Rescue in a Snowstorm

Buddy:  We weren't going to do a post today but we just had a reply to an email request to post a story from a rescue's newsletter.

Percy

Percy:  We have written about Carolyn and her rescue ALL CREATURES ARE TRULY SPECIAL on a number of occasions over the years.

Cameron:  She is the woman who was gored by a bull while rescuing her old dog that was going deaf and blind. 

Rusty:  She is also the woman who called the shelter to put a hold on a cat that bloggers were frantically trying to save, learned that cat already had someone to pick her up and agreed to pull a mother cat and all her kittens instead.

Merci:  She named the mother cat Sparkles, after our friend Sparkle the Designer Cat who worked so hard to get out the word on the cat another blogger pulled.  You can read parts of both stories here - Carolyn and Sparkles (and the bull).

Cyndi:  During the terrible February weather, Carolyn's shelter was one of many across the country that sustained damage.

Micah:  As soon as we read this story earlier this month, we knew we wanted to share it but we waited to get permission first.  This story made Jan cry.  Both times she read it.  But good tears for the kindness of those who responded in an emergency to rescue the dogs that were injured during a snowstorm.

Marcus:  The reason it took so long for Carolyn to respond to our request is because she had no computer.  She claims one of the puppies there chewed on it.  I can't believe that.  I'm a puppy and I've never chewed on anything.

Sam:  Then you're either delusional or you have a short memory.  Jan has barricaded everything possible to keep you from chewing on anything of value.  The one time you managed to push your way behind the computer desk and get tangled in the cords ... well, when Jan saw things suddenly start moving on the desk, her shrieks could have waked the dead!

Marcus:  Oh, yes, I forgot.  I'm still a little deaf in one ear from that. 

Buddy:  Can we get back to the subject?  This is the story of the February storm at Carolyn's rescue.. 

**************

WHY FEBRUARY WAS NOT NORMAL: I awake, fully, all at once. Something is wrong. I am always slow to awake, slow to actually get my day started. Then I realize.....there is no noise. I listen carefully. No sound but the clock ticking and the little sounds of newborn puppies nursing. No outside sounds at all. Everything seems .....muffled. I look at the clock, 4 AM. I have slept for four hours straight. That never happens. I get off my pallet to look out the window. Snow!!

Oh, please, Lord, not snow! I don't simply dislike snow, I actively hate it. It causes the dogs to get sore feet, the food to get wet and me to possibly slip and fall. It never fails. It snows and I will take a spill no matter how careful I am. And sometimes, we have major problems like damage caused by accumulation on power lines and trees. But this doesn't look too bad--so far.

I turn on the weather channel for the report. Not good news, up to eight inches expected in our area. This means my day starts right now. I need to buy goats milk for the kittens, extra food for the dogs and cats and, of course, more litter. It doesn't matter how much litter I buy, it is never enough. And, I need a few things, too. Bread, for example, and crackers. I can live on bread and crackers and cheese.

I ease into my clothes, go outside to check on the dogs. Not a single one comes out to greet me. They are all snug in either the building or in their houses. (We have four dogs who absolutely refuse to sleep in the building, preferring their houses.)  Nothing is frozen. The giant pine tree is becoming heavy with the snow, some branches are drooping, so I get the hoe, catch the lower limbs and shake them free of the snow. Everything fine--so far.

I make it to Wal-Mart for the needed supplies. The roads are still passable, but the police are monitoring them already, so it is still safe out. I see my nephew in his patrol car and wave to him. He follows me home and asks if everything is alright at my place. I assure him it is, and he tells me to call him if I need him. Little did I know just how much I would need him later.

All that day and into the night, I kept watch on the snow level. They weren't kidding when they said "eight inches." The hood of my car measured 10 inches and it was still falling. I was really worried about what would happen if/when it froze. At 1 AM, I made my last round of the night. Everyone was snug and warm. Time to get some sleep.

At 3 AM, I am startled by what sounds like gunfire. I jump up and head outside. The dogs are barking and running toward the pine tree. I just have time for an impression of falling limbs. I actually think the whole tree is coming down. NO, NO, NO!!! Please don't fall on the building!!  I will never get another one!! STOP, STOP, STOP!!!!!  One of the large limbs breaks with a loud cracking sound. I am screaming at the dogs to get away, to come to me, anything, just get out from under that tree. But, they don't listen.

There are a few moments of stunned silence, then the whimpers and moans and feeble barks begin. Pulling at the fallen limbs, I can see I can't remove them all by myself. I run to the house, praying my phone has enough minutes to call for help.

My son answers. I am nearly hysterical. He tells me to calm down, he is on his way. I call my nephew.  Thankfully, he is off duty, so he says he will get more help and will be here shortly.  Then I call the vet. "Yes," he says." I will go to the office. Bring as many as you need to."

In less than 10 minutes we have six people tearing away the limbs, stabilizing the dogs and transporting to the vet.  In all, 10 dogs are rushed to the vet.  And, every single person who helped went to the vet clinic with the dogs. They wanted to know "their" rescue was properly cared for. Three dogs were only slightly injured, seven were hospitalized. Two had  bad cuts, three had puncture wounds and two each had a broken leg. The puncture wounds were the worst. One actually had a limb embedded in her side, doing damage to internal organs. And, of all the injured, she never made a sound. She simply looked at us with those big, brown, trusting eyes, knowing we wouldn't let her down. And, we didn't. She was carried in on a stretcher from the rescue squad, with three grown men talking to her and telling her she would be OK. And, she is. Or will be. Everyone is healing as they should.

