Wolf Within

In 2001, I treated a 15 yr old cat for a vicious dog bite that lead to 122 stitches - she fought for 4 months but eventually, it got the best of her - she was attacked by the neighbors dog, young gents who called her over into their yard to purposely send the dog after her.
The youth figured they would teach us (the newcomers) a lesson on how things were done around here and no one seemed to appreciate that I brought 5 animals with me (2 dogs and 3 cats)
While they thought it was funny, my family cried - the 15 yr old female was ours and she passed on my grandson's birthday - now at 12, he still remembers her on his birthday. She was an awesome creature who had survived the streets of Montreal, then Calgary, but didn't last 6 months in our "rural Village" of 358 people!!!
In 2002, I had kids coming to me, crying because they'd found 4 dead kittens at the recycling depot, others shot in the back lanes, others that were poisoned (their bellies were huge) In 2002, my big old Bud, a Shephard Doby cross was poisoned with anti-freeze left in a 2 ltr milk carton with the lid just off enough for it to drip out. He died a slow and painful death.
I only found the jug after he died!
Unfortunately, my female shephard cross, had also gotten into the anti freeze and while she didn't die right away, so much damage had been done by the time I found the carton, that I had her put down 6 months later!
Again, my family cried!
Then one day, kids brought me 5 black-red long haired kittens in a box, begging me to take them before someone hurt them - so I did.
With pain in my heart, I use to walk with my camera, looking for something to catch my eye (wildlife, sunsets, silouettes, nature) but found hideous sites of dead or virus ridden cats - so I took pictures and presented them to the Village folk - "and so" was the response and "you're crazy to care" - well those comments truly inspired this "crazy" ol' gal, especially since my family and I were brought to tears on several occasions with their uncaring and malice actions.

The shelter began.
Spazz, a beautiful little tabby, was scouped from a box at the recycling depot. She had signs of rhinotractitis and was given medication to assist with the virus. Her tiny tail was broken in 2 areas and the tip was missing. The vet said that her breaks were not life threatening and the end of her tail had healed ok, so there was no concerns.
Posters were put out, she was wearing a collar, but no one responded, instead, my posters were getting ripped down!
Huckaberry or Huck for short, was found while kids were carolling for Christmas, brought to one of the gals houses, hidden in a closet so mom wouldn't know, but was soon discovered. Then mom sent the little girl to school with him in hopes some other child would take him home. While at the school, teachers and students fed Huck sandwich meats, real milk (a big no no!!) and other human foods. THEN, at the end of the day when no one wanted the kitten, he was left in an adult's coat, out in my back lane where my grandson found him (in -22 weather and it was the last day of school before the xmas holidays). Four days later, Huck was found flat out on the floor in a pile of his feces, his kidneys had failed. He was rushed to the Vet and miraculously survived!
Jumper a dashing young adult male was dropped off in my driveway, half an ear from frost bite and he'd been shot in the neck, directly under his ear to assure a fatal wound. I treated him personally with help and advice from a vet tech (god luv her) who helped me bring him back to life.
Molly a 10 yr old female, who'd been a house pet all those years, mating since the time she was 6-7 months old, had a major case of mastitis, where upon ALL her teats Rotted, ALL of them. After lying flat out on the floor for 4 days (at her owners home) I treated her and brought her back to life. 6 of her teats literally broke open and fell off but I managed to save 2 in her lower abdomen area - before she was properly healed, she was pregnant again, in spite of re- assurances by her owners that they'd finally keep her in and take her to get spayed - yeah right!!! Poor Old Molly girl! Again, with this case, a vet tech walked me through her healing.
Lucky named so because he had gangerean in his tail and was quite sick. I took him in and his tail had to be amputated to save his life, hence forth his name - Lucky. He's a black long hair and came with 2 brothers.
Big Tat a large older tabby stray approx 8-9 yrs old, was chased and cornered by 2 pick up trucks, who intentionally and purposely ran him over. He was almost clear of the road and on the sidewalk, but they nailed him and he dragged himself off the street. He survived, I dunno how, maybe it was thanks to the medication I put out in food for him, however, he lost 3 sets of toes, the tip of his tail and his shoulder has since healed. Took me almost 3 yrs to get close to this guy and since dec of last year, he's in my care. This ol' boy is about 11 now and has finally learned to trust me. He no longer hisses and tries to run from me but instead, bumps his head into mine and gives me love - to me that's an accomplishment! He didn't deserve that kind of treatment - only COWARDS do those types if things!
and the list goes on - please remember, the village had 358 people and has grown to about 380 now - all this - in such a small population! (there's 4,000 people in total, in this rural farming county) I will be back with pictures you can be sure of it!!)

When numbers started getting up there, I asked everyone I met who I thought "might" be a good pet parent if they wanted a cat - one old boy came by one day, he lives on the outskirts of the village and boards people's horses. He has a dog and when he asked me for at least 2 cats, without question, I gave him two gray brothers - gentle, playful companion animals. Four months later, he returned wanting 2 more - so I asked if he'd found homes for the others and he answered: "no, I hate cats, they went straight into my barn and either the foxes or coyotes got them" - I was HORRIFIED!!!! So I told him no more for him and sent him away - he had very impolite words for me, threats, called me down and inside and out - that was the beginning of my problems - he dates or dated the woman I was buying my houses off of.
I had a nice couple come by in a brand new truck, with 2 beautiful, shy children. They swore to me the kitties were to be pets to their children so I gave them 2 of the sweetest, most gentle little souls I had - the same thing happened, they were back within 6 months wanting 2 more cuz they were put in the barn and were killed!

