ALPHA GROUP ANIMAL RESCUE, INC
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-12/12-Christmas came a little early to AGAR this year. First, one of our adopters had to go on a trip for several days and wanted to leave her adopted kitty with us for a week. We put that policy in place shortly after we started to help with adoptions and kept it so we agreed. We aways like to see our former clients and how they have grown so we enjoyed the visit. This was our old friend Stephanie (now Pixie), who was a real scaredy cat when she was here. When Stephanie was available for adoptiom she ran from everyone except her adoptive Mom. She rubbed up against her and even sat in her lap. Partner and I marveled at the transformation but wondered if the potential adopter was perceptive of the message being given. Fortunately she was and Stephanie found a new home. Sometimes a kitty will just choose a person to bond to. If you are fortunate enough to find this match thank your stars because you won't find a dearer friend. Our second gift was a visit from our old friend Joey (now Dillon). Yes this is the same Joey we spoke about several weeks ago. We were amazed at how big he has grown! When he was here he was a tiny matte black fireball but has now grown into a beauty with fur like polished obsidian with beautiful green eyes. Of course Joey hid as soon as he was released which isn't unusual. Most of our returning visitors don't seem to remember us or their early beginnings. This wasn't quite the case with Dillon. After a few minutes he jumped on a guardians lap to be petted. He remembered! After a few minutes of attention he visited Zak and said hello. We couldn't have asked for a better gift! We caught up on various topics with Dillon's Mom and all too soon it was time for Dillon to go home. We said our good bys and walked Dillon and his Mom to their car secure in the knowledge that this was a perfect adoption.
11/07-Usually a kitten doesn't display their unique personality until they are about three months old or older. Every once in a while a baby kitty will generate such a strong personality that it elevates them from the rest. These kitties are truly rememberable and we often wonder how they are doing. One such kitty we saw was Joey (a baby black kitty) who was part of a litter that was mostly black except for one grey sister. Joey had four other siblings that we could not save because of limited space. Truth be told, we were apprehensive about being able to find homes for that many black kitties. We have always regretted that decision because both Joey and his sister gave us hours of amusement and eventually found wonderful homes. Fast forward two years and we were faced with a similar situation. Before us was a cage with five black kitties and one grey sister. They didn't demonstrate the strong personality of Joey but they were unique in their own way. The question remained, could we find homes for these overlooked kitties. There was a short discussion before the whole family got their ticket out of the shelter. As they each age their personalities are taking on their own unique characteristics. Purring and friendliness are the unifying threads that tie these kitties together. From our perspective we observe how they are often ignored in favor of the multi hued kitties but every so often we meet people who value personality over looks and they often include the Bombay wannabes in their selection. Look at our available kitties and if you meet your forever friend wearing a black coat remember to thank Joey.
07/24-They're back! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwEtPABi39A
07/23- I would like to thank again all our contributors who have helped make this effort possible. When we started we felt we could handle about five or six kitties at a time and would try to find homes for about a dozen per year. This is what we had funds for and could afford. Friends learned of our mental impairment and offered contributions. Through a series of fortunate events we learned about sources of charitable contributions and got in line. We don't build houses or feed homeless people or cure sick kids so we didn't expect much. We found that there were people who cared about disposable kitties and wanted to help. With that donation added to ours and others we were able to expand our operation and save more kitties. With your help we were able to find homes for 11 kitties in our first year (with donation from friends) and 137 last year with donations fron various sources. This short history serves as backdrop to an adoption that happened last week. We must manage our census carefully or we will turn into a sanctuary rather than a rescue. We are not equipped to be a sanctuary but we realize that adult kitties need a second chance too. This must be balanced by the simple fact that most people want a kitten even though they have more medical and behavioral issues than young adult kitties. The adults that come into our program are almost always the moms in litters that we rescue. Usually the kittens go first and then the moms (hopefully). We have limited space for adult kitties so this sometimes limits us to rescuing litters without moms. We had reached this point in late Spring when we visited the shelter to look at some kitties. The story of the little black kitty is described elsewhere but we want to focus on the young adult that was in the cage above her. We backed him up hoping someone would adopt him but knowing his chances were almost zero. I was expecting a lot of criticism from partner about space and over population of adults but got none. Of course we were called to rescue this black and white tuxedo the following week. I liked his personality at the shelter and it grew when he came into rescue. Partner started to grow attached to this guy when someone called who had lost their kitties in a home fire. They said our big guy (that's what everybody says who saw him) was almost a twin of one of their kitties. Partner talked with him over the phone and felt compassionate which was evident when she related the story to me. The man stopped by a day or so later when I was the duty person. He immediately liked Apollo and wanted to add him to his family. I gave him an application and explained our process and he agreed. Apollo was on his way to his new home shortly. Now to tie this story up with a pretty red bow. The contributions you have made made this minor miracle possible. If we didn't have a little extra in the budget or a little extra space we couldn't have rescued Apollo. His wonderful personality would have been extinguished rather than soothing the loss of someone. Partner and I both missed him the next day when we looked for him in all his old haunts only to remember he now had a new home. This made me very happy and it reaffirmed why we do this. I wanted to thank all the folks who contribute money, food, litter, toys and other kitty items for providing the tools to spread this good will. I hope you share in this little victory to save a life and with your help it will be repeated!
