  He came home bruised and a bone broken in his foot where she stomped on it.   Apparently, he woke up in the middle of the night with a knife to his throat.  Police were called and she was taken away - ANOTHER 3 day psych watch where she leaves only to return the same pathetic mentally ill human being.

So why am I writing about this?  My sons cats were our cats.   They used to live with us.  They have observed the abuse and I can say that they seem different.  Sure, they're worried about a new environment.  But you can tell that they seem happier in a happier home with peace.  They have stuck to my son like glue - sitting on his bed and running to him when he comes through the door after work.  Since my son was always going back to the crazy girl, I was terrified that she would do something to the cats too.  They were innocent and frightened of the yelling, screaming and throwing things.

Now there are 2 more cats in our house and the games for dominance begins.  I'm already stressed, so the hissing, growling and usual cat-crappiness isn't helping.   We're trying to help our son and once again, begging him to consider counseling and praying he doesn't return to her.  He's  handsome, smart and adores cats....you'd think that the world of women would be his, wouldn't you?  A guy like that should never have to settle for someone like that.  But it appears to be textbook.  Men.  Women.  It doesn't seem to matter.

Writing about this is really helping me today.  If I can't save my son from going back, I'm going to save his cats and make sure they remain with me.  Each day that he doesn't go back is a victory - for him, for us and his two cats.  Maybe this time he can do it.

Catching Up

Whenever I haven't blogged in a week, you can bet that I'm in over my head.  That seems to be the case and I'm not the only one scrambling.  The high kill shelter is full, our foster parents homes are full and the phone is still ringing.

Whenever I publicly post that we had a successful adoption event, my phone suddenly starts ringing with strays, owner surrenders and calls from the shelters.  Last Thursday, we had a "Black Cat and Black Kitten Adoption Event".  That included black and white cats too.  It was only a FIVE hour event and the rescue took quite a loss by allowing these loving, overlooked cats at a $75.00 adoption fee which included surgeries, vaccinations, etc, etc.  

Ironically, 13 were adopted (out of 20 cats there)!  I'll do it again - it was terrific, and no way was I worried about the ridiculous old wives tale about people doing terrible things to black cats and not to adopt them in October.  I'm sure it has happened - but I doubt the satanic folks are going to pay an adoption fee for a black cat.  I think the best part was that EVERY ADOPTER had planned on coming to the event.  Nobody came and tried to adopt on the spur of the moment.  Fabulous!

I was at the "high kill shelter" yesterday and had planned on rescuing 4 cats.  My rescue partner and I walked out with 12.  Not surprised?  :)  This morning is the euthanasia day and the tech walked the cages with us.  It's very sobering and I don't handle it as well as I used to.  I found my shoulders slumping lower and lower as I saw all the little faces and no space for them all.  

We rescued a cat that had come into the shelter with a tail so severely burned that it had to be amputated.  This shelter gets a VERY bad rap from The Crazy Protesters and those that don't understand, but this shelter paid for this guy to have surgery AND neuter him for us:

 We named him "Bob". He REALLY wanted out of the shelter. I've never met such a muscular cat! Loved him!

Every once in a while, I feel like I need to sit down and reconnect with the foster parents.  Not-so-ironically, I feel this way after kitten season slows down.  I think our volunteers understand that there are some days where I wake up, start returning calls from our adoption phones and never stop until 9 pm.  Even then, I'm still answering emails past 9.  Yesterday was one of those days and today will be too.

THEN...there is "Melvin".  Melvin was found in a ravine.  He had 200+ fleas on him, he was blind, and has a huge neurological deficit.  His well-meaning finder had him for 48 hours without money to give him proper care.  He was almost dead by the time I brought him to the vet.

I won't need Halloween to scare me - Our vet bill for this guy will probably do the trick.

 But look how CUTE he is! I'm terrified that the person who has offered to take him will renege. I don't know what I'm going to do with him if she does.

I'm juggling cats today and know that I'm not alone.  There are a lot of us out there juggling cats and doing our best within our means.  Where's a B12 shot when I need one?

Get Hurt Trying

I've been struggling the past week.  We've had kittens die from recalled Iams food.  How can you console a loving foster parent that she inadvertently gave cat food that killed 3 of her kittens?   We can go into the legal ramifications of the company that poisoned the cats...yada....yada...yada.  There were no vet bills to be reimbursed.  The kittens vomited once and died within 20 minutes.  No other symptoms.  I don't want to talk about food recalls in this post.  I'm just too pissed to have an intelligent conversation about it.  

