Here in Alabama, the State Veterinary Medical Examiners are doing their best to shut down the Spay and Neuter clinic in Birmingham, and to keep the one here in Huntsville closed. Dr. Robert Pitman from Athens is heading that attempt. In what looks VERY MUCH like a conflict of interest, Dr. Robert Pitman is under contract from the City of Athens and Limestone County to house and euthanize animals picked up or taken in when their time is up.
Imagine that a mama cat and six kittens show up on your steps. Imagine that the local area shelters are absolutely swamped and don’t have room to take them, have them spayed and neutered and treated for the parasites they inevitably have in their systems, and find homes for them. Imagine that you’re doing all you can to care for these cats, but when you call to see about having them examined and spayed and neutered, the cost you’re quoted is so far beyond what you have that it might as well be a million dollars. So you do what you can to keep these cats fed and safe, but imagine how many cats you end up with after a year.
I do not understand the mindset behind trying to close these clinics. It’s absolutely insane – between August and March, the local spay and neuter clinic fixed 2,000 cats and dogs. TWO THOUSAND. Two thousand cats and dogs who are no longer contributing to the pet overpopulation problem. It’s infuriating and it makes this state look ignorant. The North Shore Animal League has taken dozens of animals from Huntsville Animal Services to the Northeast. They have a shortage of animals up there. A SHORTAGE.
I dearly hope that one day I’m able to say to you guys “Unfortunately, I don’t have any wee kitten fosters because there just aren’t any kittens right now.” When someone with questionable motives is doing his best to keep a clinic closed, a clinic that spayed and neutered two thousand animals in this area, in the space of nine months, I just don’t see that happening in my lifetime.
You can sign the petition to stop the Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from shutting down spay/neuter clinics here and here.
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The thing about Molly Peppers is that sometimes her mouth writes checks her Paw o’ Doom can’t cover.
“And your mama dresses you funny!”
::swat::
::slow-motion slap::
This is about the point where Molly Peppers realizes that perhaps she’s overstepped a little.
Lucy’s all “You wanna piece of me?”
“I say, you WANT a piece of ME?”
A demonstration of the phrase “high-tailing it out of there.”
::flip::
“Hi-YAH!”
Hopefully Molly has learned her lesson (doubt it!)
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Clove goes exploring.
“The big hand is on the… oh! I’m late!”
“How do I get down from here, again?”
But then she realized that in that direction was an irritated Stinkerbelle, and thought better of going that way.
(She did eventually make the jump.)
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Smug Miss Alice enjoys her bed.
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Previously
2010: Something about grocery day really gets the Bookworms riled up.
2009: his hernia is FREAKIN’ ME OUT, MAN (also: Jake and Elwood show up!)
2008: No entry.
2007: (We don’t let Newt wander freely through the house, because being inside freaks him out and he’ll sit at the door to the outside and howl to go out. He’s not an indoor cat at ALL.)
2006: No entry.
2005: That’s just the way it seems to go for us.
Ooh! Ooh! Cat fight!
I love the photos (and loved yesterday’s btw), but do wonder why the bed of Princess Smug of Smugonia is so plain. Shouldn’t it at least have rhinestones on it… oops! I meant the finest diamonds, of course.
Thanks for featuring Dexter and I’ve signed the petitions. It all does sound fishy to me because the Board is refusing to give reasons of giving a reason which seems specious. Good luck to both clinics!
Petitions signed. Dexter…God please hold this baby in your arms! So tragic. Honestly, I hope there is a special place in hell for that woman. Her actions are just unspeakable!!!!
I signed too…and agree…I hope there is a “special” place for abusers of the innocent!!
its just so sad when a sweet little animal gets in that state because of the actions of a human..I have suported both causes previousley,thoughy not sure if I count!
but the sister on sister cheered me up!
How about some videos of the fur flyin’ fisticuffs?
I think all news outlets should take a tip from you.
“Today’s headlines: Civilization is breaking down, unemployment is at 110%, and a litre of petrol now costs more than your children’s college education. And now here’s Tom with the kitten report.”
It would make the news so much more bearable, am I right?
Also, Clove is the most gorgeous thing on four legs, I hope you realize this.
