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| Title: | Meower Power is Valuing Differences |
| Notice: | FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY |
| Moderator: | MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO |
|
| Created: | Sun Feb 09 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Tue Jan 11 1994 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 5089 |
| Total number of notes: | 60366 |
4712.0. "Visit did not meet my expectations....." by BOOVX1::MANDILE (I could never kill a skeet!) Wed Jun 12 1991 14:54
I finally got off my butt and went to visit the local
cat shelter near my town. Turns out that the dog pound
only takes dogs, and a few volunteers take the cats/kittens/
rabbits/geese etc. that are dumped/dropped off or confiscated
to keep them from being put to sleep.
I have to say I was disappointed in the facilities at the
house where I was directed to when I called to get info on
where to bring my food donations. Frankly, the woman's place
was very unkept,(not quite a pigsty...but close...) and she was using
her garage and breezeway as the animal quarters. The kittens were
separated from the adult cats by being kept in the breezeway. Along
with about 1/2 dz bicycles, the trashbags (full) from the house,
and various other piles of junk & debris. NOT a safe haven for
kittens ranging from 4 weeks to 12 weeks old. Most had conjunctivitis,
and were not segregated from those who didn't. The adult cats,
& rabbits, and geese, & ducks were in the garage....and you knew
it as soon as that door opened. Phew!!!! The caretaker woman was
nice, means well, and was kind of a laidback type of person. There
was plenty of food, but no water, which I (maybe not as tactfully
as I could have) mentioned, which she solved right away. No
testing for contagious viruses (FELv, etc.) was being done, mainly
due to lack of funds for vet care, from what I could understand
from our conversations. Some had been tested, but all the cats
had contact with each other, so.....
I have this urge to show up with a few gallons of bleach, a pail and
brushes and scrub out the garage and breezeway, and set up a safer
environment for the kittens. More air & light for the garage, too....
I guess it's a better living then being put in a sack to be drowned (one
mom cat present had this pleasure), being feral, (two of the kittens)
or dumped like trash, (two more kittens), or left to die after being
hit by a car (1 adult male front leg broken and nerve damage)....but
it drove me crazy!!!!
Lynne
| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 4712.1 | | JUPITR::KAGNO | I'm51%Pussycat,49%Bitch-Don'tPush it! | Wed Jun 12 1991 15:10 | 23 |
| Lynne,
The description of your visit is exactly why sometimes I feel, cruel as
it may sound, that euthanization is a better alternative. Not THE
alternative but it certainly beats living in unsanitary conditions.
This is why I get so upset with the bleeding hearts who extend beyond
their limits to help but what they are doing is really very detrimental
in the long run and probably not very fun for the animals while they
are living it.
Sorry to sound so grim but it's how I feel. One day when we own a
house I told my husband the dreams I have of building quarters for the
stray cats that frequently manage to find us! It is easy to start out
small but once people get word of who you are and what you do the
animals come in droves. This is what he is afraid of if we venture
into such an endeavor with a new house someday. That it will get out
of hand. As it is, whenever there is a stray cat around, all of the
people in the neighborhood who know I love cats come to me!
Sorry that your expectations weren't met. I can't handle stuff like
that and frequently walk around in my own little world oblivious to it
all. That's not good either. Maybe if you do offer to help this woman
she would welcome a better way to house the animals.
|
| 4712.2 | :*( | MCIS2::HUSSIAN | But my cats *ARE* my kids!! | Wed Jun 12 1991 15:43 | 13 |
| I too walk around in my own little world ablivious to it all, which
you're right, it isn't good. I can't help but feel guilty, but what
am *I* to do? It's all I can do to take care of the two that I have.
I wish I could offer advise, Lynne. Maybe if you DID offer to help,
the woman WOULD welcome a new idea on housing these cats, but will
she need the funding to do it? It's a tough one...it weighs heavily
on my mind. Maybe some kind of drive for funds, but how long will
the money last? How do you shelter owners/voulenteers do it?!
saddened,
Bonnie
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| 4712.3 | DIGNITY PLS | KAOFS::J_GREGOIRE | | Wed Jun 12 1991 16:20 | 11 |
|
REF:01
I feel the same way, can you image living without dignity
waiting for a slim chance to be adopted anyway.
I preferd to see them going to kitty's heaven and don't
laught at me but I beleive in such a place.
|
| 4712.5 | why I believe it is an humane option | FRAGLE::PELUSO | PAINTS; color your corral | Wed Jun 12 1991 17:05 | 23 |
| ditto me on .1 (Roberta's note).
For those who don't want to read about abuse on a non feline, please
hit next unseen
FYI:
Just read an article (complete w/ pic's) about a person who collected
a non feline animals, for the same `rescue' purpose. This person had about
20-25 on the property, and could only care for about 4-6 of them. THe
rest were left to stand in their own mess, rotting carcasses and
general junk. One pic showed an animal standing on a pile of stuff
that was close to the ceiling of the building it was housed in. It
couldn't keep it's head straight.....very, very sad and sick! The guy
meant well.....but let's get real!
the Humane soc. stepped in and took all but the 4-6 that were cared for
properly, and have nursed all back to health (some were almost blind).
If these animals were euthanized, they never would have had to submit
to such horrors.....imagine what that would do to an animal?
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