I'm sure I'll hear from lots of caring rescuers asking if it was Distemper....blah blah blah...no, it wasn't.  It was the food...on a recalled cat food list that came out yesterday.

Last night, I offered to help a black kitten that was found in a ravine.  He is about 8 weeks old, starving, dehydrated, etc.  I picked him up this morning (from a friend of the finder) and found that he was almost dead.  The fleas were jumping off his tiny body and his gums were white with anemia and dehydration.  He was  starting to have seizures as I quickly wrapped his tiny body in the towel and jumped in my car.

I don't remember driving to the vets.  I remember being flipped off by another car and almost running over a Mom and child in the crosswalk as I sailed through far too quickly.  The vet wanted to euthanize the little guy, but I really wanted to TRY.  That's all I wanted....just to TRY.  Damnit, he survived in the wild and he deserved for a rescue to try to save his life.  The managed to get an IV into his dehydrated vein, and treated him for hundreds of fleas that were slowly killing him. As I type this blog post, he's still alive.

All we can do is try, right?  Both of the people that I'm talking about - our wonderful foster Mom and the woman that kept the black kitten last night TRIED.  I get sick of hearing people whining about "Ooo, I could never foster, because I'd get too attached."  Well...shit.  Get hurt TRYING.

Taking the Time

We were back at the low/no kill shelter and rescued a really cute pregnant Mom cat, 3 kittens and another big tubby cute adult girl.  My rescue partner and I took another volunteer with us and it was nice to see things from her viewpoint.

She noticed how all the employees seemed happy and the cats well adjusted.  There were volunteers circling around the cats, holding them and brushing them.  Even the bunnies were out in a pen and being loved!  It feels good to go there.  They need help - the cages are often full.  A woman came into the shelter today after finding 2 five week old kittens and the staff sat with her and gave her advice on caring for them.

I'm pretending like I don't have administrative work to do today.  I keep waving my hand over the mountain of adoption agreements "Abracadabra!" but it's all still there.

There's been some drama with our Free Pet Insurance that I've been dealing with lately.  To add to the confusion, I've called the wrong adopter and gave her incorrect information...unraveling THAT mess is going to be horrific.  I don't think I can procrastinate any longer.  I need to suck it up and make my mea culpas. 

I wish people knew what is really involved in running a decent rescue.  It certainly isn't without mistakes.  (See above!)  I wish I could do more rescuing and less data entry.  Or more helping people and less "information desk" type stuff.  I spend hours going over every vet bill...and finding mistakes!  But all that takes time.  Yesterday, I think I found about $270.00 in vet bill errors.  Sometimes I have to Google the name of medications just to be sure I was billed for the right meds.  LOL

Every once in a while I feel a little overwhelmed with all the little (yet important) stuff that I have to do that doesn't really involve the cats.   

The Volunteer Driver

There have been two Facebook pages that claim to want to help the cats at the "high kill" shelter.  One I call "The Sane People" and the other I call "The Crazy Doom and Gloom People".  I've written many times about the over-the-top Crazies, so won't go into again now.  But when an urgent plea came out on The Sane People's Facebook page that a volunteer driver was needed to take SIX cats from the high kill shelter and drive them about 45 minutes to a No-Kill facility - well, you could practically hear the crickets from "The Crazy's usual Doom and Gloom Page".    One kind person on The Sane page was going to take time off work to help the cats! 

All those whiners and complainers said NOTHING when an opportunity came to help 6 cats get out of the shelter.  Furious and too busy to really make time to do it, I decided to do the simple drive myself....

The staff at the "high kill" shelter had picked out the cats that had been there the longest.  They were permitted to choose 3 kittens and 3 adult cats.  But when it came time to choose the last adult, they had a problem.  They had already chosen a black cat to be saved, but there was another VERY sweet girl that should go too - problem was....she was black too. 

The choice?  Pick  a 2nd black cat that had been in a tiny metal cage for TWO MONTHS through illness, euthanasia days and heat or a VERY DEPRESSED dilute calico who had been through all the same things, but one week less time.

At the risk of the no-kill shelter not rescuing again because they ended up with two black cats (and two black kittens too)  that don't get adopted quickly, with a heavy heart, I chose the depressed dilute calico.