The next day, all the people doing rescue came back over to see the place in the daylight. They stayed to remove the broken limbs and do general clean-up. One rescue squad person asked to adopt a dog for his daughter. He wanted "Little Girl," the one he rescued, but the daughter wanted a puppy. So, a puppy she got.

We have a large vet bill, but he has given me time to pay over the next 90 days. As I write this, there is still $1,200 owed. All the rescuers chipped in to pay the first $1000. And, they still come by at least once a week to see the dogs. The police who patrol here stop by just about every day. They bring dog biscuits and treats and the dogs line up at the fence when they hear the patrol car. One of the officers said to me, "We don't always get to see happy results from accidents. Coming here lets us see we really can and do make a positive difference with our efforts."  Enough said.

********************************

Merci:  Marcus, what's wrong?

Marcus:  That was such a beautiful story.  *sniff, sniff*   I'm so glad those injured dogs were helped and are an encouragement to those rescue people.

Buddy:  *beaming*  The longer I know this little guy, the more I see myself at his age. 

Percy:  The newsletter is posted on the ALL C.A.T.S.' website.  There is a donation button there if you'd like to help.

Tober Treats Funny Farmers

In case any of you think we're joking when we say we're waaaaaaay behind in everything, we won Tober the Thorntown Library cat's poster contest a month ago and we are finally doing our prize post. Jan's excuse is that it took a while for the prize to arrive. Our explanation is that it took Jan forever to take photos of the prize and finally download them from the camera.

This is our winning poster.

We were quite excited when Tober said his Assistant Bosses would donate $50 to a charity of our choice.  Since Jan helped us, we let her choose and she picked All Creatures Are Truly Special (All C.A.T.S.)

We also got a box of goodies. Jan left the Certificate of Awesomeness lying on top of the open box and Percy smelled the treats and left fang marks when he tasted the paper.  Did she take photos then?  No, she stuck our Certificate inside a plastic protector and made us wait even longer.

Percy checked to make sure everything was there when Jan opened the box again.

And then San moved in to check out the contents. 

Percy got a whiff of the Kong Kickeroo and moved in for the attack.

See the blur of his head as he executes the kill.

Uh-oh, Percy pretty much cleared the footrest when he attacked.

Percy:  Oh, well, if the KK is dead, I might as well check out the box.
Rusty:  I don't know.  That KK doesn't look quite dead to me.

Rusty: Nope, I still hear a heartbeat. 

Rusty:  I'm not sure whether to kill it or perform CPR..   

Cyndi:  Well, the guys are obviously incompetent hunters.  I'll have to dispatch this KK myself.  . 

Sam:  Is it treat time now?  I'm first.  I'm first.  I'm first.  ** Keeps licking his chops as he slides his butt  and head an inch per move closer to Jan and the bag of Natural Duck Tenders she's opening so she can't get a photo cause his face is right in the camera lens**

Merci:  Is it my turn now?

Sam:  It's my turn.  I'm next.
Buddy:  Don't you dare give my treat to Sam!  He's been first, second and third.in line, and I haven't had one yet.
(Jan says not to pay any attention to the mess in the living room.  We drag our beds around the room.  Jan calls it messy.  We call if homey.)

Merci:  These are the duck tenders treats Jan was so stingy with.  They are yummy.  She tried to get photos of the cats enjoying their treats but they won't beg like we dogs do.  We tried begging for them too but Jan wouldn't let us have any.  But rest assured, Tober, the kitties are enjoying their prize treats. 

Please continue to pray for Sandra and her family after losing their home and 5 of her 7 Houston Pittie Pack dogs in a house fire early Friday morning.  The two weekend commentathons  we posted on Saturday did well.  And the Chip In started by Mayzie's mom (the Chip In button will remain in our sidebar until the Chip In closes) has raised over $6500.00 so far. 

If any of you would like to send a Walmart or a Target gift card to help the family, email us for the address. Gift cards would be more welcome than gifts, as they can purchase what they need.

Two Pitties in the City wrote a lovely post on the dogs and how loved they were. Worth a couple minutes of your time.

Cotton Tells Sparkles Story

Hey, Cotton here. I told the others there is ham on the table in the kitchen so I could get to the typing chair and introduce today's subject.There really isn't any ham but I have control of the keyboard now so it's officially my turn.

A while back we promised we would post some photos of a special cat after her rescuer had some time to recover from a bull attack. (Yes, you read that right.)

The story goes back to late June 2010 when a black cat in a Georgia shelter was sitting on death row and folks from all over were frantically emailing, blogging, tweeting, and posting to Facebook to save her. If you're a new reader or you missed this story, it is worth a couple of minutes to go back and read from the beginning. Although the black cat was saved, our posts were on a "spinoff" about other cats who were rescued because of the hard work done by so many, including Sparkle the blogging kitty who was determined to save the black cat's life.

The beginning of the story is Black & White Rescues.

And continues as White Rescue Update.

Part 3 is Carolyn & Sparkles. Sparkles the rescued kitty is named for Sparkle the blogging kitty since Sparkle's determination helped save her life. (It also tells about the bull attack.)

And this is the famous Sparkles.

Sparkles not only sleeps on Carolyn's bed but she has her own pillow. Yep, she now has a life of comfort. Can you tell?

This is Music, one of Sparkle's babies.