07/07-Every day brings new requests for rescue from shelters, individuals and other animal organizations. As kitten season is reaching its peak and with adoptions down, most of these requests must go unanswered. This week was almost the same except for one small difference. We got a request from King George Shelter about a litter of sick kittens that needed out or they would be euthanized along with a pregnant kitty that was about to deliver. They had to be out before the holiday weekend. I am vaguely aware of where this shelter is and never understood why we get requests concerning them since they are so far away. A one way trip would take about two to three hours and forget about sitting in traffic on I-95. We looked at the pictures of the kittens and commented to partner how bad they looked. A simple "delete" and we moved on to other tasks or so we thought. It seems our "conscience" gets these requests too and forwards them to her universe of associates. This means we get a second helping of sadness when one would have been more than enough. Well the delete key is always there. Well Conscience just wouldn't let go; she sent us a personal request for help for this family. We never got a request from her so we had to review the situation again. We were full of kitties; more than we had ever had and space was at a premium. Still we knew that a few lucky ones would be leaving after the holiday. With a little work we were able to create some space so we answered our Conscience that if she could get them to us, we would take the whole litter. I have to admit that I didn't think she could find anybody who had free time to transport kitties over a holiday weekend so I didn't bother partner with the details. That is when the flood of e-mails started. We would get copies of all the notes passed among people we had never heard of. In the end a transport involving several people organized themselves to get these kitties out of harms way and into a safer environment. I didn't believe it until the lady called us with a final update. Shortly afterwards she came through our door with six kittens. They didn't look nearly as bad as their pictures. Healthy they were not but we had seen that dozens of times before. A little eye ointment and antibiotics and they would be good as gold. Partner remarked at how cute they were and how some looked like little bears. First order of business was to feed these babies. We knew smart transporters never feed their cargo before a long trip (think about it). These babies were hungry and demanded a second feeding. We were happy to see that and gave them their medication too. We will get their pictures up shortly when they look a little better. They are due to get some vaccinations next week along with names. By the way, the pregnant kitty delivered five healty kittens on Sunday. Never underestimate what can be done with some effort. I guess Conscience has incurred some sort of obligations to people or maybe some obligations were resolved but for our part, we were just happy to be part of this effort. I am glad I'm not a betting man because I would have lost money on this one. I guess you never bet against your Conscience.
06/28-The kittens are more plentiful than ever this year. That coupled with more give ups at shelters is creating a dire situation for shelter kitties. Currently we have over 30 kitties here at our facility. When we started I thought five would be our limit! We are almost caught up on posting pictures; we still have about six to go but they are of kitties too young to be adopted. Our young kitties are turning out nicely. Apollo is a real snuggle bug as is Snowpea. Carol and Alice are still a little aloof but they like people contact too. We have been neglecting our client interviews for some time now but we are going to get back to them in the next couple of days. The kitties have a lot to say; they just need someone to listen. If you were ever thinking about adopting a kitty, now is the time! There are so many choices available and every empty cage is needed. Just as a sneek preview, the kitties that are not up yet are two buff, two red/orange, a baby calico and a young calico tabby. Just in case you were wondering; why not stop by to take a look!
06/13-One of our pre adopters sent us this after picking up their buds on Saturday! http://youtu.be/GVX4CmgKGYo We thoroughly enjoyed it!