This was the little girl I left behind:

 You could see how I was torn?  She's so sweet and has been through so much.  She needs to be rescued.  Badly.

 I won't sleep tonight thinking about her.

When I arrived at the humane society that offered to help these 6 cats, I was greeted with open arms and they seemed happy to see the little group.  I was expecting criticism that perhaps the kittens that were chosen were just a little too big, but that wasn't the case.  They oooo'd and aaaah'd at how cute everybody was.

The cats were given HUGE cages with comfy blankets and "perches" to sit up high.  I watched the big black boy that we rescued stretch his legs after more than 2 months in a tiny, metal cage.   All I could think about was the little black girl that I left behind at the "high kill" shelter and wished she could've gone too.

She would've liked it there. 
(AN UPDATE:  The little black girl in the video has been rescued!)

*Off*

I've really been out of sorts lately.  My daughter was here visiting which always puts me in the very best of moods.  We had a wonderful family time - shopping, eating, coffee, shopping, (Did I say "shopping"?)  After she left I've been very *off*.

We had a very large adoption event last weekend.  Just about 40 cats were adopted in total, and that number in itself should've had me singing happy songs from the rafters.  But my daughter was here and I wasn't able to properly participate in the  event.  I feel like I led the troops to battle, but never stepped foot on the field. 

Our usual high level of organization wasn't quite up to speed either.  We're so fortunate to have strong volunteers who picked up MY slack, but I still felt guilty as my cell phone rang with questions and I'm in the mall  shopping, or in a nice restaurant eating, or laughing, or doing anything fun while they dealt with a weekend of insanity. 

After the umpteenth dirty look from my family for taking these calls I started to get really angry.  "YES, I have other responsibilities this weekend and YES there are people who are picking up the slack for ME so I can be here with ALL of YOU!"   (I'm not talking about my daughter - she was very understanding.)  But the men in the family?  ARGH!!!!   

I showed up to the event on Sunday afternoon to insure that all the cats were picked up by foster parents or taken where they needed to go.  I explained to the family that I would be back in a few hours.  It felt like 15 minutes when my cell phone rang..."Mom, where are you?  It's been almost THREE hours!!!!"  

Cripes. 

I ended up with more than a dozen cats that needed a place to go after the event.  I had five stops to make all over the city with upset, crying, pooping cats in the car and a family waiting for me at a restaurant.  

Believe me.  I didn't have it half as bad as some of the volunteers over the weekend.  We had tiny orphaned kittens dying in a foster home, and an unhappy, hissing adult cat that got loose in the Petsmart store and I wasn't there to help clean up after the event.

 I need to say, "It was just one of THOSE weekends" and get on with life.   Somehow, I haven't been able to shake it, so  I had hoped writing about it would work.  It helps, but I'm tired and catching up.  David and better not mention his lack of clean underwear or the dried cat hairball at the bottom of the stairs.  I'll get to it...dammit.

The Big Boy

I hadn't been to the "high kill" shelter in quite some time, but couldn't say "no" when the opportunity to rescue a big fatty boy black and white cat that had survived numerous "vet days" for 3 weeks.

A couple that adopted our OTHER big boy  Brando  (who had been abandoned at the same shelter) reached out to us about rescuing this other sad guy:

Apparently, their beloved cat "Daisy" passed away unexpectedly which left Brando feeling lonely.  This amazing couple decided they wanted to rescue a special boy that needed them and THIS big dude was the lucky one to leave the shelter today!

It was 35 degrees Celsius with a humidex of 43 degrees today.  (95 degrees and 109 degrees Fahrenheit)  Without air conditioning, this shelter quickly becomes unbearable.  Sweat poured from my menopausal face as I arrived at the shelter with an extra large cat carrier to retrieve our boy:
When I put him in my car, I pointed his carrier to my car's air conditioning.  I watched his face brighten as he lifted his chin and allowed the ice cube air blow into his fur.   Never did I appreciate air conditioning more than I did at that moment.

 He was greeted with open arms by my feline gang as our big boy waited patiently for his new Dad to pick him up.  He's going to have an awesome life.

If he were mine?  I'd name him "Bob".  Bob Big Boy  :)

Could They Be Any More Offensive?

