If it was in a reasonably safe location, I would leave an animal outside before I took it to a kill shelter. If not, I would find someone who could keep the animal. I would (and have) begged people to take in an animal, even for a day. I would sell plasma to get enough money to board the cat. I would dang well do *something* other than take that cat to a kill facility.
I was in the battered women's shelter. I did not have a dime to my name. I called vets offices until I found one who would board my cat for FREE until I got a job. I felt like a beggar. I had never begged before in my life. I will not do it for myself. I will do it for a cat. I got a job and I started paying to have him boarded ($90 a week in 1999). I got an apartment and brought him home. He's stll with me. I really do not want to hear anything about someone not having a luxury. If I am homeless and I can find safe haven for my cat - other people can do it too. I do more than wring my hands, I am taking steps to make my community no kill (yes, municipal shelters can be no kill too). I do not want my tax dollars to go towards killing animals. Nathan Winograd has a 10 point plan, which you must have in place in order to go no kill. It has worked in all different areas of the country. It is a lot more work. A lot more than sitting around saying "we have to kill animals, we have no choice". I have been lucky enough to go to animal sheltering conferences and hear some of these people speak. Some of the people who run open admission, municipal, no kill shelters. They work very, very hard. They have offsite adoption programs 7 days per week. They haev large foster programs. They are open to the pubic during times that people can get there to adopt animals. They use the internet effectively. They use TV. They use radio. They have large low cost high volume spay neuter programs. They have TNR for feral cats. They are always thnking outside the box. They find ways to do things, not ways to make excuses. There are always choices. Taking an animal to a kill shelter is always a bad one. http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/ On 8/9/07, Chris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I think you said so many truths very eloquently. Its easy to say that one > should not bring an animal to a shelter but then we do not all have the > luxury of being able to even temporarily house any animal we find. And we > also have to remember what our 'tax' dollars are paying for--most people > expect their shelter to just 'solve the problem'. They don't want to hear > about kill rates and wring their hands when they hear about healthy animals > being euthanized, but nobody wants to pay to have a real no-kill operation. > Sad to say, municipal shelters take everybody's throwaways--they're not > allowed to say no as not for profits are. They can't say, we'll put you on > a waiting list. They MUST take an animal in and MUST do whatever it takes > to make more room. We just have to keep that in mind when we're talking > about municipal animal control facilities. > > Christiane Biagi > 914-632-4672 > Cell: 914-720-6888 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Katrina Animal Reunion Team (KART) > www.findkpets.org > > Join Us & Help Reunite Katrina-displaced Families with their Animals > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of glenda Goodman > Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 9:33 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: To Glenda and Marmalade > > Heather, > What a beautiful, sweet letter.Thank you for your > kindness and your personal story... > What all this has done to me is make me determined to > do my small part to call attention to some issues here > in my little twin towns of Scottsbluff and Gering, > Nebraska. > I will be writing a letter to the editor of our local > paper. I will be addressing, our pathetic, lack of a > system, protecting homeless cats. Not all homeless > cats are wild , so the subject of my letter will not > be the feral issue.It will be the homeless, neglected > animal issue all towns have... I will never know if > Marmalade was a wild 'feral" cat or a very frightened, > misplaced, lost cat. He was not given a chance. > I have been sick all day, feeling such a terrible loss > of a cat I will never get to know, because someone was > doing their job, just too fast and thoughtlessly. I > blame myself most of all for taking a short cut...It > was easier turning the cat over for the night. I > thought easier on the cat too...My mistake... > I do appreciate Nina's letter and even though I want > to give the local shelter people here the benefit of > doubt, I do not trust most people in general, who do > the job of disposing of little lives. Many get too > hardened and are too automatic...There are probably > some who even enjoy it? The way the system is set up, > like they say, someone has to do it...BUT WHY...I > could never understand WHY.Why does anyone HAVE to do > it? > I Do not believe in breeding animals . I believe, if > by accident, a litter of animals