Week of 10/13/13 Humane Happenings

by Eliana Aubin

Charlotte with Dusty Cat aka Flipper

We read of heartbreaks and sadness in this world. The evening news report sad stories with sad endings. Locally, The Sierra County Humane Society routinely deals with animal cruelty, neglect, abandonment. Dogs and cats are treated like throw-away items. Dogs are left behind, still chained in vacant back yards when their owners move. Cats are locked inside no-longer occupied houses. Volunteering for an animal welfare organization in this area can be emotionally demanding.

There is a silver lining we wish to share with our readers - a beautiful story and the most recent: a nice lady comes to Paws&Claws Thrift Shoppe and inquires about possibly donating some winter-bedding to Desert Haven, our organization No-Kill domestic animal sanctuary. She is invited to visit Desert Haven on a Tuesday when it is open to visitors. The following Tuesday, Keri- the nice lady - arrives at Desert Haven with the bedding, just as she promised. She receives the grand tour of the facility. It includes visiting the Neighborhood, home to the feline residents.

Dusty Cat aka Flipper

There, Keri's attention is soon directed towards a soft tan tabby known at the sanctuary as “Dusty-Cat”. He reminds her of one very special fur-kid she had shared her life with some years back. Her beloved kitty - “Flipper”- had gone out one day and never returned home. Keri tells how heartbroken she was and how she mourned the loss of Flipper.

Dusty-Cat comes to investigate the visitor. Another mention of Flipper and the little guy immediately jumps into her lap and starts begging for attention. He then grabs her hand with his front claws and pulls it close so he can give his routine soft “love bites”. The staff is no stranger to Dusty-Cat’s attention-begging habits. Keri’s heart stops: Dusty-Cat not only looks like Flipper, but he also displays the exact-same habits of her long-lost beloved Flipper. Could it be? Could Dusty-Cat be Flipper? His file is opened: “2009 - a friendly stray, who came to stay", it says. More time is shared between Keri and Dusty-Cat-Flipper. Everyone now is convinced: Dusty-Cat is indeed Flipper. How he survived in the desert, walked over six miles to the sanctuary grounds? Only Flipper knows!

Charlotte cuddles Dusty Cat aka Flipper

We need volunteers at Desert Haven and P&C Thrift Shoppe. Contact us at 575-894-2639 or e-mail us at weR4pets@gmail.com. Visit us at www.DesertHavenAnimalRefuge.com, www.Facebook.com/deserthaven and www.facebook.com/pawsnclawsthriftshoppe.