My Big Career Move

I have a soft spot in my heart for Individual Rescuers. They use their own funds and manage to find homes for rescued and rehabilitated cats and kittens relying on their ingenuity and stamina. They don't have a regular adoption site and this makes getting the cats and kittens adopted so hard that many become permanent guests and the rescuer becomes overloaded. Don't call anyone a hoarder until you hear the whole story. Overloaded rescuers are not hoarders. There is a difference in the care the cats get and in the ongoing efforts to find homes for them.

My exposure to rescue started out innocently enough. I found a cat that needed help and took it to the vet; that was the beginning of my life as an Individual Rescuer. Zoe was the first brick in my house of cards. I soon realized that in a building across the street from the local post office someone kept dumping kittens. I kept taking them in and taking them to the vet and getting them adopted, keeping the ones that no one wanted. I never charged adoption fees and the people who adopted them kept in touch. If I had a nickel for every person who told me, “this is your life work” I’d be in good shape now financially – if it actually generated money.

When I reached an 8 cat household I reached out to rescue groups and got the shock of my life! Is it tested and vaccinated? Is it spayed? What are you going to do with it? Huh? I hoped you would help me find it a home. You have an adoption site don't you?

I had no problem paying for the vetting and then there was the group's Intake Fee. Ok, this was beginning to feel like throwing money out of the window. These cats and kittens were ready for adoption. I was willing to foster. I even began working as a volunteer for one of these 501c3 groups but that's another story. But apparently people were right – this is my life work whether I'm "in the field" or in the Digital Universe.

Max: My Rescue Dog/Rescue Partner

I was given a partner when I rescued a Junkyard dog that I called Max. He lived under the F train in a school bus lot; rain, snow and cold windy weather he was in that filthy lot with no shelter. When the lot was sold Max was turned out into the street. We ran into each other while he was freaking out as a throwaway with nowhere to go and I was hurrying home with a bad case of sciatica. Max became an important part of my life.

Mas made me go for walks instead of hanging around being depressed after 911. He blossomed and began to look like the German Shepherd he was born to be. The only “problem” was that Max became a cat rescuer. Walking Max usually turned into a rescue operation.

“Max what are you looking at?” Under a car or cowering in a driveway would be a cat or kitten. “oh, Max please stop finding these cats.” Of course, I couldn’t leave them there. I never try to fool myself by saying that “someone else will help them.” That’s not true and while the animal (dog or cat) is left without that “someone else” their situation gets worse and worse until they die or get run over by a car.

Across the street from that Post Office where this woman dumped cats and kittens I found Lincoln. The ball is in your court – deal with it, help. It was a raining a very cold rain - just like the day I met Max. This kitten was sitting in the driveway looking lost. An hour later, I returned to find it in the same spot looking just as lost. He seemed relieved when I picked him up and took him to the vet and then home.

What level of awareness has a person doing that? But, I accept that she's probably doing the best that she can with her current level of awareness. That's today, at the time I was incensed! Lincoln ended up having a Congenital Heart condition. He was with me for a very short time but actually left the planet during snack time and very peacefully.

With each challenge that you overcome in rescue you become a stronger person. Life's funny that way. You’ll get creative; you’ll see what it’s like to take the bull by the horns and you’ll see that you have white magic available to share. The more you use that magic; the stronger you become. When I first started there were no resources for anyone. Today there are resources that are available even for Individual Rescuers.