Horrible experience today!!! :o(

[kimlovescats]

Dumb as I am, I stopped by our local Animal (high-kill) Shelter today. Just call me a glutten for punishment. Anyway, as I was walking around looking at all the sad faces in the windows, I noticed a beautiful blue kitty who was apparently sick with the URI. He/she was open mouth breathing and had watery eyes, she was crying out to me, and I was trying to comfort it through the glass. I also noticed sneeze marks all over the glass, so I brought it to the officer at the desk's attention. A few minutes later, I had another kitty out for some loving, a gorgeous long-haired black boy .... such a temptation! Anyway, I noticed they came in with a carrier and left again, but I didn't really pay attention to what they were doing. There had been several phone calls, and a few other visitors there, so I thought someone was being adopted. Just before I left, I was asking the "story" on the black kitty I was holding.... I had noticed he was front declawed, but NOT neutered, which I thought was strange? Anyway, I asked "how long" he had before being PTS, the officer said he had a pretty good chance as long as he wasn't sick, "like that other one"!!! It suddenly hit me .... and I asked .... they had takent that gray cat immediately out and back to be PTS because of ME!!!!! It was all I could do to not pitch a fit, or get hysterical ... I said, "Oh NO! So I just sent him to his death sentence! My gosh, an URI is not a death sentence!!!!" He said that they don't have an on-staff vet, so as quickly as the URI spreads, they immediately KILL anyone who has symptoms!!!!!!!
God, I want to go back and rescue ALL of them!

[K & L]

Oh KIm this is just horrible. Not because you brought it to their attention, but because of what they do. I just wish we could save them all! How sad.

[QueenScoopalot]

How awful Kim, but it wasn't your doing. I'm sure staff would have noticed before days end, and killed her anyway. That's one thing I really miss about the shelter that closed doors two years ago. They kept the other branches open, but due to idiotic neighbors complaining endlessly, they were pressured to close. I saved many sneezing kitties from there, as they'd sneak them out the back door to me, or on Sundays. The other branches are horrible, and kill every cat in the shelter if they get one with distemper, even ones with shots. Any little sneeze = needle. I'm so sorry you had to be there when that happened, but please don't blame yourself. It happens even when you aren't there.

[aly]

That really makes me want to throw up

[catmandu]

It was not youir fault,that they do not have the proper facilities,to care for these Poor Strays.And if you noticed,the sneeze marks,they would have,as well.That is horrible,for that poor Blue Cat,and the Pet angels,will be waiting,by the Gate,of the Rainbow Bridge,to welcome her home.

[NoahsMommy]

OMG! How horrifying. That makes me want to cry.

Its not your fault, hon. They would have noticed it soon.

How sad they have such a horrible policy there.

[kuhio98]

Oh Kim, I'm so sorry. It wasn't your fault. You were doing the right thing by trying to get her medical attention.

The shelter that killed Kuhio is the same. Whenever a kitty sneezes, his hours are numbered. We adopted Halo from that shelter on a Sunday and she was perfectly healthy. By Tuesday she had a severe URI and had to have hundreds of dollars worth of antibiotics and fluids. (Hence, her nickname "Baby Grand"). If she had sneezed at the shelter, she never would have made it out of there.

[moosmom]

Kim, it's not your fault. As the others said, the shelter personnel would've noticed it eventually. You couldn't have know what the outcome was going to be.

That is one of the reasons why I quit the Dearborn Animal Shelter. They were killing cats because they were too old, were "suspected" of having ringworm or needed the cage space. It made me sick!!

Almost every single cat that comes out of a shelter will come down with a URI. That's why they tell you to keep them isolated from your other cats for at least 2 weeks.

I honestly don't miss volunteering at the shelter. It's a very depressing atmosphere. I'd rather take in cats on my own and rehome them, like Mattie Grace and her babies.

(((((hugs)))))) to you Kim!

[kaoK'okung]

Kim, how could you have known that by trying to help that this would happen...i'm so sorry...it's not your fault...(never stop trying to do the right thing)...

[kimlovescats]

Thank you all so much for the words of comfort, but I just can't stop seeing that poor beautiful kitty meowing at me. She was wanting out so bad, and wanted to feel better, not be pts!!!
I HATE that place!!!

[rg_girlca]

Oh sweetie, I can just imagine how you must have felt. Poor you.
But I agree with the others, whether you were there or not, they would have eventually noticed this sick kitty.

((((((HUGS)))))) to you dear friend.

Try and focus on something else to get the image out of your head. Think good and happy thoughts.

[Soapets]

OH, how AWFUL! It ISN'T your fault; that is such a TERRIBLE policy to have!

I'll keep you in my prayers, that you will be able to find peace with yourself and stop blaming yourself for the horrible, horrible experience. The little kitty is at RB now, feeling better than it has ever felt here in this cold, cruel world!

You may have saved more of the other cats there today though, without even realizing it. Maybe more of them would have become sick with this same thing if they had been exposed to it through this little one. It doesn't make it any better, I know, but it would have been just a matter of time before the workers there had noticed it and it would have happened anyway.

[MULTICATMOM]

BECAUSE I CAN'T SAVE THEM ALL!!

[Karen]

Kim, lovey, she wanted out of there, and now she is. She is free now at the Rainbow Bridge, no sickness, no suffering, and I am sure certain Pet Talk relatives who have gone before us will give her lots of loving. She left a pawprint on your heart, and you'll see her there some day.

Goodnight, blue kitty. Whenever we see a stormcloud looming, we'll know you're up at the Ranbow Bridge, bluegrey and fluffy.

[persianmom]

Oh Kim what a horrible place. I wish I could save them all. I'm sorry that you had to see and know that. My prayers are with you.