We were back at the shelter today and managed to rescue 25 cats and kittens.  I'm seriously exhausted but always feel like we've accomplished something by taking that many.  The staff at the shelter seemed happy to see us come AND go.  ;)  I love rescuing like that - it's truly fun :)

It's been a while since I've mentioned the nuts that post regularly on Facebook about wanting change at the "high kill" shelter.   I used to call them "The Crazy Protesters", but they seemed to have settled down a bit and use the social media venues to stir up the insanity. 

They want to be taken seriously by city council members and the staff at the shelter....but then they post  shit like this - publicly: (I've removed the shelter name and the name of the poster)

******************

Hello Manager  and all the wonderful caring people in (the shelter). Try this to accomplish change in the killing routine you hate so much

LOCK THE DOORS!

Tell everyone that tries to enter with an animal that you all find it much too upsetting to continue watching their animals get sick and killed and you REFUSE to continue another day!

Send them back home with a list of all the rescues to contact to beg them all to take the animal off their hands!

When that fails for them, tell them to kill their own animals from now on!

And give them the contact info for the Mayor and council to complain!

This might get you some of those changes you all say you want.

**************************************

Yes indeed - you just read that one of those crazies suggested that the city's residents should kill their own  pets if they can't get help from the shelter or the rescues.  They posted that in a public forum! 

They wonder why they're not taken seriously?   I'm sure I'll laugh about it tomorrow - but for tonight, I'm completely offended.

 

 

I Was Due!

Part of running any foster-based animal rescue organization is the constant juggling of cats, money, foster parents, and volunteers.  The majority of the time, things run smoothly with occasional burps in the process.  I've never been one of those rescues that can rescue 20 cats and figure it out later where to put them, which has greatly reduced the juggling - and complexity of my life.  But I was due for an anxiety filled day. 

While one cat was being adopted yesterday, I received an email from a foster parent that said her cat had to be moved.   I thought the timing was perfect, until I realized that the foster parent with the newly adopted cat could no longer foster now that school had started.  Blast! 

We had a very kind family yesterday call me in tears as their son's allergies were becoming too much and sweet "Tootsie" would need to come back to us.  The foster parent who had Tootsie is always amenable to take back her fosters, but she currently has quite a few right now AND our adoption event on the OTHER SIDE of town starts in 10 days.  Where could I juggle Tootsie with the least amount of stress on her so that she could go to our adoption event?

Sadly, another foster parent broke her ankle and arrangements had to be made for pick up and drop off of her foster cat for spay surgery tomorrow - going into and out of the city...on a Friday.

When an emergency call came in for a probable pregnant Mom cat, I was thrilled that we actually had foster space available for her!  The foster parent lives 2 hours away (she allows Mom to deliver her babies safely and keeps and loves them through weaning and returns the family to the rescue).  The logistics of arranging transport was HUGE.  I also had to insure that there was a vet near the new out-of-area foster parent.  The finder of the Mom cat decided to take the Mom to the vet just to insure she was healthy before transport.

Everything was in place....but there was one glitch.  The Mom cat wasn't pregnant!!!  Now she's going to be spayed and go to a local foster home!  So phone calls have to be made today that the Mom cat doesn't need transport, an overnight vet boarding at the halfway point,  etc etc.    

Usually, all this stuff happens in the course of a week or two.  This happened yesterday.  I'm certain that I'm forgetting something. 

But the good news?  We have an opening for a sweet, pregnant Mom cat that needs us. :)

Tired and Beaten Up

It's been a long, hot, week.  Adoptions have been good for an August and the never ending calls for cats that are in need continue.   We have one more day in our Petsmart location for the month and I'm looking forward to being "off the clock" for another month.

Very few things about cat rescue give me anxiety more than three words:  "FIP", "Ringworm" or "Distemper".  I can handle anything - but when faced with a possible outbreak of any of the above, I want to shut down.  We heard there was  a small Distemper outbreak in the "high kill" shelter.  Of course, we had just rescued  a bunch of kittens so have been on "watch".  I hate that.  My anxiety rises and every call about diarrhea, or "quiet kitten" makes my stomach turn.

We know of a kind woman that found a cat and unknowingly took the cat to the local SPCA that is next door to the "high kill shelter".  The woman spoke with the CEO of the SPCA personally and told her that after the cat is there for her standard "3 day stray time - she would adopt the cat!  She was promised "nothing will happen to this cat.... I promise!"  They immediately took the cat next door to the high kill shelter, where she was euthanized 3 days later.