05/16-Have you ever regretted doing or not doing something? I know I have and like Gibbs from NCIS, I accumulated some rules that have served me well. One that I use often is It is Better to Make an Error of Commission than Omission. This little rule alone has almost banished regret from my life. It also gets me into a lot of trouble when we visit the shelter. Several weeks ago we visited the shelter to pick up some clients and we passed by the Cat Mall where I saw a little black kitty sleeping. I have seen more kitties sleeping than I can count but there was something about this one that "spoke to me". We got caught up in paperwork and payments and the little kitty was forgotten. We were called to the shelter again on the next weekend and we saw the little kitty again. This time we inquired about her and was told that an application was pending on her. We were relieved to hear that since most black kitties don't leave by the front door of shelters. In the cage above the little black kitty was a six month old black and white youngster (the shelter calls them kittens up to a year old). This guy was obviously intelligent and very out going. We interacted wth him for a few minutes and then told the RC we would back him up if he didn't get an application. Like night follows the day we got a call about a week later that the BW guy was out of time so back to the shelter we went. The little black kitty was still there and we asked about her. No one had any answers so we said we would back her up "just in case". Now we were filled to the rafters with baby kitties; most were not even on Petfinder bcause they were so small. Our second litter was almost totally pre-adopted by people stopping by and just seeing them. Now we had thirteen more just getting old enough to post when we had to retrieve our "backups". You went to the Madam Cleo school of Precognition so you know what happened next. That's right, the application fell through and the little black kitty was going to be euthanized that night. Partner was on the West Coast and all attempts to arrange transport fell apart. Fortunately the Supervisor agreed to grant the little black kitty an extension until Friday for us to get her. I just realized that we picked up this little Black Cat on Friday the Thirteenth; I guess it was her lucky day. Of course we had to take a couple of other kitties too because it's just too far to go for one. Three other kittens got a ticket out that "unlucky" day. Did I mention how friendly and social the little black kitty is? She is something to be experienced! She will be going in for her surgery this Wednesday along with about a dozen other clients but she will be back in great form in about a week. If you want to see some beautiful kitties just stop by and spend some quality time, you won't regret it! If you're "on the fence" about bringing an addition into your family risk an error of commission.
05/09-Our first litter of the year (born March 13th) is almost all pre fostered. We still have to get their pictures up but it almost doesn't matter since they are almost all spoken for. We still have three litters that are just about walking and we will get their pictures up next week when partner gets back from her trip to the "shaky side". The litter moms are really very nice and affectionate. We have two Torties that are incredibly people oriented. They appear to be about six months old and weigh about six pounds. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by and check them out.
05/02-After taking two litters last week, we felt our resources were pretty well committed. Of course a note came from the shelter about more litters and bottle babies. There is just little if anything we can do at 4:00 PM on a Friday afternoon; the shelter would be long closed by the time we could get there. The bottle babies paid the price. We had a note from our Conscience that suggested someone to transport the babies to us and we responded that if they could get to the shelter and get to us within 15 minutes then we had a solution. Of course that wasn't possible but Conscience always tries. We had given her a Get Out of Jail Free card which she could use anytime during the year to save an animal she felt special about. She decided to use her card this weekend to save another litter that was brought in. A promise is a promise so we were committed to going to the shelter yet again. We saw many of the same kitties we saw on our last visit, even several that were supposed to be adopted. We asked about them and mentioned to the shelter staff that if the adoptions didn't materialize we would back up the kitties. We were also reminded about the one year old black and white male kitty that we agreed to back up previously. We were notified he was out of time so tested he got and a trip to our facility he made. We also looked in on the new litters that came in (to fulfill our GOOJF card). There were three litters with small babies. One mom had six babies less than a week old; another had four babies while a third had five babies. The Rescue Coordinator said she was there the longest so we took her and her family. The shelter was already closing before their test could be run but a tech was found who ran the tests. We have closed down the shelter more than once waiting for tests to be run. Back at AGAR we had to juggle living space for the new arrivals but all had adequate space. We fed everybody a last time for the day and medicated the sick litter from the previous week before leaving for the day. Check out Update to see how they are doing.
