Ark Animal Sanctuary

    With bake sales and fund raising, the Ark has been more than busy this past couple of months. We have had wonderful success, and now are looking forward to our next big project, “Hot Diggity Dogs.” This event will be held on Aug. 14 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Mechanic St. Lots of fun things will be going on. There will be a farmers market with baked goods, jams, jellies (preserves), vegetables, as well as our pulled pork, chili, salads and other food items.  There will also be a silent auction. At noon there will be a dog show, as well as a doggie fashion show. Items being raffled are an Eddie Line kayak valued at around $2,000. This is not a new kayak, but seldom and gently used and like new. Bids start at $600. A beautiful afghan with raised rose petal design has been donated to our cause, and will be also raffled. This can be seen at the pet salon or at the event. If you are an individual who would like to help the AAS by donating something, whether it is your time or baked goods, we would be so appreciative. In the past we have had jams, pickles, maple syrup, vegetables and other home made foods given us. It is a wonderful support. Call the Hollywood Pet Salon at 532-7387 if you have something to offer.
These kittens are looking for a new home.                                         
I love my job
By Lorraine Monfils
    Saturday morning, July 17, the phone rings at the Pet Salon. A lady has found a cat out in the middle of no where lying in the road. The cat is not moving, it is just lying there. There are no houses around for miles. This kind lady gets out to help this poor animal,  and to her surprise, the cat is nursing one tiny baby. The baby is about two weeks old. The lady picks them both up and brings them to The Ark .
    How do you suppose this beautiful cat and her baby got there? I will let you draw your own conclusions.  “Patience” and her newborn kitten are doing fine and are now in foster care.  Both will be up for adoption in the weeks to come. Patience is a beautiful cat, she is very loving and happy to be comfortable and safe with her baby.
    About two hours later the phone rings again. This time there are 11 cats that need help. A mother cat with her six babies are about to lose their lives. The babies are within hours of being drowned in a bucket of water, and the adult cats are going to be shot because the owners are getting tired of dealing with them. A concerned neighbor has been told all of this by the animal owners. The neighbor makes a phone call to us in a panic. We agree to take them all. All the cats are in foster care and are waiting to be vet checked. They will then will be up for adoption.
    Earlier in the month a gentleman called. He knows his neighbors have moved and left their cat behind.  The cat has been declawed and should not be outside. The man is very concerned about the cat being out for the winter, but he is not in a position to take the cat in. He has offered to feed it until we can make room for it. People do care.
    Most days I love what I do, and then there are the days when I become very frustrated that people have such disregard for animals. There is a simple solution to all of these unwanted animals. Neuter and spay your pets. If you can’t afford the cost of the vet bills then you can’t afford an animal. It is as simple as that.
    Kittens and puppies are all very cute and cuddly, but they grow up to be adults and they reproduce. Being a capable pet owner requires common sense.
    I hope and pray that we have not become so cold hearted that we find it easier to drown baby kittens than to spay a mother cat. I can’t even imagine considering something like that, and it breaks my heart to know that some people do! There is no excuse for shooting the adult cats, and there are no words to express my anger. Dropping an unwanted mother cat and her tiny baby off on the road is unspeakable. I know that there are people out there who don’t think twice about doing it. Thank you to those wonderful people who are also out there and watching out for those helpless animals!
    A normal family, when they move, take their pets with them. I am told for every negative there is a positive. Hats off to the lady that cared enough to stop and rescue “Patience” and her baby. You did a wonderful thing, and you made a difference.
    Thank you also to the concerned neighbor for caring enough to save 11 cats from certain death. You also made a difference.
    To the gentleman feeding the homeless cat until we have room for him, you are a very caring person. Thank you too are making a difference.
    It is people like this that make me realize there are good people in the world who do the right thing and who do care about animals in need.
    Our goal is no more homeless suffering animals. That can only be accomplished by doing the right thing by them.  Someone made a comment that there are too many animals, and you can’t save them all.  I realize that we can’t save them all, but that doesn’t mean that we are not going to try.  For everyone that we save, the rewards are endless.
    Remember do the right thing, make a difference, be compassionate and please neuter and spay your pets. Everytime you do the right thing you make a difference for the better.
    Good news. The AAS has officially received their 501c3 status from the IRS. We are all so pleased with that achievement.
    A total of $788.33 has been taken in fundraising, as well as $287 in donations for a total of  $1075.33. Expenses have totaled $287. One dog and 12 cats have been taken in. Ten cats have been adopted. At this time we have one dog and 64 cats being fostered. We are making progress on our building, and will have more on that next month. Hope to see you at our fund raiser in August. Thank you for reading our column.