TGIT!

For anyone new here, or not familiar with what I do, 365 days a year I head out into the darkness of the early morning hours - from 4 am. til 5:15 in the summer months, and in the winter, sometimes its 6:30 after all the shoveling I  have to do around the 18 shelters I have placed in the Beechwood section of Rochester, near the public market.  I drag 40 pounds of dry food out to my dying Jeep, and three huge water jugs.  Also, I have six large sized yogurt containers that have been filled with 36 5.3 oz. cans of wet food.  In the winter, my Jeep has several Styrofoam huts carved out to house a cat or two, bag of straw to fill them with, and lots of paper plates, and towels. 

I run into every kind of creepy person out there, and sometimes I run into some really nice ones, but they all know what I do, and basically respect me. 

Do I like doing this?  No.  Do I like getting up at 2 am. every single morning of my life?  No.  Do I like being broke and living paycheck to paycheck because I spend every last dime I have on caring for these animals that are suffering out on the streets?  No.  Am I on a mission?  Yes.  I've seen too many sick and injured and pregnant cats to ignore whats happening in this city.

So far this year, from what Kristin calculates, I've rescued close to 60 cats already, since January.  I've adopted out almost that many.  I've TNR'd (trapped, had neutered, and had to return to the streets) nearly two cats per week since March (a lot of those were cats I actually rescued).

I am trying to make a difference before I can't do it anymore.  There are other rescue groups trying to make the same difference.  But its not enough.  We need more help.  The city needs to step up and do something.  I hope the new mayor - hopefully James Sheppard will help.  Mayor Warren didn't do much, if anything, to help our cause, except to throw me a couple of free vouchers for spay and neuter.  10 to be exact.  I just paid my bill at Rochester Community Animal Clinic.  That was over $500.  That was for 8 cats to be spayed or neutered.  Just 8.  The cats on the streets are having an average of 4 per litter.

We are outnumbered.  We need help.  Spread the word.  Help out any way you can.

On a brighter note, I leave you with some pictures I took this morning.  These kittens bring joy, don't they?  We now have a total of five more kittens needing to find homes.  I am waiting for Kristin to give me pictures of two of hers (from the Roberts Weslyn college campus), and the three I rescued from Melville Street.  Not to mention, the MOTHER of so many who nurtured and nursed many kittens that were not hers, after her five passed after birth.  Destiny.  Lets find her a home too!

ENJOY!  (Click on pics to see up close!)

BEAR and POSIE having a snooze in the sun

Bitsy

DESTINY

ITSY

MARSHMALLOW

TOESIE and ROSIE

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

“A generous heart, kind speech, 

and a life of service and compassion 

are the things that renew humanity.”