04/25-Just when we thought we could settle down to taking care of the babies that came to us, we got an appeal from the shelter about a three week old baby who was brought in. They needed someone to care for this bottle baby late Friday afternoon. We knew we couldn't make it and we were apprehensive about the fate of this baby if care wasn't found. (They have to be kept warm and fed every few hours to survive) We had a couple of nursing moms and thought one might step up and care for this baby so we answered that if no one else could be found we could come by on Saturday to take the baby. We got a phone call at 9:00 AM on Saturday asking when we could pick up the baby. After a hectic morning showing kitties we left for the shelter. It's a long ride to save just one baby so we asked about the other kitties especially a black female we had seen on a previous visit. We were informed that she had an application on her which made us feel great. The young black and white year old kitten in the next cage wasn't as lucky but he exhibited a great personality so we agreed to back him up. We then went to see some nursing moms. The first had a litter of three babies about four weeks old. We agreed to take them and then saw another litter in a nearby cage. We were told they had a case of URI and were being treated for it. Long story short is they left with us too. Now to get some pictures taken and posted so these families can find homes!
04/18-Less than 15 minutes after posting the new litter to Petfinder we got a phone call asking about one of the kitties; a record I think. Within a few days most were spoken for as well as some from the second litter. Over the weekend we added five girls to the mix from the shelter. Hopefully we will get all their pictures up before the end of the week. Don't forget the Mom's that are here; they aren't much more than kittens themselves.
04/14-Our first litter has really started to grow! It seems like only last week when they opened their eyes! While they are too young for adoption yet, we wanted to get their pictures up to give folks a chance to pre-adopt. These kitties are a bit unusual because they didn't come from a shelter and they still need to be tested and vet checked. They all appear to be healthy and active, in fact they are the healthiest babies we have ever had. I guess their Mom has taken good care of them. By the way their Mom is a very gentle kitty. She has a soft smooth coat and is a very nice kitty. She is just a bit larger than the other Mom being listed. Her litter will be up in the next few days as soon as we can get them to hold still for more than a nano second. This is our first attempt to sex kitties so don't be too harsh if we make a mistake or two. We are pretty sure of the Mom's but not so positive of the off spring. You can't lose no matter what they are!
03/21-It seems like ages since we visited this forum. There wasn't much news to relate and we only had four kitties in residence so we took a break. Well Spring is here and the break is over. We got a couple of calls last week from desperate people trying to help kitties. Usually we never take giveups for a host of "reasons"; mostly due to health concerns. Well, we got called by a referral from a former adopter who did a great job of taking care of kitties. The caller was feeding and caring for some "outside neighborhood" kitties. Most knowledgeable kitty people would recognize them as being feral but we were fooled because they were very friendly towards the family and even ventured into their home. The family was concerned because they were going to move at the end of March and could only take their own three kitties with them to the west coast. They were fearful of the fate of the five kitties left. The HOA (Home Owners Association) was making noises about Animal Control so the family wanted to find someplace for them before they left. We agreed to take two of them and try to find homes for them. The family brought two kitties a day or so later and again they seemed to be very docile. The people had no problems transferring them from a cage to a carrier for movement to our holding cages. Once they were in our cages their attitude changed remarkably! The older (one year) male growled anytime someone came near. The six month old female was quiet and shy. We separated them into their own cages to see if that would help because it seemed that the male was "protecting" the smaller, younger female. The male got more belligerent while the female calmed down and let herself be held. They were scheduled for alter surgery the following week along with one of our pre adoptions. Before we could go for their surgery last Wednesday we got another call from a desperate man. He said he had called 27 different organizations looking for help with no solution for his problem. Like the last family, he fed stray kitties in his neighborhood. He lived in an apartment on the ground floor of a six story building. Actually it was more like a below grade apartment because some of his windows were framed by window wells like those common in residential basements. This little aside is important as you will soon see. Last Sunday as he was returning home one of the kitties he fed followed him to his door and cried to come in with him. This had never happened before so he relented and brought her in to be fed. Eat she did and then proceeded to make herself comfortable in a corner. Before long the real reason for her behavior became manifest. She started to deliver a litter of kittens! She had six in all. The amazed man didn't know what to do except call animal groups looking for help. Normally we would have told him just what all the other groups did but there was something in his voice that required a further audience. That's when he told us about the other litter that was in his window well. Seems another kitty decided to have her litter in his window well the week before. I guess the kitties know a soft touch. He didn't know what to do and he had lost his job and house due to medical issues. Here was a guy who was undergoing therapy for cancer helping two unfortunate families as best he could. We couldn't say no. We asked if he could bring them to our office but he didn't have a carrier. We knew we would be relatively close on our way from the clinic on Wednesday so we made arrangements to pick up the kitties. One mom had five babies while the other had six. The moms obviously were abandoned house cats since they were so gentle and affectionate. We set each family up in their own cage with all the food the mothers could eat and eat they did. In less than a week we went from two kitties to 17. It will be a while before we get pictures up because they are so small. Remember the window well? Well it seems the mom kitty had her litter somewhere else and moved her brood to the window well. The man said they appeared about a week ago which amazed us because they appeared big for week old babies. Well they opened their eyes on Thursday and are still growing! Those litters are a Heinz 57 variety; there is something for everyone even a little black kitty. If you know anyone who is interested their pictures will be up in about two to three weeks for the older group and a week later for the younger.
