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| Adopt Miller! He's at Broward AC in Pompano, FL. |
I just finished driving home from work. It's been a long week, topped off by an unusually busy Friday. My phone had been buzzing with Facebook notifications for the last hour or so while I was at the office, but I hadn't had a chance to check the messages.
My friends can wait, right? I don't need to know that one liked my status or that someone is at the bar for happy hour near me. I just wanted to finish up work and get going.
On the way home, my phone was still buzzing like it always does, so I checked my Facebook at the first red light.
Turns out it wasn't friends' silly updates; it was people commenting on a picture I had been tagged on -- one of a litter of five kittens hoping for rescue at my local Broward County Animal Care and Control.
It's not these five kittens I cried about.
I had been tagged on that photo days ago and had kind of kept track of how they were doing. They were slowly getting sicker, stuck in a shelter with germs, and four of the five were no longer available. Sad, of course. I hope I don't sound heartless when I say I'm tagged in these pictures a lot, and while I'll never get used to it, I just know it happens.
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| Adopt Chalse! He's the only one of his litter left. Please. |
MARLIN IS BEING KILLED TONIGHT! URGENT PLEASE SOMEONE TAKE HIM... I WAS JUST THERE AND HE WAS CRYING. I CAN TRANSPORT LOCALLY AND 50$ IN DONATION. THIS IS HIS LAST HR. I CAN CALL AND PUT A HOLD.
And then the next comment by her:
I CAN GET MEDS FOR HIM...
None of the kittens pictured were named Marlin. The next commenter simply said: "Marlin?" To which my friend who originally tagged me answered:
"Marlin is a beautiful and gorgeous long-haired black cat waiting at Pompano."
I was in my car reading this. I have no idea why that got me, but I swear I had more than a few thoughts going through my head, and 80% of them involved me wondering if I could somehow sneak a third cat into my apartment and get away with it. There wasn't even a picture of Marlin, but between the description of him crying, the woman's urgent pleas for help and willingness to do everything she could to help him if someone could take him in and the fact that he was a gorgeous black cat... it was all of the sudden too sad.
The light turned green and I kept driving. My phone buzzed again, and I checked it at the next light.
HE IS NO LONGER WAITING... THIS WAS HIS LAST DAY :( I'VE BEEN TRYING HARD THIS AFTERNOON TO FIND SOMEONE WITH NO SUCCESS...
And I lost it and broke down.
Someone could have taken him. Someone with one cat could have had two. Someone who has never had a cat could have opened their home. Someone...
The next comment: "so he's gone? :( they euth'd him?"
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| I found this picture after I wrote this post. Marlin. |
I don't know Marlin. I never met him, never saw a picture of him, but his last couple hours unfolded on my phone and I feel like I failed him. He didn't have a home or a family, but man, someone loved him enough to try that hard to save him. We need to try harder. I don't know how.
I have to do more. HAVE to. I don't know if I could have helped, but I wish I'd seen her post earlier instead of wasting away at my desk putting stupid numbers in a stupid spreadsheet.
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| Your Majesty is at Broward AC in Pompano, FL waiting! |
I haven't even taken off my work shoes yet and I had to sit down and write this post. It had to come out. Whatever I come up with, I hope you guys will help support me. You always do. :)
And last but not least, I just want to mention how amazing it is to have more than one cat. If people who had one cat would consider adopting a friend for him, imagine how many more lives we could save! I never planned on two, but I would never not have at least two again.
There's a great non-profit campaign called Pets Add Life that advocates for how much better pets make our lives, and the joys of multiple-pet households. We have to convince the world of this!
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| King has been at Pompano since May 1. Someone save him? |
In the meantime, if it's OK with you all, I'm probably going to do a little more sharing of pets that need homes on the Cute's Facebook page. I usually try not to do it too much because it's usually a sad ending, but maybe we can make it so more of them are happy instead. We have to at least try, right?
And, please, I hope this doesn't cheapen the post -- because the words and the tears and the sentiment would have been here whether this was happening or not -- but I have to add this disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership.
As always, thanks for the ears, Cuteheads. I'm a sappy cat lady sometimes.
P.S. All paws crossed, you guys, but I just checked, and as of Friday, 9:45 p.m., Marlin is still listed on Petharbor! I hope his link still works in the morning and maybe he somehow got held over and given another chance. If he is... We're going on an all-out Cute Mission to bust him out of there!
UPDATE Saturday, 9:55 am: Another comment on the post! More tears from me! This time, happy tears...
MARLIN IS STILL ALIVE AND I'M ON MY WAY TO PICK HIM UP NOW:) CATS EXCLUSIVE WILL BE TREATING HIM TODAY AND SUZANNE WILLIAMS HAS AGREED TO TAKE HIM AND TREAT HIM AFTERWARD.....PLEASE ANY DONATIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED BY CALLING CATS EXCLUSIVE AT 954-975-8349. THANK YOU
Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. Marlin is making it out OK! And not only that, but my fave shelter ever, Cats Exclusive, is going to treat him (he is apparently having trouble breathing and not eating well). Yay! If you want to help donate, let them know it's for Marlin and that Dorian from Your Daily Cute sent you. They know me there! Oh, HAPPY.
Some links to the people important in this post:
-- My friend's tiny rescue, Good Karma Pet Rescue. She takes this pictures and helps spread the word about the animals that need homes.
-- Broward County Animal Care and Control. They have two locations, and the one in Pompano is not as well-known or supported so many cats don't make it out. All the cats pictured here (except poor Marlin) are available for adoption there. Please share!
UPDATE ON MARLIN, 7/23/12: He is no doing well. He got over his cold, but he is not eating on his own. Cat Crusade, the group caring for him, has set up this Chipin to raise funds for him to get x-rays and bloodwork done at the vet. If you can spare a few dollars, I know they would appreciate it. I really hope Marlin gets better. He really got to me, sweet thing.
UPDATE ON ONE OF THE KITTIES UP THERE, 7/23/12: Chalse was adopted by a friend of Cute! He traveled 1,455 miles to his new home with her in St. Louis and just arrived there last night. Read his story here (and about his new sister who was also saved by this wonderful woman!).
Please follow along with me and let's do this together! Subscribe to Your Daily Cute by email and get all the updates. Thank you!
