This is Shaboom. He was an inspiration for the creation of H.E.A.R.T.S. I was a long-time volunteer at Casa de los Gatos and one day I was cleaning one of the rooms at the shelter. I heard a terrible howling noise and ran to see what was wrong. In the middle of the floor sat Shaboom. He had tried to eat and was in terrible pain. I spoke to the shelter manager who told me that Shaboom was in dire need of dental care, but that the shelter simply didn’t have the funds. So Shaboom was in pain, couldn’t eat, and of course had no interest in playing. All of these factors pretty much precluded him from being a good candidate for adoption, not to mention made his life unbearable. I decided then that I would pay for his dental work and that I would try to find a way to help other animals in the future. Shaboom had extensive dental work and immediately gained a new lease on life. He could eat without pain and began to show himself to potential adopters. Soon after, Shaboom was adopted by a wonderful family who reported that he runs and plays with the other animals in the house and is very happy. It only takes a little help to change the life an animal. Below are a few more stories.
May 2011
Meet Baby and Cesar. These two sweeties lost not only their home but the only “family” they’ve had since they were young, including 4 other cat siblings. They have had a very hard time of it, having gone from a stable home to two different foster homes and have now living in a boarding facility for the past two months. While they were starting to get used to the situation, they were not themselves and were desperate for a forever home of their own. Through the generosity of our donors, H.E.A.R.T.S., Inc. has been able to cover some of the boarding costs while the search for a permanent, loving home was conducted. We’re happy to report that these two have found their loving, forever home and are doing great.
March 2011
Say hello to Cricket the cat. Cricket was taken in by a woman who had cats of her own, but also rescued strays in her rural neighborhood. She currently cares for 9 cats, but unfortunately has lost her job. Cricket became ill, fluid built up around her lungs, and she was struggling to breathe. Due to her current employment status, Cricket’s adopted mom was unable to pay for treatment to remove the fluid and ease Cricket’s breathing. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, H.E.A.R.T.S., Inc. was able to cover the costs, and Cricket’s life was saved.
February 2011
This is Patrick the cat. Patrick is a sweet cat who was in severe pain due to dental problems. As you can see, he’s very thin from not being able to eat properly. His pet parent was unable to pay for the necessary dental procedure and faced surrendering Patrick to a shelter. H.E.A.R.T.S. Inc., was notified of Patrick’s situation and agreed to cover half of Patrick’s dental work to relieve his pain and keep him out of the animal shelter system. (Another animal welfare agency paid the balance.) Keeping Patrick in his home not only benefits Patrick, but frees up space in the already over-crowded shelter system. Patrick returned home and recovered from his dental surgery.
February 2011
Meet Rudolph Valentino, formerly known as Mayo, the cat. Mayo was a long-time resident at Arizona’s largest no-kill cat shelter Casa de los Gatos. Mayo had a sweet disposition and was a beautiful white cat, but he was born with a hind leg that was not functional. Many people were interested in Mayo, but were unsure how to handle his special need. Casa de los Gatos’ staff took Mayo to the vet, who determined it would be in Mayo’s best interest to have his leg amputated. Shortly after his surgery, Mayo found his forever home, and as you can see from this picture, he couldn’t be happier with his new family. Thank you to our generous donor who allowed us to cover the cost of Mayo’s surgery and enable Mayo to start living the life he deserves.
