If you have information to share – positive or negative – regarding your local shelter or one that you’ve heard about, please feel welcome to contact me. I will keep your name confidential if you prefer. Please understand that I can not in good conscience post unverified e-mail forwards from unnamed sources. Also, please keep in mind that I am just a regular person like you. I don’t have an investigative team of international agents at my disposal. (Although anyone wishing to donate said team should definitely contact me.)
Helpful information:
- Links to online articles
- Specifics – The more details you have, the better job I can do
- Name and contact info for anyone who can verify first-hand accounts
- Photos – send largest size you have, I can reduce if needed
- Copies of any shelter or other documents pertaining to your story
- Your name and contact information (I will keep this info confidential if you prefer)
E-mail is the best way to reach me.
- Shirley Thistlethwaite
January 13, 2011 at 3:14 pm
don’t know if you saw this very sad story:
http://www.abc24.com/news/local/story/Memphis-Woman-Commits-Suicide-After-Pets-Were/Uu6LmlDyxEy0_QMpO57Iuw.cspx
I am not surprised that it has come to this.. I am surprised it has not happened sooner..
thanks for all of the good work that you do
January 13, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Thank you Alice. I just read that story this morning and it is heartbreaking.
February 11, 2011 at 3:41 pm
It is indeed heartbreaking; and with the increase of animals being siezed; probably at some point an inevitable outcome. There’s always a mental/emotional component to collection or hoarding of animals – taking them away is likely the best result for the animals; but doesn’t address the issues that cause the problem in the first place.
January 15, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Many cats are relinquished or abandoned because of preventable or treatable problems. Please consider adding a link to Feline Outreach as a Resource for Cat Owners, http://www.felineoutreach.org/index.html
“Feline Outreach is a charitable organization formed to promote the routine and medical care of companion animals, particularly cats.
Specifically, the organization may:
- Educate and support the public in the proper care of their cats
- Support research and study into nutrition, medical treatment, and other subjects pertaining to cats
- Enable shelters and the public to adopt, keep, and/or care for cats, particularly those with special needs – this support may be financial, educational, or in other forms.
- Provide sanctuary, foster care, or transportation for cats with special medical needs or for whom adoption seems unlikely.”
Their goal is to keep cats in homes. Helpful info for cat owners about feline nutrition, litter box issues, inappropriate scratching, health, behavior, etc. is found under “Education”. Printable brochures are available on some topics.
Our family has found their information very helpful.
Would you also consider adding a link to the non-profit Missing Pet Partnership, http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/ ?
The unique professional pet recovery advice they provide can help reunite many more pets with their families so the animals don’t end up in shelters or living as strays. I think we should ask everyone to carry a link to their site, especially our local Animal Control, shelters & rescue groups.
MPP was created by Kat Albrecht, author of the article about Missing Animal Response (MAR), http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/pdf/MAR.pdf
MAR is listed as part of the No Kill solution.
Thank you for advocating for animals.
February 11, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Chris – great website references! I’m active with cat/kitten rescue and thought the FelineOutreach site had terrific information.
Loved the MissingPetPartnership site – great info whether you’ve Lost or Found an animal! I’ve bookmarked them both for future reference.
December 21, 2011 at 10:24 am
Thank you for the links. Unfortunately, the link for Feline Outreach shows this:
“After much consideration, the board of Feline Outreach has decided to dissolve the nonprofit effective June 30, 2011.”
February 20, 2011 at 12:29 pm
I want to say thanks for providing the sensible forum that you have and for allowing people to speak their minds while you monitor. I learned from running groups on Facebook that often I have to delete personal comments that have nothing to do with the subject. Personal attacks do not help at all. I know it takes a lot for your time. I am fairly new to this but I will read and, at times, reply to your posts. We appreciate all that you do, Shirley.