And this is one of Sparkle's babies, most likely another picture of Music.

Of course, the babies are pretty much grown now and have homes of their own, but we thought you might like to see the photos anyway.

The photos were sent from Carolyn's cell phone last night while her area as well as ours were under a severe storm/tornado watch. A storm rolled through the Southeastern US last night and when it hit, the rain poured and the wind blew hard, and we furries decided the best thing we could do to keep Jan calm was to be brave and hide! Jan sat in the dark with her eyes closed and she could still see the rapid-fire flashes of lightning. It was not a night for sleeping, but it was definitely a night for unplugging the PC and hiding in a cupboard. Sorry there wasn't enough room for you dogs.

We'll throw in a couple of extra photos for you. The photos aren't very clear but these cats are also being spoiled. :)
This is Ziggy. He was a Christmas rescue.

And this is Ziggy with best friend Zoe. They were rescued together.

Sparkles, Ziggy and Zoe are Carolyn's cats, but her rescue does have cats and dogs available for adoption.You can check them out at All Creatures Are Truly Special. All C.A.T.S. is a licensed rescue, so there is also a donation page.

Carolyn and Sparkles

You might remember the story of a cat so many worked so hard to rescue back in July.  If you have forgotten or haven't heard the story, you can read it here.  Our friend Carolyn from All C.A.T.S. called the shelter to pull the cat and was told the cat was being picked up that afternoon but there was a white cat on the euthanize list. Carolyn picked her up the next day and named her Sparkles after Sparkle the Designer Cat who worked tirelessly to rescue the other cat.

This is a short update on Sparkles from her September newsletter. When she can Carolyn plans to post some photos.

A couple of weeks ago, I took in a white cat and her 16-week-old kittens. I had homes waiting for the kittens but was worried about the mother’s reaction to them being gone. No problem. She immediately started cleaning and caring for Pawla (a kitten, not one of Sparkles') as though she was her own. We named the white cat Sparkles after another wonderful cat who helped bring us together. 

Sparkles was saved from a shelter that was going to put her down. But, after speaking with the man at the shelter, he held Sparkles for one extra day to give us time to get there. I didn't know about her kittens until I was ready to take Sparkles and leave and Sparkles kept going to the cage that held the kittens. When I asked the man about the kittens, he said they belonged to the white cat but were old enough to be kept there, hoping for another home. There was no way I was going to leave them there. It cost a lot of money, $60 for each of them; but I had to do it. They all have very good homes now and Sparkles is happy with Pawla, who now spends her days with Sparkles and her nights with Lucy (a dog). She is a very happy little cat. She should be, as we all love her very much.

And we'd also like to give you an update on Carolyn from her October newsletter.She's had some escapades and injuries over the years but we assume this one has got to be the worst.
 
I'm sure most of you remember Prissy. She is our very old Chihuahua. She is now losing her sight and hearing and only allowed out in the yard only when someone can be there with her. Well, that isn't good enough anymore. Now, she will have to be on a leash!


I had let her out and was sitting on the porch watching her. UPS came to deliver a package, and for not more than 30 seconds I took my eyes off her. When I looked back for her, she was across the road in the pasture with the cattle. To my horror, a bull was charging toward her. Prissy weighs about 3 lbs., the bull at least 1,200 lbs. I screamed her name and she stopped-- but she didn't turn around to come back. The fence is electrified and I knew I would get shocked, but I couldn't worry about that. Crawling under, my hair got tangled in the barbed wire. Grabbing that strand with both hands, I tore it out. Getting to my feet, I ran for Prissy. Scooping her up, we headed back for the fence. Just as I shove her under, the bull hits me, knocking me into the wire and even more shocks. The barbs catch my clothes, skin and even more hair. The stupidest thought passes through my mind, "You are going to be bald when this is over."


The UPS guy grabs Prissy and shouts at the bull. From my point of vision, I believe the bull took his shout as encouragement. It turned and trampled me as I tried to crawl under the fence. The UPS guy grabbed my arm and pulled me under the fence, getting a good jolt of electricity in the process. "My Lord, how did you stand getting electrocuted for that long?" he asked. Then he got a good look at me. "Don't move, I'm getting help," he said. I tried to tell him to put Prissy into the house, but I realized I couldn’t speak. I was spitting blood and teeth. I tried to point to the house but couldn’t raise my arm. "O.K., I'm hurt," I thought—but didn’t feel it yet. "Maybe it's not too bad." Wrong!


My cousin Terry arrived just before the ambulance. He took care of getting the dogs back where they belong and calling my son. Barry is so used to my escapades and assumes it’s a small thing. I heard Terry yelling over the phone at him, "There’s blood everywhere!”I looked down. Sure enough, blood everywhere and no shirt. I am still not feeling pain, just tiredness as though I needed to sleep for a long time. Then I heard the EMT telling me to stay calm and stay awake. "O.K., just give me a shirt," I thought. I heard Barry asking, “How is she?" as he comes around the ambulance. Then, I head him say, "Oh, Lord." Must be worse than I thought. So, why am I not hurting? I would regret that thought later. Even today, I don't know the order in which I received the injuries. The ones to my head must have been the first ones. My mouth is all cut inside from the breaking of my teeth. I have a concussion, separated ribs, bruised hip, broken wrist and collarbone. But, the most important thing, Prissy is safe. She will be walked on a leash from now on.


