To the editor:
This is the time of year of frostbite, coyote bites, broken legs and every other kind of illness or injury that will mean sheer torture for homeless cats and kittens for all homeless animals.
Recently Halfway Home Pet Rescue took in four orphaned kittens who were only about 2 1/2 weeks old, very dehydrated, starved and ill. No one seemed to know or care about what had happened to the mother. Even with instant vet care we still lost two of the babies.
Sadly, we realized that if they had been brought to us even one day earlier those lost ones could have probably been saved. It is a heartbreak for all of us who volunteer our time and energy to rescue and rehabilitate these helpless creatures. Why did the person wait until the kittens were so desperately ill? Where is the mother and does she need help? There was no answer. All we could say was “Thank you for bringing them to us” and we got to the work of trying to save them.
People say “don’t feed a stray.” But would you want to be homeless, cold and hungry. Please feed. But please, don’t stop there. Continue in the rescue by providing some type of temporary shelter for the animals from this cold even if it is cardboard box with a towel in your garage. Notify the police.
We try very hard to encourage people to give temporary help. The healthier the animal when it goes into a shelter or pet rescue, the greater the chance that it can be saved, spayed, vaccinated, disease tested, parasite treated and then placed in a good home.
You don’t have to volunteer at a pet rescue to be a pet rescuer, all you need to do is give temporary help while you reach out to the agencies in your community.
Halfway Home Pet Rescue in Caribou is busy, even the foster homes are busy and we have a waiting list of people who are currently sponsoring an animal in their home environment until we can find space. Having the kind responsible heart of a rescuer is a fine example for your children, your family and friends.
Please be kind to animals. Treat them as you would want to be treated if you were homeless, cold and hungry.
Norma Milton
Halfway Home Pet Rescue
Caribou
