There Are Too Many Cats!

And excessively galore dogs, too. But for now, I’m reasoning astir cats, chiefly due to the fact that of a calamity that occurred successful Medford, Long Island, connected March 31. That morning, astir 7:00, a occurrence broke retired astatine Happy Cat Sanctuary, wherever arsenic galore arsenic 300 cats lived with proprietor and laminitis Chris Arsenault. About 150 cats perished, on with Chris, who died trying to prevention arsenic galore arsenic helium could. More than 100 survived (the hunt goes on), including this mediocre small girl, who is present successful my foster program. I haven’t held her yet, but gosh, I emotion her already!

Chris’s determination and compassion made him a beardown advocator for animals connected Long Island. He earned the affection and respect of truthful galore and saved countless lives implicit the past 18 years. Today, the carnal rescue assemblage mourns his nonaccomplishment on with the nonaccomplishment of each those precious cats. I’m conscionable truthful thankful that officials ruled retired arson arsenic the origin of the fire. Arson would person made everything worse… if that’s adjacent possible.

What Chris attempted was simply excessively overmuch for 1 individual. Pet overpopulation successful America is simply a societal occupation that our authorities needs to code directly. The lone meaningful mode to tackle this contented is done a operation of spay/neuter, adoption, and TNVR (trap, neuter, vaccinate, return).

Despite what immoderate radical say, eradication programs don’t enactment and lone make much problems. They besides usage horrific methods, similar poisoning, leghold traps, shooting, gassing, drowning, and starvation, portion ne'er addressing the underlying issue. Alley Cat Rescue has an fantabulous mentation of why eradication programs fail.

In an perfect satellite — and I admit I’m a dreamer — determination would beryllium nary request for Happy Cat Sanctuary and nary request for my program, either. In an perfect world, our authorities would money a programme to supply free, high-quality spay/neuter services, which would code favored overpopulation and easiness the suffering that comes with it. It would enactment adoption programs, good radical who let their cats to roam, and prohibition the commercialized breeding of each pets.

Left to right: Lisa Jaeger of Jaeger’s Run Animal Rescue. Lisa was a bully person of Chris’s and is playing a large relation successful the hunt and rescue mission. Next to her are 4 of my NSALA colleagues: Diane Johnson, Karla Scaramuzzo, Dorit Shevach-Shani, and Ted Moriates.

It’s casual to get mislaid successful the numbers erstwhile determination are truthful galore who request us. But we can’t hide the idiosyncratic cats down those numbers, cats similar my caller foster Englebert, who not agelong agone was sitting connected “death row.”

He’s astir 2 to 3 years aged and was calved with a information called entropion, wherever the little eyelid turns inward, causing his eyelashes to hitch against his eyeballs. This information is achy and requires surgery. His mediocre eyes were goopy, and helium perpetually rubbed them owed to discomfort. Because of this costly country and his “drippy eyes,” helium was not appealing to imaginable adopters astatine the section municipal shelter. He was conscionable hours distant from being euthanized erstwhile my person @kellysfostersflorida saw him portion redeeming immoderate dogs from “death row.” She contacted maine immediately.

Englebert successful his cone.
He’s already feeling truthful overmuch better.

From the time helium arrived, he’s been truthful loving and grateful. He was a rockstar during his country and is healing beautifully. I’m conscionable truthful thankful I was capable to assistance this bully boy. But it wouldn’t person happened without Kelly, conscionable 1 of the galore hardworking volunteers I’ve met done carnal rescue.

Besides introducing maine to immoderate of the champion radical connected Earth, volunteering has enriched my beingness truthful much. It’s my intent and my joy. Yes, it’s frustrating astatine times due to the fact that I ever privation to bash more, and the situations helpless animals find themselves successful tin interruption my heart. But I deliberation each the volunteers I cognize would hold that the positives acold outweigh the negatives.

So, due to the fact that April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, I’m giving a immense shout-out to each and each unpaid who’s decided that the champion mode to marque the satellite a amended spot is “one carnal astatine a time.” I emotion being portion of the unpaid community, and I particularly emotion the volunteers astatine NSALA, who are the champion of the best!

I mentioned earlier that I’m a dreamer and admit that we are acold from the perfect satellite I anticipation for. But I firmly judge we tin get there. Think astir wherever carnal payment stood 100 years agone and the advancement we’ve made. The no-kill conception hardly existed backmost then. Now, acknowledgment to the enactment of North Shore Animal League America, no-kill is simply a increasing reality.

Think astir the advances we’ve made successful euthanasia methods. In the not-too-distant past, astir shelters resorted to the inhumane state chamber, wherever animals faced slow, agonizing deaths, crowded successful a metallic container arsenic they struggled and fought each different to escape. (Only 1 authorities inactive permits this unspeakable signifier — Shame connected you, Wyoming!)

Today, euthanasia methods are humane. But successful my perfect world, determination would beryllium nary crushed ever to euthanize a steadfast animal. Spay/neuter, TNVR, and adoption would person yet fixed america power of this atrocious problem. No much fires, nary much homelessness, nary much suffering connected the streets. Every kitten and puppy would person a loving home.

Spay/neuter! Spay/neuter! Spay/neuter! I’ve said it a cardinal times, and I’ll support saying it. We indispensable amended the nationalist and alteration minds! Here are immoderate ideas to get you started:

• Volunteer astatine your section shelter.
• Make your dependable heard: Write letters to the exertion and lobby your authorities and national legislators.
• Arm yourself with the facts. NSALA has accusation astir spay/neuter connected our fantastic SpayUSA, including:
  • Spay and Neuter FAQ’s 
  • How To Start A Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic oregon Program
• Learn astir TNVR: NSALA offers enactment for the section assemblage surrounding their Port Washington, NY campus, but the accusation recovered present tin beryllium adjuvant successful starting programs successful your area.
  • Feral Cat Program
  • Community Outreach Program

Is my perfect satellite possible? I judge it is! Together, we tin marque it happen, and it is decidedly worthy warring for!

xo
Beth

P.S. April 21 is National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, a peculiar time for Howard and me. Our charming Bianca was a genuinely beauteous English Bulldog, and erstwhile we mislaid her successful July 2012, I wondered if beingness could ever beryllium the same. Once I got implicit the shock, I decided I had to bash thing to grant her and decided to unpaid astatine North Shore Animal League America. Her saccharine tone is liable for redeeming truthful galore lives. And today, erstwhile I deliberation of those 20 kitties who survived the Happy Cat occurrence being harmless astatine BFF, I adjacent my eyes and say, “Thank you, Bianca. I emotion you.”

SAVE THE DATE and articulation maine for our Celebration of Rescue Gala connected June 12 successful Manhattan. I’m thrilled to seat this lawsuit and observe different twelvemonth of rescue. I’m besides excited that Hank Azaria and the EZ Street Band volition supply amusement connected a nighttime filled with inspiration and joy. Let’s Rock for Rescue!

FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOWED NORBERT’S SAGA

IN MY LAST BLOG,

HE’S HOME!

( I conscionable had to stock the blessed news!)