Barry says the same about me. Actually, I believe what he said was I need a keeper. I am improving improved and am told I will heal completely.


NOTE FROM PAT: Carolyn suffered a broken wrist and femur, severe concussion, contusions over 90% of her body and many cuts and scrapes. She also has burns from the electrified fence. Her recovery has been slow, and much extra labor required since she literally can do nothing to help care for the animals. A special donation to help with the extra cost would be VERY MUCH appreciated!!

Carolyn has improved since the newsletter was written but she won't heal overnight, so we're posting this to suggest if any of you would like to donate a few dollars to help with All C.A.T.S'. extra expenses during this time, it would definitely be appreciated.  You can make a donation here.

Oh, on a happier note, the UPS guy will be adopting a puppy from Carolyn. 

Murphy Departed on Merry Monday????

We have a Merry Monday video for you today that will bring back memories of your human's childhood. Buddy said he wants to meet these folks and ask if he can take us Funny Farmers for a spin in their red wagon. We all declined. And if these folks have any sense, they'll decline too. We've all had experience with Buddy and his driving skills. And Merci still has nightmares about them, starting from his first Driving Lesson.



If the video disappears or doesn't play, you can watch it here.

We were notified today we won a can of Clean + Green in the Creek Cats' giveaway.Jan likes this product and we can't buy it locally, so she's very happy about this. 

And we won the Taylor CatSSSSS' caption contest. This is the photo of Sam from the contest.  You can read our caption and see what we won here.  We can't wait to read it.

We're all hoping this means Murphy and his law have packed up and moved out last night.  Jan is busy checking cupboards, closets, drawers, crawling the floor, and just generally trying to make sure he didn't leave any code behind.

We almost forgot.  Actually, we did forget until after we hit "publish," so we're updating already.  The Furriends of CB auction for us ended last night and a new one has started.  We'd like to thank all of you who have participated - including those who would have but were unable to. ML and Gracie do a great job with the auctions!

White Rescue Update

We love to tell a story, especially one you won't hear elsewhere. Kind of like Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story."  There are probably more branches to the rescue of the black cat, but this is the only one we have personal knowledge of.

Last Wednesday we posted a story about a black cat in a Georgia shelter that Sparkle and ML had emailed and asked if we might possibly help save. Her euthanasia date was Thursday, July 1. If you missed that post you can read the story here.

Carolyn of All CATS (All Creatures are Truly Special) got in touch with us Wednesday and volunteered to go "bail her out." When she called the shelter, she learned the cat was on hold and the new owner was to return at 3 pm to pick her up. (We had no idea the "adopter" was Bobbi of Cats~Goats~Quotes and that the cat would be going to a new home in Arizona.) They told her of a white cat that had the same euthanasia date as the black one. So Carolyn said she would pick the white one up Thursday, and in case the new owner of the black cat didn't return (they often don't), Carolyn would also pick up her.

The fact that a second cat was being rescued was exciting news to many of you. And to us. However, we need to tell you that Carolyn did not go to the shelter Thursday and pick up the white cat.

We don't think Carolyn would mind if we tell this in her own words:

You know me too well. I took not only the white female, but all 5 of her kittens. Since they are 12 weeks old, they cost me $65.00 dollars each, but I couldn't leave her babies. Doesn't matter if I eat bread and crackers for a month, they are worth it. There is also a Siamese there that will be up for adoption in 5 days. I intend to get her, too. She is old, but very loving and healthy. My name is the only one on her adoption list, so I feel confident I will get her. I have promised to pay for her care while she is there, so hopefully she won't get sick in the meantime.

Today, Monday, the kittens will be going to their new homes. Yes, the kittens all have new homes already. The white cat and also the Siamese when she's available for adoption will be Carolyn's. They won't be shelter cats.

So, Sparkle, you did not pound the keyboard in vain. The black cat was pulled before the deadline and as a spin-off, 6 other felines that we are aware of were also rescued in time. The Siamese will make 7.


Oh, Carolyn asked, Do you think it would be OK to name the white cat "Sparkles"? It actually suits her, with her sparkling blue eyes.

We think that sounds like the perfect name for the rescued white cat.

We've never met Carolyn in person but we've been aware of her rescue work for a number of years. We've posted on her and All CATS a number of times, especially during the aftermath of Katrina when Carolyn and her son volunteered their time to rescue stranded/abandoned animals.  Like most rescues, every dollar donated helps to provide food, shelter, vet care, heat in winter, cooling in summer, kennels, etc. for the animals.  If you can spare a dollar or two, it would really help.  Click on the Donate button.  

Carolyn isn't aware we're making this request.. But we know any rescue can always use help. And it does help the animals. 

Have a purring and tail wagging day.

Black and White Rescues

Do you recognize this photo?

This is a female black cat from Henry County Animal Shelter in McDonough, GA. She has been all over Facebook, Twitter, blogs and emails. If she is not rescued by 4:30 pm today, June 30, she will be euthanized. (Be sure to read to the end of this post.)

I am here at the shelter, lonely, and without a home. I am one of the many kitties here at the shelter in need of a lifetime companion that will give me the love that I so deserve. If you would like to meet me, you can visit me here at the shelter or call my friends at (770) 288-PETS. My ID# is 6/22-2455 and I hope to see you soon.

Lost and stray animals are held at the Henry County Animal Care and Control Shelter for four business days in order to give their owners a chance to reclaim them. After that time period, adoptable animals are held as long as space allows.

