Call local organizations if you need ANY help:

Rescue, TNR, Low-cost clinics: We love the people who love animals.

Ö  Please call (and support) a charity near you! Visit www.Petfinder.com to find compassionate groups in your State.  www.CharityNavigator.com ranks more than 5000 charities using criteria you select. If it isn’t on CN, that doesn’t mean a small local group isn’t worth your contribution. Start local, think global. Help the critters near you!

Ö  The Humane Society often has mobile, low-cost, sliding scale spay/neuter clinics. Because they kill 70% of the cats that come in to shelters nationwide and a huge number of dogs, they will know about low cost spay, neuter, feral cat, pit bull, and rescue services. Don’t pinch pennies when it comes to the little ones who trust you with their lives. Spay/neuter prevents fights, homeless litters, and unwanted behaviors.

Ö  The Animal Legal Defense Fund may sometimes be of assistance if you need legal advice in a bad situation.

Ö  Science Diet/Hills Shelter Program - FREE food to shelters. Spread the word so that shelters and rescue groups can save money and save lives! They can write to Shelters@HillsPet.com or call 1-866-283-1217.

Ö  The Argus Institute at Colorado State University has developed a Hospice Program for families with aging and terminally ill pets. Hopefully this is the first in a trend towards compassionate care for aging companion animals in the USA. Dr. Jane Shaw, Director of the Argus Institute at Colorado State University, received the 2008 Leo K. Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award ($10,000 to split with a charity) for her work in developing this program. Visit www.argusinstitute.colostate.edu

Ö  Alley Cat Allies – provides education and advocacy with regard to the TNR process (trap, neuter and release) for feral cats, ending the breeding cycle for that colony.  They may know of TNR organizations in your area.

One-eyed-George was much happier after his long, matted coat was shaved off. After living outdoors and not being being brushed for several years, the mats were so bad that he could hardly walk and his toenails had grown into his toe pads and got infected. He could hardly bear to be touched because the mats twisted his skin. The homeowners thought he was unapproachable, but he was in pain. He instantly proved to be incredibly loving, and even ‘head-butted’ the veterinarian. In several weeks, he was fatter, happier, and more active again. We found him a nice home by networking through email lists with local rescue agencies.

Simba was a stray cat, and we thought we’d found him a good home. But his new ’parents’ didn’t listen to instructions and let him out the very next day - 20 miles away and on the other side of the freeway in the back country. We put color flyers on every business within 5 miles of that ranch, even at the shopping centers, mobile home parks and strip malls. We put a color photo in the local paper. We said said ‘please feed me and call my mom!’. As it turned out, the man who called TWO MONTHS later was at a mobile home park 2 miles south of the ranch where Simba was supposed to be living. He had seen Simbas’ photo in the local paper. After several weeks, they were able to entice Simba indoors. They wanted to keep him, but their older cat didn’t like the idea, so they called us to come get him.

Moral of the story:  Don’t give up hope!