Humane Society

[4 feline house]

I rescued one that turned into four within a month - Peaches was on the overhead bridge that connected my apartment building to the one across the parking lot. Our apartment was strictly no pets, so I knew it was unlikely that she belonged to any of my neighbors. There was a feral colony behind our building, and the night maanager said she had seen her amongst them. She was clearly not feral, though, as she had no fear of me and came right in my apartment with little coaxing. I let her stay and hid her from the property managers, but within a week she was back outside. Two months later, a few weeks before we were to move into our new house, she showed up again. We let her in again, and this time realized she was pregnant. So we made her stay inside and got caught and may have been evicted if it weren't for the fact that we had already given notice (I think, too, the owner's wife loved cats). Two days before we were to move, amidst all the packing boxes, Peaches gave birth to three wee ones, a boy tuxedo, a girl tuxedo, and a girl brown tabby. Of course, by the time they were old enough to leave their mom we were way too attached, so we still have all of them - Big Mac, Cookie and Pepper, as well as Peaches!

[Vi Co Bi]

The three cats we have now were all owner give-ups of one sort or another. Jackson and Rosie were adopted from a local rescue group and Fluffy was a foster initially, but I think she's all ours now.

Aly ---
Working in a shelter is very difficult work and so emotionally draining, but I know what you mean about staying strong and going back. My first foster was a kitten found tied to the doorknob of the shelter on a Monday morning (no telling how long she'd been there, she wasn't there when Sunday's volunteer went to feed and check on the animals at noon and we didn't get to the shelter till around 9AM). I can still remember the puppies with their collars embedded in their necks (the pup grew, the collar didn't), litters of kittens with distemper, litters of puppies with parvo, the Mama cats with their litter dumped in a pillow case, the owner whose dog jumped out of the back of his truck and was injured so he brought it to us to put to sleep rather than take it to his vet (that's what he pays taxes for!!)...

It has to be much easier in a no-kill shelter; my experience comes from working in a shelter that worked in conjunction with local animal control, but it's still difficult. I know vet techs who were amazed to hear how many vaccinations I'd give in an average "shot" day. After a while, you can pick up the pups or just look at the dogs and "know" how much strongid to give them.

Honey, it'll never get easy, but you'll get stronger. Remember the Serenity Prayer...

[Logan]

I have a terrible admission...I have never stepped foot in a pound or humane society, and it is completely out of fear of my emotions and nothing else. I send money to rescue people, donate supplies, but I can not bring myself to see these needy babies. All of you who work so hard with these animals are to be commended.

But I have always had those needy animals find me somehow. Mimi came from a "surprise" litter. Her parents were brother and sister and one of my employees needed to place them quickly. I've had her since she was six weeks old and she is now almost 12 years old!

Shrimp Boat, Mimi's predecessor(I can't spell, sorry) was found at about 4 mths of age at a seafood market in Holden Beach, NC, having been abandoned there. Of course I had to bring her home. I had her about 6 years, I think, before losing her.

And of course, Butter, the biting wonder cat, found us about 3 months ago. Since that time, we found his owners, but he is very content here and thinks he'll stay! I'm so glad!

All of these wonderful creatures were neutered as soon as possible. I try to do my part in stopping these unwanted pregnancies.

These are great stories that all of you have shared.
Logan

[This message has been edited by Logan (edited March 28, 2001).]

[aly]

Logan, I know exactly how you feel. I grew up scared to death of shelters because I couldn't tolerate thinking of the poor helpless animals. Occasionally when the news would cover a story on shelter animals, and they'd show some footage of the shelter, I'd cover my ears and eyes and talk really loud so I didn't hear anything. I thought evil, evil, evil people must work there too. I was 21 when I finally FORCED myself to go into the city shelter. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do and I cried for a couple weeks after that. I just really wanted to get a dog from there so I could save his life. Anyway, the humane society is a much better, cleaner atmosphere so I am able to go there daily without the trauma. But I still go back to the city shelter whenever I need to help a poor little dog or cat.

[Genia]

My first cat, Suzy, was found in a parking lot of the apartment building I lived in. My next cat, Mike, was from a pet store. Not a pure bred purchase but one of the programs similar to those Spencer has mentioned. Foster famillies or shelters bring the cats to a store and for a fee of 10-15$ you get the cat, and start off supplies such as litter box, litter, food, and a couple of toys, plus a discount certificate for spay or neutering. I visited a shelter for the first time when I adopted my dog, Dusty. It is so hard to enter a shelter, knowing that a lot of these animals will end of euthanised. I wanted to take them all home with me. Even after I chose Dusty I was still near tears at the thought of the ones that wouldn't find homes. I'm thinking about volunteering at our local shelter but I try to choose activities that my 11 yr old can particpate in. I'm not sure she will be able to handle knowing that some of the animals she has helped care for will be put to sleep. I think that with the horrible past that some of these animals have had to endure, I would be giving them at least a little happiness before they die. I'm just not sure my daughter will be able to handle it.

[Vi Co Bi]

Genia,
My older son worked with me when I helped out at the shelter; he was 8 or 9 at the time. I never tried to pull any punches with him so he always knew that some of the animals would be put to sleep. This gave me an opportunity to explain all the reasons why being a responsible pet owner was extremely important and what the responsibilites of a good pet owner are. It was a very hard lesson to learn, but I am proud that he loves animals and understands what it means to care for a pet over the course of its life.

