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Winter Issue 2003
Tributes
If you were able to be at the Shelter to witness the numbers of animals that are brought to the doors of TLC each day, desperately in need of care, we know in your heart, you could not turn any of them away... nor could we.
Last year we helped more animals than any previous year, but we are faced with a financial dilemma which may keep us from doing so this year. We have never turned our backs on any of them, even though the shelter's financial situation is very precarious, yet with each additional animal we helped, we watched the shelter's financial situation worsen... while homeless animals kept on coming.
As bad as TLC's monetary situation had become we did not lose hope that things would be getting better but they didn't... while abused animals kept on coming.
Our wonderful volunteers worked feverishly on one fundraiser after another, trying to ensure each one being a success, but nearly every fundraiser fell short of what we had anticipated, and instead of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, things just seemed to get darker. With each passing day our situation has grown bleaker, but we still did not let that deter us from taking care of what mattered most, the animals. Our efforts on their behalf continued as usual, we would not forsake them.... while more unwanted animals kept on coming.
We kept praying that financially things would improve, and like a young child awaiting Santa, we were eager with anticipation that holiday donations would pour in, to carry the Shelter through this winter (when the weather is at its worst, and the animals need our help the most) but holiday contributions were half of what they normally were. All the good the shelter has done, unfortuanately cannot pay the bills, and the bills are mounting... how do we tell the animals that need our help, that we cannot help them, because we do not have the money... must we turn these poor animals away seeking shelter at our door?
Will you abandon them too?
We need your help now, tomorrow could be too late!We hope the Shelter will not be forced to start turning animals away, because we can't afford to care for them. What would have happened had we been forced to turn away the stray dog brought in, laden with pups, who gave birth at the shelter on Christmas day? And we shudder to think what would have happened to this cat if she had been left with her abusive owners, who had already blinded her in one eye, she might not be alive today had she not been able to seek refuge at TLC. Will we have to pick and choose which animals we can afford to help on merit of how severe their suffering is? We can't pick and choose, can you? These dogs and cats have ben abandoned once, don't turn your back and abandon them too!
Please give what you can, please give from your heart.
...Without your help, they may not have a tomorrow.
your cat may not think so, if it means losing its happy home
Pregnancy is among the top 10 reasons for a cat to lose its happy home. There has been the widespread fear of contracting toxoplasmosis from cleaning the litterbox. It is so sad to see these wonderful cats being given up when there are steps that can be taken to prevent the pregnant woman from getting toxoplasmosis.
Most of the cats given up, have been strictly indoor cats, which have been kept current on their vaccinations, and not in contact with other outdoor cats that could possibly be carriers. As a safeguard rubber gloves can be worn when cleaning the litter box which eliminates almost all risk of toxoplasmosis. If you are still worried, then have another family member take over litter box duties.
We were very pleased to see the following article that had been written in the Chicago Tribune, to reaffirm what we have been saying for years! We hope folks read this article and word gets out, to save some kitties from losing their happy home. As the Trib staff writer Hartford Currant, said "If anyone in your house is pregnant don't automatically ditch the cat."
Dr. Jeffrey Kravetz, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine, reviewed cat-associated disease when his wife became pregnant. Cats have been accused of causing toxoplasmosis. which can be fatal to a human fetus.
But cats hardly ever spread the disease, Kravetz found. Indoor cats rarely have the infection and any cat that does usually has it for only a few weeks, typically as a kitten.
Women are more likely to contract toxoplasmosis by eating undercooked meat or working in soil without gloves Dr. Kravetz stated. By the way, Dr. Kravetz and his wife, did keep their cats.
When Dennis Carter Jr. responded to the call, at first glance he thought the dog was already dead. It was hard to believe that this dog that now resembled a bag of bones was a Rottweiler. He should have weighed at least 80 pounds, but from lack of food, he barely weighed 30 pounds. The dog was in such a weakened state from starvation, he was unable to stand, too weak to bark, and could barely move his head. The dog also suffered a gaping wound on his stomach as big as a soft ball that was badly infected. The dogís legs were all chewed up too, apparently rat bites. The dog was far too weak to to fight back, and at this point he seemed to be waiting to die.
The suffering this poor dog must have undergone is unthinkable, looking into his eyes you could see the pain. As much as we prayed that he could be saved, the infection in his stomach had gone too far, and all his other vital signs were very bad to say the least. The most loving and humane thing we could do for the dog was to have him euthanized.
Not every story has a happy ending, but we are there for the animals no matter what. As sad as this was, I cannot bear the thought of what would have happened if we had not been there. We only wish we could prove who had done this to the dog so we could have that person or persons prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.