01/03-The year end has been had a flurry of adoptions! Our longest resident. Vince, found a home last week. Vince has grown from hiding under desks to looking for laps to lounge on. He would always come out when a kitty was being adopted and there was a carrier around for the kitty to go home in. Vince would try to find a way into the carrier like he knew what it was all about. Well Vince finally got his carrier ride!
We were privileged last week to witness an act of bonding that isn't often seen with new adoptions. We had adopted Ruby to a young man around Thanksgiving. He wanted to avail himself of our boarding offer while he was away for the Christmas Holiday. We are always happy to see former "clients" and enjoy their brief stays. Ruby remembered all her old friends and had a great time playing with all the other kitties. She was everywhere but her favorite place was the top of our cat tree. She could usually be found there playing or just sleeping. That is where she was when her new Dad came to get her after work. He entered our office and greeted us and we him. Upon hearing his voice Ruby woke and looked out from her enclosure atop the tree. When she saw her Dad she meowed; something she hadn't done since coming back. Her Dad lifted her down and petted her and she purred. The unusual happened next. We had brought out her carrier in anticipation of her departure that afternoon. It just sat on the couch with it's door open but of no interest to any of the kitties. After being released, Ruby scampered across the room, jumped on the couch and went inside her carrier. She knew she was going home again! We knew then that this was a great adoption and Ruby cared about her new guardian as much as he her. It made my day.
12/27-It seems everytime we try to update this page we run into problems. The new Petfinder system has more bugs than a vineyard during Japanese Beetle season! We were 2/3 through our Thanksgiving notice when everything crashed. We just left the system after that and only changed pictures since it is fast and relatively easy. We will try again today to update the News and News Update sections but only by small sections. It is frustrating to lose a few paragraphs with no backup. This has been a major upgrade for the Petfinder page and problems are to be expected. I guess they are a lot like the Postal Service in that it's amazing that it works so well even with a glitch or two.
12/09-We have had some disappointments over the last few weeks but who hasn't. We had a great kitty returned because of allergies as well as housing more kitties that we ever thought possible. It was almost like a full time job. The surgeries finally could be done and a number of residents got to go to their new homes. We still have one kitty who is too young to have her surgery but all the others are "safe". To say we are behind on posting is kind but understated. Petfinder decided to upgrade their system last week. This was supposed to be an overnight thing. That was over a week ago and things are still behind but I guess bugs get into everything and this is a huge change. I can't help but wonder why it had to be done before the holidays. We have three grey kitties with copper eyes that want to make their debut but are still in the file to be listed. We also got a baby Maine Coon as a result of a call from the shelter. When we got back to the rescue someone was looking for a kitty and fell for the new guy. That has got to be a record; no name, no pictures just a new home. It doesn't get better than that.
Hopefully Petfinder will find and eradicate their bugs so we can get some pictures up of these new arrivals. Why not stop by and have first choice? In our last posting we mentioned Margie and her adoption; it fell through. Her new mom thought about the obligation and felt it was too much for her. We had some ask about our Thanksgiving note that we have posted over the last couple of years and why it was missing this year. We could play the time card, or busy with all the new kitties or, just fill in something that sounds good. The truth is we were feeling a little down because of the reverses we had this year and didn't feel up to it. Upon reflection we see this as a bad decision so we will post our take on the year very soon.