Nobody from either agency called this woman.  The cat died alone in an empty shelter cage when there was somebody who wanted her. 

This kind of shit used to drive me insane.  I'd go absolutely nuts, make calls and cry.

Now?  It just makes me feel tired and beaten up. 

What can I do?  I have to keep pushing forward through stories like this.  There are thousands of them every year.   They used to empower me.  Now I just add this to my ever growing mental list of sad stories that I can share with others that have a fresher outlook on this horrific situation. 

Taking Some Responsibility

My rescue partner and I received a "call to action" for a very kind sounding farm family who have had quite a few cats dropped off at their property.  Honestly, we get a lot of calls like this - desperate sounding people who just want it handled.  They usually don't offer any help or donation.

These people seemed different and we decided to help them.  We only had room for in the rescue kittens and this family had promised they would look after the adults and get them fixed.  They were very credible, kind and we really had no doubts about it.  I really felt that we could make a huge difference for them and help them PERMANENTLY resolve their problem. 

I won't take kittens unless provisions are made for the adults to be fixed.  Period. 

It took us an hour to drive out to the country.  It was a beautiful drive - an area of Ontario I hadn't been to before, but I knew right away what house it was when we drove up.  Cats in the front yard.  Cats in the side yard and Cats running through the bushes in the back.  

We started feverishly gathering up kittens.  Bless their little hearts - grubby little farm kittens. ;)  The resident 10 year old little girl started crying - devastated that the kittens were leaving.  For two hours we trudged through bushes, assessed kittens  and loaded up the carriers into our car.  We were so stressed.  I stood there, sweat pouring from faces, the  daughter still crying, kittens meowing in the car, and adult cats in the yard wondering what was  happening....

....suddenly it occurred to me...

There would be no thank you.  No Donation.  No fixing of the adults.  Don't ask me how I knew it - maybe it comes fro years of dealing with people.  But I was right. Once again - I believed the public and they lied.  I just provided these people with a band-aid solution which was never my intent.  Why didn't I offer to help get the other cats fixed?  Because they said they could do it.  They could afford it.  They would provide for the skittish little Mom cats left.  In the winter, more kittens will come. 

They'd better not call me again.  I don't like being used. 

We drove 2 hours round trip with 20 kittens in the car, stopped at the high kill shelter and rescued 7 more kittens, plus 2 "high risk" adults.  It was a big day and we were exhausted.  As pissed off as I was, I'm happy that 20+ cats and kittens were  rescued in a day.  Those faces that needed us out in the farm won't become victims to a busy road, raccoons or a life unloved.  I need to spend more time focusing on that part - not the users.  

Chew. Biting Off More Than I Can...

I'll preface this blog post by saying that I'm on some wonky cold medication.  I'm not really "that sick", but just sick enough to take cold meds and need some daily naps.  Blah.

I decided to try one more time to apply at a dog rescue.  If you didn't hear what happened earlier, you may want to start HERE.   Within 24 hours my foster application was not only approved, but I received the sweetest "Welcome to the family"  email!

I'm really pleased to be part of this well organized and kind group:  Homeward Bound Dog Rescue.  It's just nice to be appreciated!  Not only did my application get approved, but I was also approved to rescue THE cutest little girl named, "Sadie":




This little girl is so full of fear.  She had been hit by a car, had a crushed pelvis, and the shelter had hoped she could be rehabilitated.  But she didn't do well in a shelter environment.

That's where David and I come in:



So now we're home.  Sadie hates me.  She loves David:

She's starting to HOWL when he walks away from her!  She looks at me like I'm spawn of Satan.  I  can touch her - but barely.  This is only the third day - I can be patient. :) 

I'm starting to sound like one of our cat rescue's new foster parents, right?  I probably bit off more than I can chew, but I don't care.  :)  She's really an endearing little thing....

End of Summer 'Crazy'

I must have the End-of-Summer burnout.  My rescue partner is feeling the same way.  We spent probably 30 minutes on the phone today prattling back and forth.  I don't think we heard each other - we just vented. 

As the summer comes close to an end, I'm SICK of voicemails that start with....

"I know your message said that you can't help with owner surrenders, but we're moving and..."

"There's a really pregnant cat living under my porch...."

"My cat had 7 kittens.  We found homes for 5 of them and there are two black ones left..."