comes forth in the > world the people caring for those animals should pay > large taxes and or fines...The reproduction of > companion animals should be very strictly > regulated.Breeding companion animals should never > profit anyone. Having a companion animal should be a > privilage and as valuable as having a priceless jewel > ...If dogs and cats were as rare as diamonds, they > would be more valued. They would be respected and > treated the way they deserve to be treated. The > production of diamonds is regulated to keep them > rare...thus, keeping them valuable and prized by > humans.The same principals should apply to animals. > Humans, in general, certainly have proved they do not > deserve the blessing of having little animal friends > :Just a thought...It is not working the way things are > now other than like everything else feeding the > economy... > Our shelters are like waste receptacles. They clean > up people's messes, greed, ugliness, mistakes, > heartaches, inadequacies...All the many reasons people > seek to have an animal and fail that animal is the > sewer of what our shelters are. The end product of > our shelters is everything wrong with people. > Our laws are awful...We each can feel so helpless and > yet so well intentioned, but what we are up against is > huge. > About six ago a friend called me to tell me she had > found a small kitten in her aunt's yard. She told me > the kitten was sick with matted eyes...It was a > Saturday night. She said if I did not come quickly to > get it she would have to call a policeman to pick it > up.She lives in Scottsbluff; I live in Gering. We have > seperate police departments ,but both towns use the > same shelter. I went across town to get the kitten. It > was around 9:30 pm. I took it to a friend's, along > with supplies for the night. I tried to clean the > kitten up and feed it. This kitten was very sick. I > guess it was distemper? I had three kittens at my own > house, two with only the first vaccination and my > FeLV+ kitten, so did not want to care for the kitten > in my own home...Early the next morning I was back > working on the kitten, trying to get food, water, and > antibiotics down him.It was then I discovered his eyes > were both ruptured...I found out this can happen if an > infection is not treated properly and is allowed to > continue... That sent me over the edge...I had no > place to go , had imposed enough on my friend...After > my friend's, had sat for several hours with the kitten > in a park by my house....This, until a neighborhood > cat wandered up. I then left for fear of that cat > contracting, whatever it was affecting the kitten. I > was exhausted , depressed, saddened, alone with this > little cat with the horrible URI and matted and > ruptured eyes. I went over to the Humane Society > Director's House, Deb, on her day off, to ask her, if > there was anyone who would be available to help in a > situation such as mine. There was not. I was it. She > told me I could just have the kitten run down to the > shelter and because of his condition he would be put > to sleep Monday morning.I ended up at the local police > station with my carrier, the kitten, his food and > water.It was his eyes that made me just give up...I > was completely defeated... I picked my carrier up the > following Monday. End of story. > Maybe I need to get kicked in the Butt twice, before I > get into gear to try and do my small part to make > things better for our animal friends here in my little > town? > I absolutely promise to act in honor, of a wonderful > cat, I named Marmalade,who never got a chance. > I am bringing up issues that we all deal with every > day. There will be some people that will not like me > at all and be angry with me and consider me stupid...I > really do not care, if hardly anyone likes me...Being > here and bringing up painful things is important, > because what I went through, is not that uncommon for > people like us, who put animals above most other > things in their lives. If some of you have not been in > these exact situations, before it is over, you might > be . I guess preparing for the likelihood of this > happening to you might not be a bad idea. > For starters, every little, clump of dirt, town, > should have volunteers that can be called day or night > to come to the aid of an animal in need. Most people > cannot afford or will not call a vet or access a > boarding facility at a moment's notice... > Government run animal shelters are not the ideal > place...They simply cannot be trusted. I am done with > depending on them in the future...for anything. DONE! > > Maybe a good idea would be collecting a group of > people who will commit themselves to help in animal > emergencies? This is where I'm starting in my > town...My experiences with cats these last 6-weeks is > my motivator...I'm beginning with my letters to the > editor...I will go from there... > I appreciate the attention everyone has given to the > issues I have presented here. I am so very sorry to > have made anyone here cry...I love the goodness