If there are any updates you know of please let us know. Everyone here likes to know how our former "clients" are doing.
Even if you can't adopt now why not stop by and say hello to the boys and girls. They are friendly and some will try to be your best friend immediately.
Hopefully by late Spring we will be in a position to save more animals. We will need a few extra hands to help with the care of the animals. If you have some spare time and like working with animals why not give us a call? We could use help with cage maintenance (read between the lines; you know what we mean), kitty socialization, feeding, ad writing /posting and fund raising.
AS AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE TO OUR ADOPTERS WE WILL BOARD ANY ANIMAL ADOPTED FROM AGAR FOR $5 PER NIGHT.
He loves you no matter what.
She never holds a grudge, even if you get up late to feed her.
You can make her day just by coming home from work.
Kids who have a cat or dog in the home during their first years of life are less likely to develop hay fever, asthma and animal-related allergies than those who don't.
He knows when you're feeling sad or mad, and will sit by your side to cheer you up.
She's never stingy with her kisses.
He's never judgmental and loves you just the way you are.
Pet owners make 15-20 percent fewer annual visits to the doctor than non pet-owners (according to research presented at the 10th International Conference on Human Animal Interaction in October 2004).
She's cute, soft and cuddly--perfect for hugging.
People with pets tend to have a speedier, easier recovery after illness or surgery.
He looks at you in a way that can melt your heart...even if he's been naughty.
She makes you laugh and smile when sometimes no one else can.
People who have had a heart attack survive longer with a pet than without.
Among 48 stockbrokers with high blood pressure, those who owned a cat or a dog had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than those without.
Your stress levels drop when you're around him or her.
Having a pet can raise your levels of self-esteem.
She's easy to please and (almost) always loves her birthday and holiday presents.
Pet owners have improved exercise habits.
She makes a good "heater" under the covers.
Children with pets who are slow learners, or whose parents had divorced, had higher levels of self-esteem and better emotional functioning than those with no pet.
He or she might not be there tomorrow.
www.sixwise.com
05/02-Both of our "found" litters are visiting with potential adopters even though pictures from the second group are not up yet. We have people who just stop by to see kitties. One litter we took last week was sick with URI and needed medication. As usually happens, the infection spreads to the babies and now we have several with eye infections which are being treated as well as the mom for URI. We have found the mom to be very protective of her babies when other kitties come around. She is very friendly towards people and takes wonderful care of her babies. The black and white kitty we backed up is making friends with everyone he meets. I guess that one of the big reasons we agreed to take him. We got delayed at the shelter just outside his cage and got to see him for quite a while. We saw a great spirit in this "ordinary" kitty. We see this only a few times each year but when we do we try to make an extraordinary effort to make room for them. Someone is going to be very lucky and happy with this guy; who knows, it might even be me!
04/04-The baby kittens are getting bigger every day and have their eyes open and are crawling around. The moms are taking great care of their families and have done a wonderful job so far. We still are about a week or so from getting their pictures up so keep checking back to see the new ones. Except for the new babies we haven't gotten into action yet this year. We are still in the early stages of implementing our growth plans for this year. Watch for updates!
03/16-Kitten season is starting early this year which is not a good thing. The shelters are overcrowded with giveups and strays and now the problem is exacerbated with the arrival of this crop of babies. We got a call to help two litters of newborns which we were not prepared for; nothing new there. I guess the vacation is over because we didn't say "No" and now we have 11 new babies and their moms. One litter is about a week old and the other is about two days old. I know we said we would never work with newborns again after our last experience but we couldn't say no. So it begins. I guess their pictures will be up in about three weeks after they open their eyes. When we were putting them in their new home we finally got a chance to see them and they are cute and yes there is a black kitty in the mix. I wonder who the lucky person will be to get that kitty! Check the Update section for more information on these 11 babies and their moms.
11/15-It's been a long time since we visited this section of our page! As you may have noticed we have had a small expansion of cage space made possible by our supporters and the CFC. If you are a Federal Employee and contributed you have helped save many additional lives this year. Together with our regular contributors the donations have enabled us to expand our housing and vet allowance. Hopefully in the next week or so we will get a better handle on the numbers and list the information. I always tell folks that are feeling down to check out our "Happy Tails" page(s) and see what they have helped create. Many of these animals would have had a much different future without your help; most would have no future at all. So the next time you get dumped on take a look at those you've helped or better yet drop by and visit with those still waiting for a permanent home. They enjoy a visit even if it can't be of the permanent type. You never know where you'll meet your next best friend.