All three petitions signed. Dexter is breaking my heart. I know pretty much all of us wish we could beat this woman senseless with a baseball bat. I have special words for her. I am a prolific curser as well (I remember you saying this awhile back about yourself) and, to paraphrase from A Christmas Story, I have woven a tapestry of profanities to describe her to my other cat-loving friends.
I am too familiar with this closing of helpful cat shelters. The Humane Society here raided one about 50 miles southwest of St. Louis. This woman had owned the shelter for more than 20 years. (In fact I adopted Luanne from them in 2007, from a Petsmart.) She was given a certain amount of time to reduce her numbers by x amount. She’d gotten about half of those out and had scheduled the other half to be shipped to a few other no-kill shelters. The Dept. of Agriculture wasn’t satisfied even though she was doing what she could (despite low funds and the fact that she was sleeping on a cot at the shelter). They told her she had to euthanize 60 animals and she said she spent 2 sleepless nights making up the list (how AWFUL). She and her lawyers got the euthanization date pushed out for a few weeks and she was continuing to schedule some of the animals to be transferred. When she was out of town, the Humane Society here and the Dept of Ag raided her place, took film, said it was deplorable and the animals were all sick. (Please tell me what shelter has animals that are all healthy and glowing??? That’s why they’re in shelters.) So this woman was completely shut down. They took 165 animals, including the lab (her pet) she’d had for 10 years. They eventually gave it back. But all of these other animals who would’ve been spared (and who WERE spayed and neutered; this is where all her funds went) were taken in by the Humane Society. Petsmart canceled their contract with her before finding out all of the facts. I’m sure tons of the animals were eventually euthanized. The HS is now the Wal-Mart of the animal world. Instead of another no-kill shelter getting funds for doing good work, the HS can get more funds to kill animals. WHATEVER. I will never support them again. I have given money monthly to North Shore Animal League for more than 3 years now.
Sorry for my soapbox. I just hate these types of situations; they are so unfair.
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I agree with Cass on the kitten report! I’m not sure Robyn will agree that Clove is the most gorgeous thing on 4 legs. There might be another C-named cat who takes that honor. At least at Crooked Acres. 😉
*looks back over the photos*
Nope, I can’t think of anyone more gorgeous than her, sorry 😉
Oh. I was so hopeful about that little guy. Still can’t fathom that this was the family values that she was trying to teach her children.
Awww such fab pics of Molly and Lucy Peppers in action!! Wonderful tussle moves!! Yay!! Gorgeous!
Awww Clove is really growing up – love that pic by the clock!
Alice on her bed is adorable!
I’m still feeling very sad for little Dexter. 🙁
The whole shutting down of the spay and neuter clinics makes no sense – so I’m guessing it’s some kind of politics going on here – which is completely rotten of course. Booo to Dr Pitman! 🙁
Take care
x
We love all posts, but the last photo (Miss Alice on bed) is so cute, extremelly sweet! Congrats!
That Clove has suddenly gone from cute as all get-out to utterly gorgeous — wow!
That’s not Clove! That’s a long and lanky super model! When did she hit this pahse, when?
Alice on her bed is just gorgeous, what an excellent idea. I shall build little beds for my boys.
The Dexter story is heartbreaking. Here in Victoria (Oz) we had something on the news last week about a little pomeranian and the unspeakble thing they did to it. and then I heard about a case in Greece where they (the family who owned her?) waited for the bitch to go into labour and then they set her alight! While she was giving birth! It makes my skin crawl. If I ever got these “people” alone…
I think PETA and the HS have become profit machines. sure there is still good work being done but when PETA’s emphasis is on euthanizing rather than re-homing, they really get no more money from me. I know they meant well when they were started but when it becomes about profit…
I don’t think we have free or cheap spay and neuter clinics. But shutting them down anywhere is shortsighted and cruel. Oh, wait we have “cat-man” who hunts and skins homeless/stray and feral cats. Gosh, we should be so proud…
Dexter was adopted by a staff member at the clinic he was treated in…sadly after 8 weeks he was put to sleep…he had been getting better we all watched as he moved in with tiffany and got to live a great life…was a shock when we all found out his fits had returned…sadly the fits couldn’t be stopped and Dexter was allowed to toddle over to cat heaven where I’m sure his bro was waiting…there is a petition still going so do please sign…don’t let dexter’s death be without any real justice
D~
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/help-prosecute-kitty-killer/