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| Contributed photo by Robyn Smith This is the photo that won Toby, the Halfway Home Pet Rescue mascot, the Judges’ Award for Best Personality in the World Spay Day 2103 Pet Pageant, coordinated by the Humane Society of the United States. The photo was submitted in mid March. Milton took the photo a few years ago. He’d been playing with the toy, and it was more of a yawn instead of a laugh. She’d taken photos of him trying to play and trying to hit the toy, and it was just a coincidence, and yet it so showed his happy personality. |
By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Mascot of the Halfway Home Pet Rescue, Toby’s fame and story have won him national attention.
Halfway Home Pet Rescue President Norma Milton was notified Monday night that Toby won the Judges’ Choice Award for Best Personality in the World Spay Day 2013 Pet Pageant, coordinated by the Humane Society of the United States.
“It was a total surprise,” Milton said. Actually, it was such a surprise that she almost skipped the e-mail announcing Toby’s victory, as she’d entered the feline in the pageant spur of the moment mid-March and hadn’t thought much about it since.
“When someone says you won something, you delete it because you think it’s a scam,” Milton said about the e-mail announcing the pageant winner. Thankfully, Toby’s name stood out as she scrolled through the text, which piqued her curiosity and made her read further.
“I felt Toby really deserved it, but I’m so prejudiced when it come to our cats,” she admitted. “They come through terrible situations and so much beauty happens with them” and Toby is the personification of just that.
At five months old, Toby survived being poisoned but was left with considerable brain damage.
“Toby has a problem with depth perception and when he tries to reach for a toy, it might take him eight or 10 tries to actually make a connection with the toy — and he gets so proud and happy when it happens,” Milton said.
The pet rescue’s mascot does have some balance issues occasionally when he walks and is also blind in his right eye.
Milton says that Toby’s inability to see on his right side prevents him from making a right turn, “so Toby turns left about six times until he sees what is on his right before he attempts to climb up on something,” she said. Toby shouldn’t be climbing up on chairs or sofas with his balance issues, but he finds a way to do it anyway.
When Milton learned about the World Spay Day 2013 Pet Pageant, she entered Toby in two categories.
“I was feeling in my heart that he should be able to win the Best Personality Award — and he did!” she said.
The category-winning photo captured by HRPP Board of Directors member Robyn Smith years ago; she and Milton were snapping photos of the adorable cat playing with a toy when he randomly yawned while playing with a toy — which makes the mascot appear to be laughing.
“It’s was just coincidence that he yawned with that toy between his paws, and yet it so showed his happy personality,” she said.
Milton, Smith and other Halfway Home Pet Rescue volunteers aren’t the only ones quite attached to the lucky feline — feral cats being fostered at the rescue have closely bonded with Toby as he helps them learn to be house pets, and even the orphan kittens look to Toby to teach them how to play. Also, a slew of photos prove that Toby will cuddle with any cat that needs a hug and a nap.
“Toby’s brain damage has not changed his spirit, as he is wonderful about helping young orphan kittens learn to play and comforting them at bed time,” Milton said.
For winning a pageant category, Toby and the Halfway Home Pet Rescue have received some prizes. Toby will receive a personalized pet collar engraved with his name and pageant title, and his winning photograph will be featured on the pageant website this month with the announcement of pageant winners, according to World Spay Day 2013 Pet Pageant Manager Kelley Barr.
Milton will also be able to select one of the organizations participating in the Humane Society of the United State’s World Spay Day grant program to receive a $1,000 grant from the HSUS to use in furthering the participating organization’s spay/neuter program.
The Halfway Home Pet Rescue qualifies as a grant recipient, and Milton anticipates the $1,000 infusion will take care of at least two weeks worth of spay/neuter bills for the shelter.
Already this year, the rescue has paid over $10,000 in veterinary bills to care for and rehabilitate sick and injured cats.
“I’m so happy that you and Toby competed in the pageant this year, and I’m grateful for your dedication to spreading the message that spay/neuter saves lives!” Barr wrote to Milton in a letter announcing Toby’s pageant placement. She also thanked Milton for all her support and everything that she does for animals.
Additional information about the Halfway Home Pet Rescue can be found by visiting www.halfwayhomepetrescue.org or viewing their Facebook page.