The saga goes on: Wanda is spending more time out and is playing with a couple of other older kitties. She still is scared of people but slowly coming around; progress is slow but steady. Our momma brigade has grown. We now have Judy, Betsy and Alice here. They all came in with their families and are waiting for their own permanent homes. All are a year old or less. Alice and Judy are especially friendly. We have several kitties with strong personalities. These kitties always make an impression on us partially because they are relatively rare. We always remember Joey who had spirit from the day he arrived. We just saw Chance leave and fondly remember all his antics. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to find these kitties; just spend a little time with them and I guarantee you'll have a great time.
01/03-Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.---Abraham Joshua Herschel
01/10-If dogs could talk, it would take a lot of fun out of owning one.---Andrew A Rooney
01/17-To do injustice is more disgraceful than to suffer it.---Plato
01/24-You got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there.--Yogi Berra
01/31-Start by doing what's necessary, then what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.---St Francis of Assisi
02/07-Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.---Edmund Burke
02/14-It is one of the most beautiful compensations in life... that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.---Ralph Waldo Emerson
02/21-Words may show a man's wit but actions his meaning.---Benjamin Franklin
02/28-Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.---Mark Twain
03/07-Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.---Winston Churchill
03/14-What we leave behind is not as important as how we lived.---Jean-Luc Picard, Generations
03/21-Change your thoughts and you change your world.---Norman Vincent Peale
03/28-It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.---Tom Brokaw
04/04-We need men who can dream of things that never were.---John F Kennedy
04/11-Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.---Robert F Kennedy
04/18-May it be said, when the sun sets on your life...you made a difference.---Wish I said that but Unknown
04/25-Begin to be today what you want to be tomorrow.---Saint Jerome
05/02-Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.---Sir Isaac Newton
05/09-If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.---Mother Teresa
05/16-If you can dream it, you can do it.---Walt Disney
05/23-It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.---Eleanor Roosevelt
05/30-We must become the change we want to see in the world.---Mahatma Gandhi
06/06-It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.---Theodore Roosevelt
06/13-Do something wonderful, people may imitate it.---Albert Schweitzer
06/20-Disciplining yourself to do what is right and important, although difficult, is the highroad to pride, self-esteem, and personal satisfaction.---Margaret Thatcher
06/27-The buck stops here!---Harry S Truman
07/04-If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters.---Alan K Simpson
07/11-The key to happiness is having dreams; the key to success is making them come true.---James L Allen
07/18-Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.---John Wooden
07/25-One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.---Golda Meir
08/01-Courage is the finest of human qualities because it guarantees all the others.---Winston Churchill
08/08-No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.---Aesop
08/15-I am a great believer in luck, and I find that the harder I work, the more I have of it.---Thomas Jefferson
08/22-Don't find fault. Find a remedy.---Henry Ford
08/29-I've learned that success should not be measured in what you will buy or own, but in the pride you feel in the person you're with...when you are alone.---Cherie Carter-Scott
09/05-Life doesn't require that we be the best--only that we try our best.---H Jackson Brown Jr
09/12-Perhaps the hardest lesson to learn is not to be attached to the results of your actions.---Joan Borysenko
09/19-What we call results are beginnings.---Ralph Waldo Emerson
09/26-I have done my best. That is about all the philosophy of living one needs.---Lin Yutang
10/3-Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.---Carl Bard
10/10-There is a time to let things happen and a time to make things happen.---Hugh Prather
10/17-What I hear I forget. What I see I remember. What I do, I know.---Chinese Proverb
10/24-Chance favors the prepared mind.---Louis Pasteur
10/31-It is a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it.---W Somerset Maugham
11/07-The best portion of a good man's life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.---William Wordsworth
11/14-A man can get discouraged many times, but he is not a failure until he begins to blame somebody else and stops trying.---John Burroughs
11/21-Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.---Winston Churchill
11/28-No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.---Aesop
12/05-Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty-they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.---Martin Buxbaum
12/12-Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny---Charles Reade
12/19-Live so that your friends can defend you but never have to.---Arnold Glasow
12/26-Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get.---H Jackson Brown
01/02-The miracle is this-the more we share, the more we have.---Leonard Nimoy
01/09-"Meow" is like "Aloha"-it can mean anything.---Hank Ketchum
01/16-Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.---John Wooden
01/23-Show me the man you honor, and I will know what kind of man you are.---Thomas Carlye
01/30-Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.---Albert Einstein
02/06-If you can't convince them confuse them.---Harry Truman
If you have a favorite "thought" please send it to our email address along with the source and hopefully we can enter it.