Our blogging friend Sparkle has been determined to make one last miracle happen for Adopt A Shelter Cat Month. She enlisted the help of KC and mom ML of the Cat Blogosphere. Since I live in Georgia, they hoped I might know someone who could save this cat until they could find her a home. I didn't. But then I thought of Carolyn from ALL C.A.T.S. But she just had a medical procedure. Yet this morning Carolyn emailed and volunteered, "I'm not about to let a cat die if I can help."

Carolyn has the heart of a true rescuer. Health problems don't stop her. Yesterday she rescued six dogs and 2 cats from a lodge. Every one of the animals was microchipped and thus reunited with it's owner.

She requested I call her with the info. She said she would get her son to drive.  I admitted I didn't think to call the shelter to verify the cat is still there. Carolyn did and called back with very good news. The cat was adopted but the new owners didn't have the cash on them, so they were to return today at 3 pm. However --

However, in the event the new owner doesn't show up this afternoon, the shelter will hold the black cat until tomorrow when Carolyn can pick her up. So one way or another this black cat will not die July 1. And they're holding a white cat for Carolyn to pick up tomorrow, so at least one other animal will owe his/her life to Sparkle's persistence.

Have a purring and tail wagging day.

Dictated by Jan. Typed by Percy

ALL CATS KATRINA PET RESCUE UPDATE, SEPT 21, 2005

ALL CATS KATRINA PET RESCUE UPDATE, SEPT 21, 2005
©2005 Janice Price

Buddy stands at the window and watches as Jan’s station wagon rolls down the street. “Sheeeee’s off!” he announces to the Funny Farm residents.

“Let’s get moving before she comes back,” Merci declares, to no one in particular.

Percy leaps onto Jan’s secretarial chair and quickly opens her e-mail program, searching for the latest All CATS update.

“I thought she would never leave!” Cyndi exclaims.

Cotton eyes Cameron with disdain. “We could have posted this last night, except for Mr. Fat Butt.”

“I do not have a fat butt.” Cameron shoots back at her.

“Now, Cotton,” Crystal says, soothingly, “Cameron doesn’t really have a fat butt. He just made a mistake. We all make mistakes.”

“Yes, but he is the only one of us who ever sat on the keyboard to take a bath.”

“You mean, he is the only one of us that ever sat on the keyboard and got caught taking a bath,” Cyndi says.

Buddy begins to laugh, breaking the tension between the cats. Gradually, the rest of the group joins him, as they remember the early a.m. confusion Cameron caused as the club waited for Jan to stop tossing and turning and fall asleep. The quiet was broken by a mysterious doop, doop, doop. When Jan turned on the living room light, Cameron was vigorously bathing himself, while playing a non-melodious tune on the computer hardware as he bounced on the keyboard.

Merci chuckles. “That sure killed our chances at the computer for the night. Jan turned it off, and we didn’t dare touch it until she left the house just now.”

“Can the chatter, guys!” Percy orders. “I’m trying to work here.”

The group moves to where each has a clear view of the monitor. Cyndi, Crystal, Cotton and Cameron leap onto the desk. Merci stands with her front paws on the desk, and Buddy edges closer to Percy, who is standing on the chair seat.

Crystal asks, “What is the “rescue board” mentioned in the update?”

“I don’t know,” Percy admits. “That’s new. No, wait. Jan asked the same question and this is the answer she received.”

Cotton, sitting closest to the monitor, reads the message to the group. “The rescue board is in the courthouse near the French Quarter and is used by several organizations. Our volunteers list every animal we rescue, describing it and giving the street address (or at least the street) on which the animal was found. Also, where the animal was taken. People then go to the site where the pet they believe is theirs is located. Volunteers there ask for proof of identity (address) to match up with the animal. Each animal has a plastic "collar" such as vets use with the address written on it. Of course, lots of times it's obvious because the animal's eyes light up and they try to run to their person.”

“This is yesterday’s update, guys. Let’s get it posted,” Cyndi says, with impatience. There’s another hurricane headed that way. The news will be outdated before anyone gets to read it, if we don’t hurry.”

Percy hits a key and the update is posted.

“Good work, Percy,” Merci beams.

“Yes,” Buddy agrees, “good work, pal,” He pats Percy on the back, pushing him forward onto the keyboard, which begins to sing doop, doop, doop.
www.jansfunnyfarm.com


All Cats Update for September 21, 2005

Last weekend, we received a donation and wonderful letter from a lady whose dog was one of those our volunteers had been caring for. She had found her dog listed on our rescue board with a notation that it was being cared for in its home. When she arrived at her home, she found our volunteer Charles feeding the dog.

Then, lo and behold, we receive a call from CBS saying they wanted to do a ride-along with us. That happened today and was on CBS and Fox News earlier. Fox has been showing the story about every three hours. The boat has ALL C.A.T.S. written on it and is camouflage colored. Our guys are wearing military-type clothing. During the ride-along, our guys rescued 4 horses and several goats. Plus four dogs--which were shut in the farmhouse. This was shown on the news clip. The newscaster did say, "Most of the rescue people search from the air; you go door to door and find animals the rest do not." Our reasoning is that all farms have animals; therefore, we must check them all to see if these animals may be trapped inside buildings and therefore not visible from the air.

We made sure that the horses and goats were able to get to dry ground/pasture--with shelter. We fed the dogs and left plenty of food and fresh water. Charles will, of course, go back and check on them--as we always do.

