Volunteers of the Halfway Home Pet Rescue (HHPR) caution cat owners to continue keeping their pets inside; even though some days feels as though spring has sprung, many nights continue to drop well below freezing.
Sally is an example of what happens to cats when left outside or abandoned; she came into HHPR on Feb. 26th and is still recovering from her ordeal with frostbite. “These desperately cold days and nights literally freezes an animal’s ability to think or move quickly which, in turn, prevents them from finding food, shelter, and protection from predators fast enough to prevent the painful occurrence of starvation, frostbite, disease and possibly death,” said HHPR President Norma Milton. Sally is about 6 months old but she’s already suffered a good deal her young life. “She was only bones and hair on entry, with worms, fleas, anemia, frostbitten ears (see crinkle of ear tips), swollen and blistered feet and a broken tail,” Milton recalled. Sally is making a slow recovery at her HHPR foster home, but it will be a several weeks before she is strong enough to have sterilization surgery. Both of Sally’s ears tips will drop off as the severe frostbite kills the skin on the tips. In the smaller photo you can note that the left ear has already dropped off and the right ear is breaking off in smaller pieces. HHPR volunteers want readers to know that no more bad things will happen to Sally and that she will be given plenty of recovery help until she is able to be adopted in a few months. Sally is extremely loving and clean in her environment. HHPR is a 501c3 non-profit corporation, and a Maine state licensed animal shelter. Milton said that the organization continues to depend on the kindness of donations to give cats, like Sally, a second chance for life in a good home and encourages the public to check out their our website at www.halfwayhomepetrescue.org or petfinder.com for additional cats we have that are available for adoption. “We continue to need your help as our vet bills are again running about $2,000 a month due to the issues of abandonment and abuse,” Milton added. HHPR’s mailing address is HHPR, PO Box 488, Caribou, ME 04736. The shelter can also be reached by e-mail at norma@halfwayhomepetrescue.org or call 492-1722.
