Save the Ferals and their Kittens

In May of this year Pet Allies’ shelter had a full cat room. That room holds 20 cats and kittens, maximum, and is very full with that many. Animal Control officers began trapping in a hoarding situation and dozens of cats and kittens came into the shelter daily for a week. People in the community continued to find strays, especially kittens, and the shelter had over 70 cats and kittens. 210 cats and kittens came in as strays between May 1 and September 30.

Staff joked that there were bird cages hanging from the ceiling with kittens in them! There were literally cats in cages in every nook and cranny in the shelter, even in the bathroom. With the help of fosters, many for the first time, and with the shelter and clinic staff stretching themselves to personally foster kittens, no feral cats or their kittens were euthanized due to lack of space. It was literally a day-to-day struggle, with free cat promotions, discounted adoption fees, helping to adopt out kittens and cats as fast as possible.

Ferals cats came in at unprecedented numbers. These cats have always been given veterinary care, spay or neuter, grooming of mats and treatment for any wounds (while under anesthesia), vaccinations and ear tip to mark them as a cared for cat. All at no charge to those who adopted these cats. Since the ferals are strays, not owned by anyone, they typically come into the shelter without any cost to those who turn them in. They are also placed as working cats at no fee.
The financial strain of so many cats and kittens has been severe. This auction is to raise funds to save the cats, the ferals, their kittens, by paying for the medical care, which breaks down something like this:

Spay/neuter surgery $35
FVRCP vaccine $ 5
Rabies vaccine $ 5
Penicillin after surgery $ 1
Ear mite treatment $ 1
Basic cost $47

Many cats also receive flea/tick treatment $17, wound care $10, and there is the cost of their food and litter while they are in the shelter. Kittens primarily come in with upper respiratory illnesses, snotty noses, runny eyes, sneezing, wheezing, and they need additionally antibiotics, sometimes multiple times, as well as bottle feeding (special foods), and lysine, a product which helps improve their general health.

The goal of this auction is to raise funds to pay their medical bills. Save one cat by spending $47. Provide for the cost of their surgery by spending $35. Provide a vaccine by spending $5. Give five cats relief by providing ear mite treatment by spending $5. Save a mom and litter by spending $225. In order to continue to save these innocent lives, your help is needed. Please shop until you drop!

All auctions items were donated and your purchase price will go 100% to saving the cats! Give a gift to yourself or your friends this Christmas that will not only please them, but will also save a life.

Pet Allies began under the name Arizona Animal Wildlife League of the White Mountains, Inc. in the summer of 1996. The group was originally formed to help the local Humane Society located in Lakeside. The group met monthly at Pat’s Place Pizza, in central Show Low, had a dinner meeting with a speaker about animal related topics. It was early days in animal rescue, and pets accepted were very limited due to limited funds, most of which came from yard and bake sales, and adoption fees. Veterinary fees were a large expense, and the organization saved around 50-75 animals a year.

In 2003 a dynamic and dedicated group of volunteers ran for office and were elected as a unified board. The same year the organization changed its name to Pet Allies, Inc. and began an aggressive spay and neuter program. Grants were obtained, and a thrift store, the Barkin’ Basement Thrift Store, opened and began bringing in regular year-round income. The organization saved around 150 animals a year, but spayed and neutered close to 1,000 each year.

The passion for spay/neuter as the way to prevent needless deaths of animals at local shelters that were over-whelmed with incoming pets, was a driving force, and in 2007 Pet Allies moved its thrift store to the current location, 4050 S White Mountain Road. After another year, the tenant in the clinic building relocated and the clinic building was remodeled, with the help of a generous grant, and the clinic began operating. Costs to spay/neuter pets were greatly reduced by managing services at its own clinic rather than payment for outside services for spay/neuter and medical needs for foster pets.

In October of 2012 Pet Allies began working with the City of Show Low to operate its Animal Control Shelter, located at 1181 E Thornton Road, Show Low. At that time the shelter struggled with issues typical of an animal control shelter and the euthanasia rate at the shelter was 90%. Pet Allies was challenged to begin operating the shelter and save lives. The shelter now operates at a 96% save rate, effectively a no kill shelter.

The clinic began offering wellness services, vaccines, minor surgery, dental cleaning, as a way to provide services to help low income families get medical care for their pets, and to provide a modest income to offset the subsidized fees charged for spay and neuter. Eventually the clinic began to help people with services for their pets when those families had little funds to cover fees of any kind. These services are very limited.

Pet Allies’ shelter takes in all the strays from the City of Show Low, attempts to help all owners who live within the City of Show Low wishing to surrender a pet, and reaches out to other communities as space allows. A waiting list is maintained for the shelter, which takes in an average of 1,000 pets each year.

Volunteers are key to Pet Allies’ ability to offer the many services and programs to the community. Volunteers are needed at the shelter, clinic and thrift store as well as at community events.