During the ride-along, Charles talked about our organization and gave our website address. That address was crawling along the bottom of the screen while the clip was running.

We have received numerous emails thanking us for what we are doing--from people whose animals we have saved. The newscaster was very complimentary of our efforts--and your help. He said "You must have some great people on your supporter list." We told him that was definitely the truth.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU--To the office of the Governor of Texas. Carolyn contacted the governor's assistant today and was promised that there would be tractor trailers available, along with buses, for people to take their animals with them if evacuation of Galveston or any other area in Texas becomes a necessity. People will be allowed to take their animals (in carriers) on the buses during any evacuation. The tractor trailers are available in the same area to take animals that cannot be transported in carriers. All anyone has to do is talk to one of the drivers. They will go to the animals' location and pick them up.

We are very proud of what we have been able to accomplish--and of you for making it possible for us to do.

There is great need to continue our work, so we must ask you for more financial help. We especially need money for gasoline--we use a tremendous amount in the boats and trucks.

We also urgently need building materials--gift cards from places like Home Depot and Lowes would be wonderful!!

To donate--

1. Visit our website ( www.allcatsinc.org ) and donate on-line through PayPal with the special link for the Katrina Crew.

2. Send your check or money order made out to All C.A.T.S., Inc. to Carolyn Keeton at 4907 23rd Boulevard, Valley AL 36854.

3. Send money via Western Union to Carolyn Keeton in Valley AL and/or Barry Harbin in Albertville AL. BE SURE TO GET THE CONFIRMATION NUMBER AND SEND IT TO -

4. If there is any other way you wish to donate, we'll be happy to discuss it. Call Carolyn at the above number.

Please – if you possibly can, do find a way to help us help the animals. They are depending on all of us!

ALL CATS KATRINA PET RESCUE UPDATE, SEPT.16,2005

All Cats Katrina Pet Rescue Update, Sept. 16, 2005
(c) 2005 Janice Price

Buddy, carrying his stuffed bone with the broken squeaker, wanders past the computer. His ears register the sound of new e-mail notification, and he wanders over to check the computer. He calls, excitedly, “Percy, come quick! It’s here. Jan just received another update on the All Cats Crew in the Hurricane Katrina disaster area.”

Before he finishes, Percy has leaped down from on top of the refrigerator, raced into the living room and leaped onto Jan’s secretarial chair. “It’s about time!” Percy grumbles, as he scans the message. “How can we update people when we don’t receive updates?”

Merci joins them, standing on tiptoe to read the message on the screen. “Calm down, Percy. Remember the All Cats Crew is busy rescuing animals – mainly cats and dogs, either left in homes when people fled the storm, or stranded when the homes were flooded or destroyed. If the animals are not rescued soon, they will die. So the Crew doesn’t have time to chitchat.”

Percy’s deft paws copy and paste the message into a Word document. He runs a spelling and grammar check, adds a title, and ….

“Wow, you’re good at this,” Buddy says, in awe of Percy’s agility on the keyboard. “I used to be able to type that fast, but then I grew up and my paws got so large I can’t hit the correct keys unless I take my time.”

Percy smiles. “That’s why I’m Secretary of the Funny Farm Writing Club.” In no time at all, he has the update posted to the Club’s journal.

“I don’t know about you,” Merci says with a grin, “but it sure feels good to be able to do something to help those poor animals along the Gulf Coast.”

“Yes,” Percy adds. “We aren’t well-known writers, so we don’t have a lot of readers on our site yet, but sharing our journal with All Cats temporarily is the least we can contribute to the relief effort.”

Buddy sighs. “We could contribute a whole lot more if we could just figure out where Jan hides her credit cards!”

Percy,
Secretary to the FFWC

All Creatures Are Truly Special, Inc. http://www.allcatsinc.org

We have delivered four tractor trailer loads of dog and cat food to New Orleans and Mississippi--wherever needed. FEMA has requested our services in Mobile AL, and we have a tractor trailer load ready to go directly to the shelters there.

We're still feeding more than 70 dogs and over 100 cats and kittens that are in safe places until their owners return. These owners have been contacted and know where their animals are.

The feral animals that are almost impossible to catch are being provided food and water in their own, familiar areas. We will not traumatize them further by trying to move them now that their home territories have been drained.

Since our last update, we have rescued another 3000+ dogs and 1800+ cats. 2088 of the dogs are back with their owners. 846 of the cats have been reunited with their people.

We have rescued 82 people with their pets. We also have 15 persons, 18 cats and 23 dogs living in our shelters in Valley. They will be provided with housing next week by the FEMA people. We also have 26 dogs and 30 cats that have been brought to Valley.
Again, since our last report, we have rescued over 100 head of cattle by getting them to dry land. A feed store donated food for them.

108 people have sent emails to Barry Harbin asking us to check their homes, entering by any means needed, to care for their animals. We have checked each location and reported back to the people who contacted us. We have provided food and water for all the animals we found. Most of the people are returning to their homes and animals next week.

You all have asked what else we need help with:

We always need a lot of money to purchase gasoline to keep all of these vital vehicles going! We are still the only animal rescue people operating boats. No one but us is helping the animals still surrounded by water. If we don't have gasoline, we won't be able to continue.

We have also rescued 36 horses, which will be turned over to the equine rescue groups. We have built temporary holding pens until the groups get to them. Money for building material is always needed.

We still need money to get that tractor trailer in to Mobile because it is sitting there ready to go--just need fuel. It also contains smaller cages for rescuing small dogs and cats.

