LAC Rescue Critters
Our Featured Pet...
This week's featured pet is Sissy. Sissy is a dog about 5 yr. She's been spayed, had rabies shot, parvo booster, checked for intestinal parasites, dewormed, deflead, bathed, vet examined, and now all she needs is a home with lots of love. She's very shy-needs much attention. She's high maintenance and would do better in a home where the owner will take her for long walks and hikes.
News
RIP... Mr. Boo Kitty (The Grey/White love bug up top) was tragically hit by a car on 1-1-05. He will be always be in my heart. His brother, Danny Boy (the black handsome fellow on top) was also tragically hit by a car 3-10-05. I feel in part responsible for their deaths because I let them both outside. I'm so devastated by their short-lived lives. I dedicate all my rescue work to these special kitties---because they too were rescues. I will miss them forever and always remember how they made me a better person because of the unconditional love they gave me.
Since I'm a full time veterinarian at Lanett Animal Clinic I'm always balancing my rescue efforts with my daily responsibilities. This month alone I have spayed/neutered 3 cats for the local humane society. No matter how many animals I place there are always more coming in.
Other events for 2005 include soliciting businesses and pharmaceutical companies to donate monetary or product gifts.
If anyone has a burden put on their hearts about contributing to my rescue efforts there are several ways to help out:
1. Monetary donations are always needed. If you look on my website I update the pets on all due vaccines, bloodtests (heartworm test or feline leukemia/aids tests), deworm, deflea all rescues. On top of that I then foster them for the length of time before they are adopted out. I spend anywhere from minimum $40 to $65 on each pet in materials. My adoption fee helps go to reimburst the clinic for used materials, however, sometimes I don't break even.
To mail checks to my rescue fund do the following:
A) Make checks pay to the order of Dr. Meredith's Rescue Fund
B) Mail checks to
Dr. Meredith's Rescue Fund
LAC
1815 Veteran's Memorial Pkwy
Lanett, AL 36863
Any contribution is greatly appreciated, and I will be sure to e-mail you a picture of the pet your contribution is used on if you provide an e-mail address.
2. If you live close enough and want to drop by and bring supplies we can use old towels, pet food, cat litter, bleach. Any excess that is not used by LAC will be donated to the local shelter.
Who We Are
Dr. Meredith Thomas? story behind her love for felines:
While working at my summer job at LAC, a scrawny, black kitten was abandoned. He was left in a box at the front door of the clinic with a terrible injury which later necessitated amputation of the left foreleg. During his rehabilitation, I was amazed at his ability to adapt to his new situation.
Within a short time I found myself growing much attached to this three legged waif-now named Danny Boy. He is doing great and hobbles around on his three legs enjoying all surroundings.
His playmate, Mr. Boo Kitty, came into the picture at Christmas time. Together they enjoy wrestling, exploring the back yard, and meowing helplessly for their favorite cat food.
These two charismatic kitties have helped me cope with the recent loss of my childhood pet, Abigail, a fourteen old schnauzer. Although losing a beloved pet is distressing, to not enrich myself in loving new pets would be selfish and unfulfilling. The life lessons I learn from my own cats is more rewarding each day that passes.
Having these two new kittens has sharpened my interest in concentrating in feline medicine. This delicate species is one that is handled best by a clinician who is devoted professionally and personally to its welfare, such as myself.
My other mission has become to place unwanted pets in loving homes. All the pets I adopt out are spayed/neutered. I put a big emphasis on spaying and neutering because a lot of people may not be aware of how large the pet overpopulation is.
This past fall I had the opportunity to volunteer at Operation Cat Nap (OCN). OCN is Auburn University's Vet School sponsored event. It involves trapping feral, stray cats and spay/neuter them, and then release them. Each time I have helped it's been over 65 cats that we have worked on. Most of these cats are from just the school's campus!
website for operation cat nap: http://www.auburn.edu/prevet/catnap/meet.html
Also announced one time at the event was that in breeding season for cats (usually warmer months) over 100 kittens per week were being dropped off at the local lee county humane society. Can you imagine the amount of kittens that are healthy, but put to sleep because there are just too many of them? This is the burden my heart bears.
DR. MEREDITH'S OPINION ON PEDIATRIC SPAYS AND NEUTERS:
A lot of people that adopt from me wonder why i would want to spay/neuter pups/kits (especially purebreds) at such a young age. I spay/neuter for several reasons.
