OK. maybe this doesn't belong in "Cat General," but that is where I am putting it.
For those who don't know, or don't remember: my Dad will turn 80 on Nov 24th. I gave a surprise birthday party for him on Oct 22d, and asked guests to bring something for the dogs and cats at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - MSPCA. We collected:
1 matress pad, full size
2 bed comforters, full size
3 bed spreads, twin size
1 afghan, twin size
one 10 lb bag dog food
three 5 lb bags dog food
30 cans dog food
3 boxes cat food
and too many stuffed animals to count, from small beanie babies to large toys.
Here is a photo of Dad with everything:
Well, we THOUGHT that was everything, then we discovered another large trash bag full of things, which we had overlooked. So here is another pic, this time we really DO have it all in there:
And just to brag, here it the cake (Dad's name is misspelled)
I think not too many brought cat things because most of them are dog people; not many own cats.
The next day, Dad and I took it all to the MSPCA. Dad had not been to the new building, so I took him through on a tour first. They have 4 rooms , yes ROOMS, set up like living rooms with sofas and plush chairs, for the cats. Of course there are cat walks up the sides, along the walls up near the ceiling, and stairs periodically, cubbies built in to the walls with beds on two levels; the third, lowest, level houses litter boxes. Two of the rooms are connected by cat doors so the cats wander and roam at leisure, to sit in the sun. Yup, these rooms are on the outside of the building, facing south and west, and they get lots of sun time in there. These areas are all carpeted. Dad wondered why any of the cats would want to be adopted and leave, ha ha. They also have a large area with traditional cages. In all, they had 152 cats / kittens the day we were there.
They also have a dog pavilion. The dogs are in large holding areas, one dog per area. Some have matresses, some have cots, one had a recliner! They have blankets and afghans and toys. There are also 4 rooms for dogs which are too nervous to be out in the "open" area. Each room is arranged like a small living room, with one sofa (usually love seat size) and rug, and toys. the day we were there, they had 57 dogs.
There is a bunny room, a small animals room, and a bird room. Another part of the building is a veterinarian, but it is not open to the public. It is for caring for the animals there and, if you adopt one, you get one year of services there at reduce rates. They encourgage spay / neuter, of course.
This building is on the grounds of the equine retirement farm, so there ia another whole section with horses and farm animals.
Part of the grounds not open to the public is used for the animals they take in from abuse cases. They take photos and when possible restore the animal to health.
So after our tour I went to the main desk and asked for the development director. She called three people over to help unload my car - which was bulging! - and thanked us over and over. After we left, I think the staff (employees and volunteers) had a blast opening the bags and finding all the items!
Reply With Quote
Your dad looks so happy and I'm glad that he had a good day. Happy 80th birthday!!!
)
Bookmarks