Thank you all so very, very much for your help. Please try to continue your support as long and as much as you can. As you can tell, we urgently need financial support to continue helping all the animals which still need us.

You may donate in several ways:

1. Via PayPal using the special Katrina Crew link on our website.

2. Via Western Union to either Carolyn Keeton in Valley, AL or Barry Harbin in Albertville, AL. Be sure to send the Western Union confirmation number to Carolyn by calling her at -

3. By check/money order sent to Carolyn Keeton and made out to All C.A.T.S., Inc., and addressed to 4907 23rd Boulevard, Valley AL 36854.

4. To donate food or gas cards or any other items, contact Carolyn or Barry at the phone/email address described in No. 2 above.

ALL CATS KATRINA PET RESCUE UPDATE, SEPT 9, 2005

The Funny Farm has received another update from All Creatures Are Truly Special,, Inc, a team rescuing animals amid the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.


ALL CATS KATRINA PET RESCUE UPDATE, SEPT 9, 2005

All Creatures Are Truly Special, Inc. http://www.allcatsinc.org

We now have rescued well over 2,000 animals, all of which are now in safe, clean and dry locations with people who are dedicated to caring for them and 92 have been reunited with their people.

Another 17 owners have been found and are on their way to loving reunions with their animals.

We still urgently need dry cat and dog food and a lot of gasoline and money for other transportation related expenses. The transportation costs (averaging $900 per day) include gasoline and/or diesel fuel for the trucks and boats plus for the generators to provide electricity, which is still mostly unavailable.

Your donation of funds to provide the above food and transportation or the donation of the food itself or pre-paid gas cards is vital to enable us to continue.

We do not want to have to stop any time soon. There are so many more animals who need help!!!

You may donate in several ways:

1. Via PayPal using the special Katrina Crew link on our website.

2. Via Western Union to either Carolyn Keeton in Valley, AL or Barry Harbin in Albertville, AL. Be sure to send the Western Union confirmation number to Carolyn by calling her at -

3. By check/money order sent to Carolyn Keeton and made out to All C.A.T.S., Inc., and addressed to 4907 23rd Boulevard, Valley AL 36854.

4. To donate food or gas cards or any other items, contact Carolyn or Barry at the phone/email address described in # 2 above.

HURRICANE KATRINA ALL CATS RESCUE UPDATE

The Funny Farm has suspended regular postings to keep everyone updated on All Cats, Inc., an animal rescue team that has been actively rescuing pets in New Orleans since September 1st. We know there are other reputable groups also rescuing animals from the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina, but this is the one we are familiar with and so we back their efforts 100%, knowing that every penny donated to them will go toward rescue expenses. After the rescue efforts have finally ceased, there will still be the care and feeding of numerous animals, some of which will need veterinary care. Some have already been reunited with their owners.
Percy, Secretary for the FFWC


HURRICANE KATRINA ALL CATS RESCUE UPDATE

Hurricane Katrina All Cats Rescue Update for Wednesday, September 07, 2005

All Creatures Are Truly Special, Inc. http://www.allcatsinc.org

We have now rescued 480 dogs and cats and have reunited a total of
50 with their owners. In addition, we have relocated 18 people WITH their animals.

You may have seen a piece on CNN that showed rescue of a very sick man whose collie was running alongside the boat in which he was being transported. The dog tried to get in the boat but was pushed back and finally gave up. We have rescued that collie, who has his tags on with his person's name. He is now with a lady who lives nearby and WHO will care for him until (hopefully) his owner recovers and they can be reunited.

You may also have seen a piece on Fox News about a Mississippi lady who refused to leave her home without her dog. One of our volunteers has taken her both people and dog food and she is now able to stay at her home, which was not extensively damaged. She is also taking care of some of the dogs we have rescued.

Home Depot and Wal-Mart stores in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi have offered us any salvageable building materials free of charge. This is a BIG help, as we don't have to purchase fencing, cages and other materials for this purpose.

Our major need is still fuel.

1. Visit our website and donate via paypal using the special Katrina Rescue link.

2. Send money via Western Union to Carolyn Keeton at Valley, AL or Barry Harbin at Albertville, AL. Please be sure to let Carolyn and/or Barry know the confirmation number by calling Carolyn at -

3. Send a check or prepaid gas card to Carolyn at the Valley, AL shelter - made out to All Cats, Inc (and with a notation for Katrina Rescue). The address is All Cats, Inc., 4907 23rd Boulevard, Valley, AL 36854.

Thank you!

UPDATE SEPT 5, 2005, HURRICANE KATRINA ANIMAL RESCUE

The Funny Farm Writing Club has unanimously decided to post the latest update on the All Cat Katrina animal rescue efforts. We are saddened by the horrors the storm victims have been enduring - human and animal - and are grateful to know there are people out there who will risk their lives, dig deep into their pockets, offer shelter and do their best to help humans. And we are grateful that there are others who are willing to risk all to rescue the victims' four-legged friends. This is one of the groups who is actively involved in rescuing animals in New Orleans.

Percy,
FFWC Secretary


Update Sept 5, 2005, Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescue

All Creatures Are Truly Special, Inc. http://www.allcatsinc.org

Some VERY GOOD news to begin with--we have reunited 32 animals with their families and have supplied all of them with food. They are presently in Kenner, LA. Our plan is to post messages about all the rescued animals when we have the means to do so on-line.