"Sorry.  No adoptions today at Petsmart...."

"I think raccoons are going after these kittens in my back yard...."

"We're moving..."

"I'm pregnant and can't clean the litterbox..."

"My son has allergies..."

"My husband has allergies..."

"My grandson who visits ONCE A YEAR has allergies....|

"PLEASE help this cat I found outside..."

"He's such a sweet cat...."

"Somebody moved away and left these cats in the house...."

Bah!!  I guess it's nothing new to those who read this blog or are in rescue.  

Our awesome and well organized  Petsmart Volunteer Coordinator contacted me about the adoption event in September and I wanted to cry.  September!  I just need to keep up with our Foster Parent spreadsheet from yesterday!

Our foster parent list has grown exponentially recently.  We have lots of  foster parents who have found kittens, or nursing Moms temporarily giving love, food and shelter to the cats they've found.   Because these wonderful volunteers will probably not be permanent foster parents, they (understandably!) require more care.  I can only hope and pray that our regular foster parents understand why I'm a little slow on the response.  :)

I haven't really resolved the dog fostering or dog adoption situation.  I've always wondered how ANYONE who knows ANYTHING about rescue could EVER adopt a dog through a breeder.  Now I understand.  Adopting or fostering a dog through a rescue is really difficult.  I'm not saying it isn't worth it - I'm sure it is.  But I'm insanely frustrated - maybe it's because it's a frustrating time of year.  But I'm tired of going on dog rescue sites and having them say "FOSTER HOMES DESPERATELY NEEDED" only to find out that I'm either not good enough or they didn't really mean it.

I get a foster application and I'm calling TONIGHT.  I get an adopter calling and I'm calling TONIGHT!  I look for ways to make the adoption - not for ways to turn people down.  Yeah yeah..dog rescue is different.  I get it.   

Yesterday, I put out an  urgent plea  for a sweet VERY pregnant cat left outside:

I received a response from a lovely woman that adopted a Mom cat from the "high kill" shelter two years ago and wants to help this girl have her kittens safely!  I'm over-the-moon and am hoping this mom-to-be hangs in there until we can sort out the details.   (Is it safe to jump for joy yet?)

As rescuers, I think we need to hold on to these victories as long as we can. 


Tomorrow?  I'm going to get my hair cut and roots coloured. ( I wonder how many times I've written THAT in this blog?)  I'm going to tell the young lady that makes me feel aesthetically human again that I don't feel like talking and she'll be happy.  No small talk tomorrow morning!  

Just me and my iPhone.  :)






 

Here's to Hope

Tonight I'm thinking about an urgent plea that went out for a fluffy 8 month orange cat at the "high kill" shelter.

He's marked for euthanasia tomorrow at noon.  

Despite an  enormous number of recent adoptions, I have no space for this young orange guy.  I've checked around, made calls, send emails - without luck.

This poor guy has some (hopefully) minor medical issues.  The vet tech at the shelter said he was probably running a fever and had been  vomiting for 4 days.  It's not the money that's keeping me from rescuing him.

Where will I put him?

I already have two adult cats boarding at a veterinary clinic because I have no room.  I have NEVER had to board cats because of lack of space.  I'm a PLANNER.  But I was lied to and "2 eight week old kittens" turned out to be "two adult cats".

Now this poor young guy may pay the price.

It's been a while since I put a finger on a particular cat.  I usually can squeeze in "one more".  But August adoptions have been slow and we're buried.

I'm going to leave this in the hands of other rescues to help him.  But I'll be going to bed tonight thinking about him. 

(((AN UPDATE - August 9th at 9:30 am - A LOCAL VETERINARY CLINIC HAS COME FORWARD TO SAVE HIS LIFE!!!!)))    

Thanks. But No Thanks.

So here's a rant of a different flavour:

We've been missing our dog Maggie.  If you missed that part of my blog posts, you can read about her Here and Here.  David and I have given it great thought and decided that we have so much to offer a dog, but really want to wait to adopt.  We're busy and are enjoying not being tied down for the moment. 

Since I'm in rescue, I hear things.  I knew there were several dog rescues that interest me,  and filled out a foster application for one of them.  I was really careful about what I wrote - knowing what they were probably looking for and wanted to be diligent and honest.  "Yes, I can drive the dog to vet appointments;  Yes, I can have adopters to my home;  "Yes, I can meet adopters at THEIR home;  Yes, I can give medication;  Blah blah blah blah....