Whether or not your child can handle understanding depends on the child's level of maturity and how much real life they've already been exposed to. My younger son was helping trap kittens at age 10, my older son started helping me load vaccines at age 11. They are 11 and 18 now.

[wolflady]

Lots of hugs to you working in the shelters! Aly, that's great that you don't work in a shelter that euthanizes on a regualar basis. I know I would be traumatized like you would about that! What a wonderful thing to do all you can to help the babies in need!! What a strong person you are! I wanted to be a vet too, but like you said...I would get lightheaded seeing blood and organs and...what not. It makes me a little queasy. I wouldn't be able to handle that!
I'm with Logan about the fear about stepping inside a humane society. There is one closeby, and when I decide the time is right to rescue a canine fur baby, I want to do it from a rescue, or a humane society or shelter. Unfortunately, I know the one near me euthanizes on a regular basis so I am hesitant to see about volunteer activities. I know that is bad of me. It takes such a strong person to deal with that. Town Cats is no kill, so it's great to see the kitties day in and day out and know that even if they aren't adopted, they'll live their lives out at Town Cats instead of the alternative. It's hard financially, on organizations like this, but it's the love of the animals that keeps them going.

Whether you have rescued from the shelter or the street, or from a person who could no longer take care of the pet, I commend you all. Each one is a form of rescue and a second chance at life in a forever home. My rescue boys send many purrs and head rubs to you all!!

[4 feline house]

Spencer - I heard the same proposal not too long ago, but don't remember where - I think it might even have been an old post here with a link to a story of someone's visit to the local shelter - can anyone help me out?

[Gio]

By reading your post I realise more and more how lucky I am to live in a country where kill shelter have been abolished. It also saddens me so much that it is usually the eldest or disabled that don't find a home (as I said before I have a disabled cat and also a "niece" in the same conditions). THey need love just as much as all the others.

I wish I was brave enough to help in one of the rescue shelters but I don't think I would be of much help, I go to pieces only to think of all those cats and dogs who will leave most of their life in a cage. I also could not cope with some of the stories my sister (who does some volontary work)tells me, I could either end up with a nervous breakdown or turn into a terminator and go after some people.

[Meow101]

I thought this would be helpful to people looking for pets. It is a website a brother and sister have made for people that want pets, have a lost pet they are looking for, or need to report a lost pet.
Here it is: http://www.purplepets.com
Hope that can be some help.
-Meow101

[pam_pesto]

I read in the local newspaper for my city (The Ottawa Citizen) that our Humane Society in this city puts down THOUSANDS of cats each year. THOUSANDS every year. Just in Ottawa. I find that many people in this city are terribly uncompassionate, and stats like that don't even register in their minds. In fact, a recent series of Letters to the Editors have involved people arguing in favour of BANNING pets in the city. Another bunch of letters is about the need to kill feral cats because they "cause so many problems." Nobody stops to think about who the actual cause of the problems are: the stupid ignorant owners.
A while back the federal government made what I thought was a great proposal-- tightening up laws relating to animal abuse; making harsher sentences etc. I can't stand our government, but that was a good idea! However, "the public" became angered because they felt such legislation was a "waste of time" and that the government should focus on our "ailing health care system" and tax cuts.
There just seems to be a general apathy among people here. Canada likes to boast about how wonderful it is, but it is totally people-centric here, and animal welfare is extremely low on people's priority lists. I am anxious to get through university, get a decent job (hard to come by up here) and eventually have my own no-kill cat shelter. Most people want wealth and possessions, but I want a building full of kitties!

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Personal servant for Pesto
http://www.angelfire.com/80s/pestoswitzer/main.html
http://www.angelfire.com/pq/coolcatclub/main.html

[pam_pesto]

Oh yes-- Pesto is a kitty who was saved from the death row of the Ottawa Carleton Humane Society. I hate to think of what would have become of her had we not fallen in love with her.

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Personal servant for Pesto
http://www.angelfire.com/80s/pestoswitzer/main.html
http://www.angelfire.com/pq/coolcatclub/main.html

[Jasper's Mom]

I look almost every other day at the local Humane Society here in Hawaii for my 5 yr old kitty, Jasper. He is lost...and I desperately want to rescue him again. I found him lost and injured in a parking lot, an itty bitty black ball of fur, sick and starving. He now has a 1" stub tail due to his injury. His only other color is white markings on his tummy. He is precious, he is loved. He has an ID chip, and hopefully, some day soon, some kind person or a feral cat rescue person will help him pass through the Humane Society system so he can be rescued again. By them and again by me. My dog Sandy (rescued from the same Hum Soc) searches for him when I say my kitty's name. My pup Moses does too. When I search the many cages of kitties and the cat house where they are up for adoption, I realize how many sweet and precious, beautiful and loving cats there are, waiting for a forever home. I will never give up looking for Jasper. If my memory is correct, in June the Hawaiian Humane Society has a 2 for 1 special for all kitties, for the $55 fee. A bargain with the services provided. Lots of kittens there already. Some day I will be ready to rescue another.

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[Gio]

Jasperìs Mum,

I really hope you are going to find your kitten soon. Keep us posted.
Gio

[wolflady]

Jasper's mom,

Oh! I certainly hope you find your kitty baby soon! I would be in a frenzy if one of my babies was missing. We'll pray for his safe return.

Hugs,
Karen