Our total of rescued dogs and cats is now over 400. We have also assisted in helping trapped cattle get to safe, dry places where they can graze.

We have had to bring about a dozen dogs to the Valley shelter due to their urgent need for medical attention. If you can help with these costs by paying their bills at the vet directly or by a special donation, it would be greatly appreciated.

A representative of the Forsyth (GA) County Humane Society has visited us in Valley and plans to ask their membership for financial help.

THERE IS SO MUCH MORE WHICH NEEDS TO BE DONE. BUT WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF MONEY FOR FUEL AND DRY FOOD--AND OUR CREW WILL HAVE TO LEAVE UNLESS WE GET MORE FUNDS. PLEASE HELP US STAY AND HELP THE REST OF THE ANIMALS WHO REMAIN IN DANGER.

AS A REMINDER--YOU MAY MAKE A DONATION FOR THIS RESCUE EFFORT BY:

1. VISITING OUR WEBSITE AND USING THE SPECIAL KATRINA RESCUE LINK.

2. SENDING MONEY VIA WESTERN UNION TO CAROLYN KEETON AT VALLEY AL AND/OR BARRY HARBIN AT ALBERTVILLE AL. PLEASE BE SURE TO LET THEM KNOW THE CONFIRMATION NUMBER--CALL CAROLYN AT -

3. SENDING A CHECK TO CAROLYN AT THE VALLEY SHELTER - MADE OUT TO ALL CATS INC AND A NOTATION FOR KATRINA RESCUE. 4907 23RD BOULEVARD, VALLEY AL 36854.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED IN ANY WAY THUS FAR.

HURRICANE KATRINA ANIMAL RESCUE

HURRICANE KATRINA ANIMAL RESCUE
© 2005 Janice Price
www.jansfunnyfarm.com


Buddy sidles up to the desk and peers at the computer monitor. “What are you doing, Percy?

Standing on the secretarial chair at the computer, Percy responds without breaking stride in his typing. “I’m writing a journal entry for the club about the Hurricane Katrina Relief effort to rescue animals.”

“But aren’t there agencies to deal with helping the survivors?”

“Yes, Buddy, but they deal with rescuing people. There are so many people who need help, the agencies are overwhelmed and help is slow and chaotic for them, at best. Many people are having to abandon their pets to die. They don’t want to; they just aren’t allowed to take them with them to shelters or on buses. It’s breaking their hearts and making a horrific situation even harder for them to deal with. One little boy cried until he vomited when his dog, Snowball, was taken away from him because evacuees were not allowed to take pets on the buses leaving New Orleans..”

“They should let us run the rescue work,” Merci chimes in, standing on her hind legs to see what Percy is typing. “We could straighten that out in no time! After all, we straightened out Jan, didn’t we?”

“Well,” Percy says, fervently, “there are some groups already helping to rescue as many abandoned animals as they can find. Some of them are on rooftops, in trees, or other dangerous places, and they don’t have any food or water either.”

“Jan gets newsletters from some lady named Carolyn who runs a rescue shelter named ….. uh, I can’t remember the name of it.” Buddy looks at Merci and asks, “ Can you?”

“Yes,” Merci says, after thinking for a few seconds. “All Cats. All Creatures Are Truly Special, or something like that. I think they’re in Alabama now. They used to be in Georgia, didn’t they, Percy?”

Percy nods, distracted as he reads over what he has typed. “How does this sound, guys?”

Rescue operations are under way for surviving animals. Carolyn Keeton and a group of volunteers left for New Orleans on Wednesday, August 31st to help the endangered cats and dogs who have been left behind. The Coast Guard has given them permission to enter the city, and the Chief of Police has promised to help as much as possible. A helicopter will be available if needed. If anyone would like to make an online donation for the Hurricane Katrina All CATS Crew, just click on this link for All Cats, Inc.

Buddy and Merci both nod their approval. “It sounds good to me,” Buddy says.

“Do you think you should add that donations are desperately needed to help pay for things like paper products – food dishes, paper towels, toilet paper, etc, since only biodegradable items are allowed to be taken into New Orleans?” Merci asks.

“Good idea, Merci.” Percy’s toes fly over the keyboard. “Drat. Jan really needs to get on the ball and clip my nails. They snag the keys.”

“And,” Buddy chips in, helpfully, “ don’t forget to let people know they can also mail donations to All Cats.”

“Right,” Percy agrees. “If they have any questions, they can e-mail us and we can find the answers.”

“Right!” Buddy smiles. “Merci and I can find anything. We’re good hunters and trackers.”

“Wait, shouldn’t we add something about folks donating to agencies to help the people displaced and stranded by Katrina?”

Buddy shakes his head. “Not really, Merci. Jan already wrote about donating to the American Red Cross or other agencies to help the human victims. She posted that story on Mercy And Percy . But only cats and dogs live on the Funny Farm.”

“And Jan. Don’t forget Jan. She’s not a dog or a cat. She’s a klutz.”

“And it’s off,” Percy announces, hitting the send key.

“You’re a good cat, Percy, “Buddy praises him enthusiastically, as he taps him on the back, the force of his tap knocking Percy off the chair. “I’m glad you’re my friend. If I ever need help, I know I can come to you and you’ll e-mail everyone until you find help for me.”

“Or at least he’ll email everyone until they put a spam block on his e-mails,” Merci laughs.

Percy,
Secretary of The Funny Farm Writing Club