ANSWER- When we rescue an animal from a shelter we are guaranteeing them they will have a home for life. Hopefully we will find them a suitable home with a family that will share their lives with them but until that happens they will stay with us at the rescue. It is our firm belief that there is the "purrfect" family or friend for each of our clients; we just have to find them.
We try to balance the mix of young and adult kitties here to reflect availability and demand. As slots for younger kitties become available hopefully they will be filled with other baby or young kitties and as the youngsters are adopted their positions will be replace with like aged kitties. Unfortunately there are too many kitties and too few homes to take all homeless kitties and our resources are limited. All our funding comes from private donations and we have to utilize those funds to provide homes to as many kitties as possible while still being unfair to all. (Solomon where are you when you are needed?)
Every once in a while someone reads these ramblings and gets this far. Just as often we get the question "Why is this question still here?". The short answer is: we keep getting the question. Just this week two families that stopped by asked how long we keep animals here. It was a polite way of asking when are they euthanized if they are not adopted. Let me tell you about a little ritual we go through when we leave a kill shelter. We always park so the rear hatch or door of the vehicle faces the shelter. When all the animals are loaded with their carrier doors facing the building we tell them they will never see the inside of a place like that again if we can prevent it. We tell them how pretty and lucky they are and then we leave. We don't try to irritate people but make no mistake we are here to do what is best for the animal. Sometimes feelings get hurt and in some instances trampled but we are dealing with a life. People get over hurt feelings but how can a life be brought back? Hope this explains why the question is still here.
If you are thinking of adding a four footed friend to your family why not come by and meet our youngsters. Our young adults would like to meet you and they will demonstrate their impeccable manners.
As a service to our past, and future adopters we are starting a resource library that goes into more depth than the literature given with the adoption paperwork. Some subjects to be addressed: diet, foods, behavioral problems, litter box problems and more. These will be available as take away copies. Please review them on your next visit!
ALPHA GROUP ANIMAL RESCUE, INC is an all volunteer, federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of companion animals that would otherwise be euthanized in animal shelters. We provide shelter, nourishment and appropriate veterinary care to all rescued animals and place adoptable companion animals into permanent, loving homes. We depend upon public donations for the support of the animals. All donations go to animal support. There are no administrative costs and shelter space is donated. Every cent is spent on animal care; primarily vet care, food and litter. All animals are rescued from local Maryland kill shelters. The local need is too great to ignore. We don't feel a need to spend scarce funds to "import" animals from distant locations when animals in local shelters die. For us, every animal "imported" means a death sentence for an animal in a local shelter. All animals are usually with us for a minimum of four weeks to recover from the shelter experience and their change in circumstances. This also gives us the time to provide necessary medical attention. All animals are markedly different when they leave from when they arrived. New arrivals are kept separate until they have been vet checked. Come by and spend some time with the animals. You can interact with them and really see their personality! We always operate at capacity (or more) so we do not accept owner give ups. No healthy animal is ever killed at this rescue.
Like most rescue/shelters we require an application approval before an adoption can be made. We want these animals to be in permanent homes. These pets are going to give you their undying devotion; they deserve the same. We are placed in the position of trying to make that match happen. Our adoption agreement stipulates that we will take back any animal if care will no longer be provided. When we pull an animal from a shelter we are also making a lifetime commitment to it; we will take back any animal that has been adopted through us anytime. We don't take this commitment lightly. Please look at your decision in the same light.
We are located in Aspen Hill (Silver Spring), our visiting hours are:
ALPHA GROUP ANIMAL RESCUE, INC
12103 HERITAGE PARK CIRCLE
SILVER SPRING, MD 20906
Phone: 301-946-4900
(Phones answered starting at 9:00 AM until closing)
We are closed most holidays but not all so please call to check.
Email: ALPHAGROUPAR@JUNO.COM
Click here for a list of pets at this shelter