I received an email response 4 days later:

Dear Beth,

 I am writing to you in regard to your application to foster for ****** dog rescue.  Although we appreciate your interest, and thank you

for applying to our foster program. It has been determined that at

this time we are unable to use your services.."

They went on to say that I was DECLINED to foster a dog.  Seriously.  Me!!!    I feel angry, humiliated and incredulous.  We have a fenced-in GORGEOUS yard the size of a fucking football field and they think that we're not suitable as foster parents???  

They didn't even have the courtesy to CALL AND TALK TO ME.  

David thinks most rescue people are nuts and even he raised an eyebrow. 

Somewhere there's a dog that needs out of a shelter, or is going to die that needs us and THIS RESCUE didn't think we were good enough. 

I'm too pissed to write any further.  I'll post comments - maybe somebody has some  insight.  

The Best of Rescue

Since Sunday, I can't tell you what I've had to eat or drink.  It's been a blurr of excitement and a rescuer's dream.

Our big Adoption Blitz was a huge success.  Something I've never experienced before - 41 (yes, FORTY ONE) adoptions in  a 6 hour time period.  Adopters were actually lined up out the door to take turns meeting the cats in our small adoption area.  Some had printed out cats they had hoped would be there and others just wanted "any sweet cat".

Hard to believe I'm actually typing this, but....we adopted out EVERY cat that we brought that day!  Not one cat was left!!  I had two families FIGHTING over a 12  week old BLACK kitten!  Holy crap!

Adoption screening was easier than I thought it would be.  I turned down a BUNCH of impulse adopters.  The rush of people took us all by surprise and the LACK of phone calls after the event tells me that we made some great decisions for our cats.

With 41 adoptions means more rescues, so we headed out to the shelter yesterday and rescued nearly 30 cats and kittens.  Vet visits and assessments have left us exhausted and exhilarated.    We're trying to get everybody spayed/neutered etc before we go into Petsmart for the month of August.

Last night I had an emergency call from one of our foster parents.  Apparently, some asshole guy dumped  a Mom cat and her 3 kittens in an alley behind her apartment building.  "Can we help?"

Without getting into all the drama, we were able to secure their safety and transport to a foster home in a matter of minutes.  Again - something I'm never usually able to do in the middle of summer!  This poor little family was rescued from raccoons and certain death.

The first of Facebook messages came in from the foster Mom:

"Momma and babies are in their new abode. Momma is a sweetheart. She lay down beside me, let me pet her and purred her heart out...."

And this morning:

"Everyone is fine. They are the happiest bunch ever. This morning, when I opened the door, momma sang me a good morning song and she and all of the kittens ran over to me.
They are all love-muffins. Everyone is eating, everyone is drinking, everyone is using the litter box and the kittens rough-house all the time.
I don't think I have had a more delightful group.
I want to keep them all."

My heart is full and happy this morning.  I wish every rescue day could be like the past 3 days!

Hoop Jumping

David and I just returned from a blissful holiday in New England.  Lots of B&B's, hand holding, hiking and high-fat meals.  It was heavenly. :)  Whenever we go out of town, we  always visit the local  animal shelter, get some information, play with cats and leave a donation.  This time,  we went to North Country Animal League in Vermont.   Typical - they had only black and white cats and black cats left.  But those guys looked happy to see us!  :)

The rescue had been very quiet - a little too quiet - when I left.  The volunteers ended up being very busy and jumping through hoops to get 4 sweet cats  adopted.  It's amazing what we have to do to get cats adopted during the summer months.  Pathetic.  The hardworking volunteers sounded happy to have me back.

I'm doing something this weekend that I've never done before.  Thanks to recent donations and very healthy foster cats,  we're reducing our usual $175.00 adoption fee to $75.00 for a one day only adoption event.  Honestly, I'm scared to death.  I'm afraid of everybody being adopted at such an awesome rate, and I'm also afraid nobody will show up!  The adoption rate includes everything we usually include - spay/neuter surgeries too! 

Obviously, we're losing a ton of money.  But think of the cats that will get homes!  :)

Another local rescue recently published  what they went through at the "high kill shelter" on a vet day.  It was very surreal to read about what they went through.  I felt as if I was experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as my stomach did flip-flops.  I remembered (all too well) and felt the pain of knowing that I couldn't save them all.  Those of you who have been reading this blog for the past 5  years know that I'm not a stranger to what happens at this shelter.  For a moment, I had a sense of relief that another rescue was taking over the torch, so-to-speak. 

