 I have always loved animals but cats have always been special to me. The first cat I ever owned and loved was “Spotty” a large, orange and white male. I was 3 years old.
When we moved to Florida 18 years ago I had my first chance to actually do more than just own a cat. I began to help first at the Humane Society in Sanford, and later volunteered for a woman named Kay who had a rescue colony in her backyard.
When Petsmart came along we began to do adoptions there. It was a great opportunity to showcase our animals and find good homes for them. Most of these cats were rescued from Casselberry Animal Control. We rescued hundreds of cats every year, saving as many as we could. In the last 14 years we have placed over 7,000 cats and kittens.
Over the years, the phone calls and the number of cats have dramatically grown. One learns eventually that no one can save them all. Then in June, 2005, Animal Services killed 611 cats and kittens. That is more than we adopted out the whole year of 2004. One begins to see rescue in a whole, new light. Imagine that you are rowing a boat and the boat begins to leak. You begin to bail out the boat but more and more water comes in. You try to keep up by bailing faster but the water doesn’t stop and the boat begins to sink. Well, animal rescue is like that. No matter how many animals you rescue they keep coming and coming. And soon you can no longer keep up. The telephone calls never end. There are strays with no one to care for them, there are the owners who want to “get rid” of their pets, and there are the owners who can no longer care for their cats. One begins to run out of answers for what to do with all these homeless pets.
One thing we do know. Building more shelters is not the answer. Just like the leaky boat the shelters will quickly fill up and more shelters will be needed. More importantly, killing the excess animals is not the answer. Shelters have been doing that for years and the number of animals just keeps increasing. The only intelligent, kind and permanent way to stop the killing is through spaying, neutering and education.
That is where we are now. We are determined to prevent the deaths of unwanted animals by establishing a high-volume, low-cost clinic. And because we know there are intelligent, kind, and caring people in our community to help us, we will reach our goal. It won’t be easy but we are a determined group. Will you join us in our effort to “Spay n Save?” Together, let us dock that leaky boat forever. Please contact us and be a part of this exciting venture.
Sincerely,
Phyllis Ayoob
President
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