in > everyone's heart here. I am not a religious > person...All I do know, is, God is love...God is > definately in everyone's heart here... > Glenda > --- Heather Wienker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Glenda- > > > > I have mostly just read and only posted here once or > > twice before...but I've > > been reading about Marmalade and am crying with you. > > > > I know how horrible you feel as I work with rescue > > and have seen/heard many > > similar situations. Our city is not small enough > > to use "backwards" as an > > excuse for the things that I hear of....and laws > > regarding holding perdiods > > do not seem to be reliable, I know someone who's 6 > > ferals & one pet on her > > property were trapped, AS was closed when she got > > home and found out. > > Called first thing in the a.m. and all had been put > > down. Any asking I've > > done in these situations receives very vague and > > open ended responses about > > how space and other variables can basically result > > in an animal being > > euthanized at any time, if I'm interpreting > > correctly...seems to be how most > > AC agencies operate. > > > > I received a call a few weeks ago about an injured > > cat from our campus > > police....was dealing with trying to trap another > > injured cat (and work) at > > the moment so was a bit stressed...and so glad when > > the officer called back > > to say the cat had been taken to a vet to be > > treated. I vaguely remembered > > missing a call later that day while I was on another > > line and neglected to > > check voice mail before leaving--which is not good, > > I should have been > > checking just for work issues, and forgot the > > Officer's number had popped up > > on my screen. I was out feeding my many colonies > > that evening when I > > thought to check voice mail...and there was a > > message from the officer > > around 2 or 3 p.m.that he was wrong and they still > > needed help....so I > > called the UP, got a dispatcher who said AS had > > picked up the cat hours > > earlier (this was around 8 p.m.). Of course I > > couldn't get through to > > AS...but was fortunate that someone gave me the > > number for their rescue > > contact there who was very nice and said she'd find > > out first thing in the > > a.m. and hold the cat for the group (though I could > > tell that when I > > mentioned it was injured that the outlook might not > > be good). Next a.m. she > > followed up wtih me promptly but didn't have news > > yet, cat had been taken to > > a local E-vet....an hour or two later she called, > > she had been euthanized. > > Apparently due to the broken leg, but not the > > E-vet's call from what I > > understand. Ir onically, our AS is currently > > undergoing an "overhaul" in > > response to audit criticism's and an article was > > published locally this week > > which showed a picture of an injued dog that had > > been saved....it really > > bothered me as to me this suggested to the public > > that taking an injured > > animal to AS might be a good way to get help for > > it...when everything I know > > or have heard is quite different in terms of the > > expected outcome for an > > injured animal....even a healthy animal, of course. > > > > How do I feel, except that this cat could have been > > saved had I checked my > > voice mail. I never got to see her, just know she > > was a sweet little > > calico with a broken leg....and one of the many who > > things like this happen > > to every day. I belong to a rescue list/yahoo > > group and have seen other > > sad cases where even seasoned rescuers who know very > > well how AS works made > > the call to save a cat 5 minutes too late.....or, AS > > made a mistake and put > > the cat down anyway. I even read one, if not two, > > news stories of another > > AS in our state who put down someone's pet who had > > been located, the people > > had called and were on their way to pick it up, get > > there, and it's gone. > > > > I'm so sorry for the loss of Marmalade...many people > > know how you feel. I > > haven't learned many lessons since doing rescue and > > working with ferals that > > weren't heartbreaking and didn't cost a life...and > > I'm not one who is able > > to view it as "I did my best", I only see where I > > could have avoided the > > mistake that cost a precious life. It's an awful > > feeling. > > > > Marmalade will be in my prayers...with many others. > > > > -- > > Heather > > "...I never listen to Dogs" > > -Sassy, Homeward Bound > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________ > ________Ready for the edge of your seat? > Check out tonight's top picks on Yahoo! TV. > http://tv.yahoo.com/ > > > > -- Rescuties - Saving the world, one cat at a time. http://www.rescuties.org Vist the Rescuties store and save a kitty life! http://astore.amazon.com/rescuties-20 Please help Caroline! http://rescuties.chipin.com/caroline I GoodSearch for Rescuties. Raise money for your favorite charity or school just by searching the Internet with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo!
