Wednesday, March 12, 2008

March Madness!!


March has been a crazy rescue month so far- and we're not even halfway through!!  We had a very exciting Spay Day on March 8th: 13 of our kitties were fixed and all 4 of our puppies were too! It was also a very exciting day for two special kitties: Jasmine and Cooler Ranch.  Jasmine was spayed and once she was fixed, her charming personality won her the heart of one of the vet techs at Northland Veterinary Services!  We were so excited to see Jasmine go phenomenal home- but no sooner was she headed to the home of her dreams then we had a new kitty in need of our help! 
The Northland Veterinary Services in Iron River was kind enough to spay a feral female kitty so that she could go back to living outside but not contribute to the cat population.  They were in the process of shaving her belly when they found the head of a .22 bullet under the tissue of her abdomen.  The bullet was safely removed prior to Cooler Ranch's spay surgery- we all considered it a miracle that the shot hadn't caused injury to any internal organs!  Prior to surgery a close check over revealed that Cooler Ranch had wounds all over her body from what appeared to be barbed wire, so after surgery the wounds were cleaned and the hair around them shaved.  Now Cooler Ranch is spending her recovery time with us and we are working to see if she can ever be an inside cat.  If she truly is feral, then she will be released with a family that cares for several outside cats.
Versace, the border collie that had been hit by a car, also had a big week!  This Monday it was time for his X-rays!  It was the moment of truth when we walked into the vet's office.  After Versace charmed the pants off of everyone he met, it was off to get his radiographs.  To get clear radiographs, Versace had to go under anesthesia and we had to leave him with the vet to sleep it off.  We were greeted by an ecstatic staff when we got back!  Versace's leg looks great!!  So he is now ready for adoption and a new home- but as his foster mom, I have to admit that I'm not ready to let him go!!
We have also had a few other dogs pass through our doors- and our cars recently.  Being on of the very few rescues in the area, we've recently begun taking in animals on a temporary basis for other rescues and foster organizations.  We were proud to assist an American Staffordshire Terrier get out of a tricky situation that would have had him euthanized in under a week- within 24 hrs we had him in a wonderful foster/adoptive home and we were blessed enough to have several larger state organizations and national organizations offer their assistance in placement!  It involved a full day of driving, and luckily our four legged passenger was a very good sport, and seeing him in a safe and loving home may the adventure more than worthwhile. 
We also have assisted an elderly lady with her beloved Doberman, Andy, and we are very excited that after spending a few days with us he will be under the experienced care of Wisconsin Doberman Rescue.  
 A year ago today I lost my beloved cat, Harold.  He was 21 years old and he was the reason I first got involved in rescue.  After I lost him, I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to continue in animal rescue.  Just looking at the past couple of weeks and everything that Catkins has accomplished, I think that Harold would approve- and maybe even be mildly impressed.   So far March has brought a lot of changes!  We've had some great adoptions, been able to work with some wonderful rescues and had a hugely successful spay day!!  I am very excited to see what the rest of March has in store for us!

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