The local Cat Depot is helping save the lives of 12 Pennsylvania felines (read below for how you can help them too!) who were rescued last week in a raid on a Pennsylvania so-called “sanctuary” known as the Animal Friends of Elk and Cameron Counties. Some friends — the conditions at the I-can’t-even-use-the-word-sanctuary-SLUM were so deplorable, inhumane, and overcrowded that 387 cats — including numerous kittens — were removed by a team of more than 50 first-responders, aided by the American Humane Association and PetSmart Charities.
The Sarasota 12 — as I’m calling them now — after their traumatic (but welcome) rescue had to endure 48 hours of non-stop travel to arrive at Sarasota’s Cat Depot — a no-kill, nonprofit rescue and adoption center.
The Sarasota 12 being unloaded in Tampa -- photo courtesy of Cat Depot.
Tampa Bay ASPCA transported the cats as far as Tampa where they were picked up by Cat Depot and shuttled to their new temporary home. Rescue efforts were coordinated through Tampa Bay ASPCA and ASPCA’s Field Investigations and Response Team.
The cats were available for adoption beginning July 10th — I’m not sure if they’ve all been adopted out into loving Sarasota homes, but you may want to give them a call to find out and perhaps help a little cat find a safe place to live here in our community. Their number is 941.366.2404; address is 2542 17th Street, Sarasota; hours are 7M-F, 11am to 7pm and S-S, 11am to 5pm.
When asked why Cat Depot would accept cats from Pennsylvania, Cat Depot Exec Shelley Thayer responded. “Cruelty and hoarding in large numbers can happen anywhere. When it happens in our own backyard, we will reach out to the organizations that we are helping and hope that they will assist us. No city is excluded from of this kind of devastation.”
Cat Depot works with local rescue groups, animal services, and the general public to find homes for unwanted felines. Cat Depot’s goal in 2010 is to find good homes for 1,000 cats and kittens. I’d like to know how far along they are in achieving that goal — so if anyone knows or finds out, post a comment here!
Daniel
July 12, 2010 at 12:56 pmMary, count me in!
MC
July 12, 2010 at 1:22 pmThanks Dan! Let us know on this blog if you end up adopting one or finding out any additional info!
Daniel
July 12, 2010 at 7:52 pmMary, I’ll be sending a contribution to the Sarasota Cat Depot, to help maintain these little felines. I’ll also place in the memo portion on my check, that I find out about the; “Sarasota 12” from your blog.
Say, I’d love to adpot one of the cats, but I already have three that I’ve adopted.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Dan
MC
July 12, 2010 at 8:05 pmOh, wow!! Dan, that is super super wonderful of you to donate to Cat Depot. I know how much they will appreciate any help they can get to care for the Sarasota 12 and the others already from this area.
And, of course, thanks for giving my little blog a shout out on your check.
Everybody doing what they can will help solve problems like these, we hope!
All best,
MC
Steve
July 13, 2010 at 8:05 amVery nice Dan.
Lynn Rasys
July 16, 2010 at 4:14 pmMary, thank you for putting the Cat Depot rescue information on your blog. We just received the donation from Dan and he mentioned your name! Many thanks to Dan for helping the cats and kittens.
To date, Cat Depot has had 450+ adoptions so we are right on target for eaching our goal of 1,000 in 2010.
Update: 3 of the PA cats have been adopted and the rest are waiting for happy forever homes! You can see all their adorable photos at http://www.catdepot.org.
Thank you everyone,
Lynn Rasys
Volunteer and Project Manager, Cat Depot
MC
July 16, 2010 at 4:24 pmThank you so much, Lynn for your very nice email letting me know about Dan’s donation and his sweet andthoughtful mention of my blog story. And thanks for hte update on Cat Depot and the Phillie 12 (as I call them) — glad to see the number is down to nine now.
I’m posting an update on my blog today.