I feel like we’re in the home stretch now. The Pas Cats & Kittens Shelter will be closing as soon as homes are found for the cats and kittens under its care. It’s definitely bittersweet. The shelter was established in August 2014 when homeless Misha arrived in my yard.
June 30, 2018 was the day that I officially stopped intake of new cats. It was a relief, in a way, but I was also very sad because I knew that as of that day, there was no place for cats in distress to go in our town. Once again, we will have to rely on the goodness of residents to take in and care for these cats…or they will have to go to the Town Pound.
I have so many memories from the four years of operating the shelter. Many are wonderful but some are not so good and are very sad. Running or working at a shelter can be very stressful and, of course, often emotionally draining. I will always have fond memories of every single one of the beautiful cats and kittens who have come through the shelter. Bless their hearts and souls.
I am very proud of the fact that we have ensured that every cat that has come under our care has been spayed or neutered. I think the shelter has made a sizeable difference in the overpopulation problem…but it will not take long for it to increase again now that the shelter is closed.
I’ve met so many great people through the shelter. My volunteers – young and old - have been fantastic and so dedicated. I have some volunteers who have faithfully come every week to help in the shelter. And I am still in awe of the amount of donations in kind that supporters have made and are still making…..food, litter, deodorizer, toys, treats, travel kennels, blankets, bowls, cat stands, garage sale items, photos, furniture, garbage bags, cleaning supplies, gift cards….I could go on and on.
Finally, I feel absolutely blessed that we have wonderful veterinarians and veterinarian assistants in our local vet clinic. I could not have run the shelter without them. They have saved the lives of many, many beautiful cats and when it wasn’t possible to save them, their kindness and professionalism was always evident. Bless you, Drs. Karen and Ainsley Dyson....Erin, Dallas, and Amanda.
For four years, my life has revolved around the shelter. I don’t regret a minute of it. Well, maybe I regret the days that were 40 below! I want to thank my family for being understanding when Mom couldn’t visit or attend events, etc. because I had to ‘do the shelter’.
As I write this, we have 13 cats needing homes yet…and 3 possible adoptions in the works. If you would like to add a member to your family, please contact me, Lorraine McIntosh, and I’ll get an adoption application to you.