OMG- I was numb, I cried, I was angry at myself for sending those precious little souls to their deaths! It made me wonder what kind of people I was dealing with.

Things began to change... when folks came for cats, I asked a lot of questions, then they got offended and who did I think I was - well when I get that treatement, it's "thanks for coming, but sorry I can't help you"
Then people got defiant! They felt they had a right to take my critters and that I had NO SAY! They felt that as a newcomer here, I had no rights and what I had was there for their taking - and they did too - Think again!

They vandalized, stole and killed - and the fight began!
18 vandalized cars, 26 flat tires, 6 dead animals, a semi torched winnebego, a broken into Camper, they forced their way into my little house and shot out my kitchen cupboards, one hid in my bathroom one night when I walked in unexpectedly and broke the lid to the toilet seat straight down the middle from their wieight, my bathroom sink was ripped out of the wall, an attempt at stealing my computer because I was getting donations online, my credit cards, my bank account, an unscrewed cat pen, because of what parents were saying some kids came and poisoned my garden with Fire Estinguishers, I was pinned in the middle of the street by 3 pick up trucks all circling me at 10 p.m one night when leaving my daughter's, as they yelled profanities and called me names - they were about 18-19 yrs old, COURT over my 2 homes, loss of my homes based on lies, how my daughter was employed by the Village for 3 yrs and when they started buttingheads, they encouraged her to take a job with the county (the CAO's hubby manages county employees) and after literally chasing her for 3 months, she gave 2 week notice to go work for the CAO's hubby and he fired her within 4 days, hoping to get rid of us all and by rendering my daughter unemployed, they had hoped we'd all leave!!! think again!!! my grandson who was an "A" student in MAth (gr 6) fell to a "C" with so much going on - how can it not affect him? Someone locked him in my spare bedroom while they tried to steal my computer at 1:30 a.m. one night and they let out 8 cats on the street. The RC stayed till 4 a.m. and helped me find them and get them back in the house.
Out of sheer ignorance, because of my play called "Cats, Dogs and People" - some parents and the school principal get together and put on a play called "Cats, Dogs and the SPCA" - how do you think my 11 yr old Grandson felt about that one!??? It's pathetic.

So now, I've come up with Foster Programs, where one of us delivers an animal to it's location to SEE where the cat will be and we visit every week because we supply the food, litter, box and bedding - and because of this, no one has yet fostered BECAUSE they just want to throw them in barns and AASK Animals are Companion Animals - not barn critters!
I have emails that say "I had 9 barn cats but am down to 5, so I'll TAKE 4 off your hands - for free" Wrong Again.
There's no more - taking per say, they come at a fee and this too has offended people! And I keep stressing I don't have Barn Cats available and never will. I have offered to take litters from farmers so I can have them spayed or neutered rather than keep finding bags and bags of dead cats at the landfill because populations get out of hand so they go out and shoot them!
My offer again, offended people here.
COMPANION Animals and that's all I go for.

I've had only 2 adoptions in the past 2 yrs - one lady came out from Calgary on 3 occasions to see one particular kitten I had. She had had a cat for 17 yrs and after it's passing, needed some time before wanting another. When she saw my slide show, she fell in love and contacted me.
On the 3rd visit all the way out here, she swore to me she'd take good care of the kitten and vouched that if permitted to take it, she'd already spoken to her vet about altering the kitten. While she spoke with my daughter at the kitchen table, I snuck into the bathroom with the phone book and my cell, to look up her vet and called. He chuckled and verified that she'd had a healthy cat for 17 yrs and yes, she had already spoken to him about this kitten - so I let her take him.

Foster N' Adopt, we deliver, we observe, help in any way we can and "if" we see that the animal is in fact a companion animal and is loved, then I'll permit adoptions - until then, nothing doing!

In the past few years, I have spoken to a few farmers who felt that spaying and neutering was perhaps a good thing and they provide a warm place in the garage or barn, with food and water (afterall it is a LAW to do so) for their barn cats, but even so, AASK critters will always be meant for Companionship and not Barns so I won't budge on that issue - not ever!

If I was on my regular puter, I'd post the explicit pictures right now, but I will come back into this posting and put them -
I detest being called an extremist, a liar or one that exaggerates, pictures and documentation don't lie!
The ones who oppose us, are offended becuz, they are the biggest animal (and people) abusers or outright "cat haters" -
I think it's HIGH TIME, "someone" recognize our efforts, our dedication, the good we've been doing, the hell we've been through, the financial cost, the personal stress, the losses, the heart ache and the pain, we've been through - just to do something GOOD!
But instead, "they" are still at it becuz no one has been charged, no law enforcement has put surveillance to catch the culprits (cuz they know who they are but still do nothing) and now we're being harrassed to remove the winnebego from my daughters - they feel they have a right to tresspass, to invade, to demand and harass - so rather than be told to butt out, new pressure has been added to remove the winnebego - or my daughter has to move.

What a Hell Hole that I plan exposing to the fullest - and another thing, of recent, I was told that if I do, I'll be shot before I get a chance to do it!
So now I've been threatened with my life!

Restarting as a Society, we are only beginning with Senior's Programs, we call Foster for Life.
More Info Here....
Back soon with pictures!
bye for now!