The writer of this article usually writes about nonsense stuff - "fur mommies" and "fur babies" and other sophomoric dribble.  But this time it was different.  She wrote from the heart and the pain was  apparent.  It's the kind of pain that only somebody that has been there can  fully understand.  They took a bunch of cats and I wish them the very best with them.  This is not a rescue that I support, but am happy for the cats that are alive. 

So it seems to be another summer of jumping through hoops.  We're loaded with cats in our program and there are others waiting for our help.   Wish us luck on Sunday.  If you come visit?  I'll be the volunteer gripping the adoption fee collections with white knuckles. 

Spencer

Anybody who is cat rescue will tell you that we really feel the pressure when a family member calls you for help when they've found a cat.  I feel the pressure when our volunteer's family members  ask for help too.  But this time?  It was my turn.

The call came from David's cousin & family.  They have a cottage in northern Ontario and had found a young black cat.  (Of course, it was black!)  "What do we do?"?  I told them we could help them, but it was kitten season....yada yada yada....could they please  hang on to the guy and I'll do my best as quickly as I can.   They don't like cats.  Didn't want a cat.  Period.

I asked them to show some compassion for this cat.  They have children....it's important.    

A few more emails arrived from the Mrs. that "Spencer" (he has a name now!) would be staying in their boathouse and "Mr." (staying anonymous here) was not happy about having a cat in his boathouse.  Seriously?  Was it really that hard to keep this guy in an empty boathouse until I could figure it all out?

I was so happy when the email arrived that they found a foster home for Spencer!  It was well within the borders of our rescue, and I couldn't be more thrilled that this was  all working out.   The email continued,  "....but the foster home won't work because the dog doesn't like him."

Oh. My. Gosh.  Back to work on finding placement for Spencer.

A few days went by and I kept my head low.   I was hoping that they'd get this sorted out on their own.  But nothing could prepare me for the email I received next....

"...I am heartbroken.  We took him to the vets....he was dehydrated....lots  of money...we put him down." 

The words jumped off the page.  My heart pounded as questions flew through my head.   
They had him euthanized because he was dehydrated?  
Why didn't I do more?   
Why did I let them flail around and figure things out on their own?  
What kind vet killed  a dehydrated cat?  
*I* would've paid for his I.V.!   
I could have done something! 

THIS IS WHAT *I* DO!

I failed.  I failed big time on this.  They reached out for help and I had hoped it would all go away.  Maybe they would fall in  love with Spencer, or  find a family to love him.  I knew they weren't animal people.... 

They  had sent me a picture of him when they first found him.

Now I'm the one that's heartbroken.  I'm so sorry, Spencer.  I really failed you. 

I Hate July

I had vowed to be a little more chatty with my blog, but lately it hasn't been easy to update.  July really sucks for most rescues.  While many people are going to cottages and holidays,  I sit by the adoption phone line and try to work some miracles for our cats and foster parents.

I don't like the way I feel. Our local SPCA had a huge adoption blitz and lowered their adoption rates to almost nothing. I think 46 cats and kittens were adopted during that time. My phones didn't ring. I should be THRILLED for the cats that were adopted. Believe me - I really am! They all need a home! But I have volunteers that I have to be accountable to and kittens that are growing up in their foster homes. I can't be the only small rescue that feels competitive and helpless. Fortunately, my friend called me out on it and said, "Beth, look at the last few years adoptions in July...what were they?"

 She was right.  July sucks every year. 

On a happier note, our  Kismet is doing very well!  If you didn't read about her, please click on the link.  It's a very sad story with a great ending:

 She's in a foster home where she's being adored.  Sadly, she'll have to have another surgery to be spayed.  She was so full of infection, that the vet was going to stay cautious and wait.  Good call.

For me?  I have a new foster kitten named "Dunkin':

Typical of me, I'm already in love, and as I type this, he's  sitting on a pad of paper next to my laptop and playing with a pen.  He doesn't leave my side and I'm already beginning to wonder how I'll ever let him go.  But he's a black kitten, so maybe I won't have to.  LOL 

We have some adoptions pending today so I have my fingers crossed.  But then again...it's July and I won't hold my breath.