SPAY & NEUTER CLINIC (330) 865-6890 // RESCUE & ADOPTION (330) 865-6200

One of A Kind Education

“A Story of Hope”

Sometimes, when it seems as if there is no hope, everything miraculously falls into place and a glimmer of chance appears. This is the story of Cinder, who is still not out of the woods, but in a much better place of hope.

On Tuesday afternoon, a woman, who appeared overheated and exhausted from the sun, entered the adoption center carrying a full duffle bag. She placed the bag on the retail counter and proceeded to tell the adoption counselor that she and her boyfriend had found a kitten and asked if we could take it. We have not been able to accept surrenders for a few weeks and our staff sadly explained to the fatigued woman that we had no room or available fosters for this kitten. Upon hearing this, the woman began to sob.

It was 88 degrees on Tuesday and the woman had walked several miles in the hot, midday sun to bring this tiny, week-old baby to safety. She and her boyfriend had been outside and found the little newborn down in the hole of a cinderblock, alone and crying. They realized immediately it was a desperate situation and the baby needed help. That is when she began her walk in the blistering sun to our adoption center, as she did not have access to a vehicle.

Most people who are not in the field of animal care do not realize how fragile these tiny neonates are. They require almost constant nutrition and regulated body temperature, all of which they normally receive from their mothers. When the mother is not present, it throws their entire system off balance and it is often difficult to recover.

As the woman began to sob upon hearing we had no resources for the kitten, one of our most valuable neonate fosters appeared from the adoption floor. She had been in our facility to retrieve much-needed supplies and happened to overhear the conversation. From off in the distance, her voice could be heard saying, “I will take it…I will take the baby.” Knowing she already had her hands full with fosters in her home, our staff asked the foster if she was really sure she was willing to take on another. “Of course. What is one more when you aren’t sleeping anyway?” was her response. Melanie then thanked the woman for doing the right thing in bringing the baby to safety and our staff swooped the kitten up to begin assessing the overall health. The woman began to sob with relief, hugs ensued, and Cinder is now in good hands with a glimmer of hope.

The only thing that makes this story possible is the fact that everything lined up perfectly at the right time with Melanie in our building collecting supplies. Fostering neonate kittens is an exhausting, emotional, highly skilled, and sometimes heartbreaking task that is happening behind the scenes every day. These fosters are incredibly unselfish to give so much of themselves to save the little lives of kittens. The least we can do is support them by providing much-needed supplies and support to their cause. Please consider choosing an item from our wish list to support them. The most desperate need is for Breeder’s Edge kitten formula, Micro nipples, alcohol and scent-free baby wipes, heating pads that do not turn off automatically, and soft, fleece blankets. Thank you so much for your support in all that we do to save the lives of homeless pets.

Two Convenient Locations

Adoption Center

1929 West Market Street
Akron, OH 44313
(330) 865-6200
(behind Walgreen's and AutoZone)

 

Spay & Neuter Clinic

1700 West Exchange Street
Akron, OH 44313
(330) 865-6890

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