1. In my county alone, the local shelter said that over 4000 animals were euthanized in 2004. Therefore, I spay and neuter all my rescues before adopting out because I don't want them to add to the pet overpopulation problem. One in four animals at the pound is now said to be a purebred too.
2. Being a vet, I have the materials to do this easily and safely. Also, please understand that the adoption fee reimbursts my father's vet clinic which I work at too, and goes to my general rescue fund--which right now is about breaking even.
3. Some people ask why I spay/neuter at such a young age. I have no problem spaying and neutering at a young age. I have read a lot about this procedure.
Check out Auburn University's link-their Maddie's Shelter Program for more information concerning proper protocol on spaying/neutering pediatric patients.
http://www.aumaddiessheltermedicine.org/
So far I can find no negative consequences for the patients if done following safe guidelines.
My personal opinion is the procedure is easier for me to perform on younger patients. Dogs/cats in heat have a higher surgical risk compared to not in heat animals. Also, I feel the healing time in younger patients is less compared to adults.
4. I spay and neuter all my animals, but especially purebreds, to rule out potential breeders. I do not have issues with breeders---I just don't want my rescue animals to be breeding animals.
5. I do not spay and neuter until I have the adoption fee paid. Since this usually costs (for me)the most, I prefer to get the adoption fee paid up front.
Adopting a friend
Adoption is usually done at either Lanett Animal Clinic, my house, or I meet in a "neutral zone," like Walmart.
Suggestions on adopting out adult cats
Finding a new home for a adult cat is a bigger challenge than placing kittens a lot of times.
What I would do if I were you is follow the listed ideas:
1. Place a newspaper ad in the paper. A lot of times if you say the animal is "free" then the ad is also free to place, this is Opelika Auburn's newspaper's policy.
2. Perhaps look for a foster home where a known acquaintance would keep him/her temporarily until a permanent home can be found
3. Call the local shelters, montgomery's county, lee county and inquire if a particular person has requested workers to keep an out for your described type of cat to adopt
4. Make pretty flyers with color pics of him/her and send to local vet clinics in neighboring areas to post on their bulletin board. At my clinic when someone calls we try to take the time to fill out a description of the said adoptable animal and keep this in a special envelope. When someone else says they are interested in a cat I will search thru this envelope.
5. Send me a digital pic of him/her and I can post on my own website and forward all inquiries to your e-mail.
6. Update your cat on all recommended preventive care. Most people are more willing to adopt an adult cat if they know that it is healthy to begin with and is current on due vaccines and flea control/heartworm prevention, worm checks. If you provide me with your mailing address i would be happy to send you some handouts on things that we recommend.
7. Also discuss with you family what type of home you want him to go to. Should he go to a home where there are already existing cats? What if the new owner wants to keep him outside all the time? You will have screen your callees if you want him to go to the best home avaliable.
8. decide if new owner should pay an adoption fee of maybe $20. You could say this fee will cover getting all proof of medical care and one month of flea control. Plus in my mind if someone is willing to pay an adoption fee then they are probably a more responsible pet owner and if and when he gets sick this type pet owner is more likely to take him to the vet.
9. Be patient. Just because you don't hear from anyone if you do any of the above things for the first week don't give up. It takes time.
10. Send e-mails about your situation to all your contacts, then have them forward message to all their contacts. This will put the word out even more. I did this last week concerning the kitten mission and found a foster home for 4 kittens, and one person wanted to donate to the cause too.
i will forward your e-mail back to you if you want to edit it and send it out again. good luck.
Come Visit Us!
Coming from Montgomery, Auburn to Lanett Animal Clinic:
Get on I85 heading towards Atlanta:
Get off exit 79, take a left off the highway, go one mile and you will pass china buffet, auto parts store, sonic. Take a left in front of the CVS pharmacy. Go 1 mile down this road and the clinic will be on your left.
Coming from Atlanta:
Get on I85 heading towards Auburn/Montgomery:
Get off exit 79, take a right off the highway, go one mile and you will pass china buffet, auto parts store, sonic. Take a left in front of the CVS pharmacy. Go 1 mile down this road and the clinic will be on your left.
LAC Rescue Critters
1815 Veterans Memorial Pkwy.
Lanett, AL 36863
Phone: 334-576-2700
Email:
mlt384@hotmail.com
Click here for a list of pets at this shelter
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