07/06/2024
From Port Orford Friends of Ferals
Rightful Rant
I try to post only positive memes and often leave out the horrible, heartbreaking, cruel realities that we encounter, far too often, with animal rescue. Today, the straw has broken the camels back.
I will not name names, but will name areas where we have the most “nobody’s cats” populations. The main 3 areas are Washington street between 9th & 10th street, the Hamlet area near the community garden & 19th street by town hall.
The first area, that person doesn’t believe in spaying/neutering, so we can’t help there. From that particular house, last year we rescued 4 litters of kittens. This year we have dealt with 3 hit by car kitties. 2 were killed & 1 survived that we spent $1750 to have its injuries treated & 2 more that were shot up with bb pellets, which we got medical attention. Of the survivors, we’ve gotten all them spayed/neutered & adopted into loving homes.
The second area we’ve only been contacted by concerned neighbors & expressed to them to tell the offending neighbor that we will gladly spay/neuter their pets to put an end to the copious litters of kittens. Most of which end up getting killed, eaten or thankfully taken in by people who truly care about the welfare of the animals.
The third area is on 19th street by town hall. For several years we have TNR’d over 40 cats, taken in oodles of sick, malnourished kittens, healed them, paid for all their treatment & adopted them out to loving homes. Then things got nonsensical with the property owner and our efforts were either sabotaged, postponed at the last minute (which wasted our time & spay/neuter appts that other could have used), traps ruined, carriers never returned & promises of helping with costs broken. Many of the cats from this property are malnourished, sick with viruses, infested with parasites & fleas. Not to mention the many who succumbed to vehicles & neglect from not getting the medical attention that they need. Things became so nonsensical there, that we were forced to walk away. A very painful decision for the animals sake, but very necessary for our well being & ability to help those who want & appreciate our services.
All 3 of these areas are needlessly propagating suffering & death of poor innocent animals that could all be solved by merely spaying & neutering. These people should be ashamed at all the suffering & death that they are causing.
The photo of the kitten with the horribly infected eyes, severe upper respiratory & starvation is from this third area. A very concerned tourist brought her to us today. If they hadn’t found her, she certainly wouldn’t survive. We are treating her eyes (not sure yet if she’ll be able to keep the eyes), given her fluids & have started antibiotics.
If anyone knows the people in these 3 areas, please try to talk with them & tell them that they are needlessly causing animals to suffer, endure horrible infections, die horrible deaths, attracting wildlife to eat easily caught “meals”, adding pressure to local wildlife populations and disrupting the neighborhoods quality of living.