117 CATS RESCUED FROM MADRAS, OREGON HOME (30 TO 40 CATS REMAIN) - READ MAIN STORY AT OREGON LIVE.
CRAFT Update December 25th: Public/Veterinarian Help Needed with the Huge Number of Rescued Cats - Please Help!
Today, for me, is a good day. My heart has finally settled.
I want to thank the non-profit "Cat Rescue, Adoption and Foster Team" (CRAFT) of Bend, Oregon, the City of Madras, Jefferson County Animal Rescue, Bend Spay and Neuter Project, Humane Society of Redmond, the Humane Society of Central Oregon, Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals of Portland, and all citizens and organizations who were involved in the rescue and current care of so many sick/neglected cats from an ill-fated home in my neighboring city of Madras, Oregon. I never thought I'd see this day.
I want to share with you my story to what I've witnessed, personally. It is my experience visiting this home over the course of a number of weeks in the summer of 2009, helping to build a fence in the backyard.
My husband and I met the owner of this Madras, Oregon home earlier in 2009, after finding her phone number in the local phone book. I was looking to safely shelter a stray cat I found in our own yard, who was recently attacked by dogs one night, yet she was fine overall. When I called this woman later in the evening, she said she ran a rescue center in Madras and to bring our stray to her. I asked her a number of questions, never getting quite a clear picture, but was satisfied by the end of the call. We ourselves have no place to keep cats since attacking dogs are abundant here, and our home under construction is not fit to currently house animals. The woman assured me our stray would be well cared for from her end and, eventually, placed in a loving home. Much relieved, we piled into the car with our injured stray black cat and headed to Madras, the next city over from us.
Upon our arrival, is when I learned that she ran a shelter for cats and a few other types of animals. She had several dogs, some of which were her own pets, and she even had a goose named Lucy in the backyard that wasn't caged up. The first thing I noticed about Lucy, other than her loud (and quite cute) squawking, is that she had a big, visible laceration around her neck - a wide 4" band of missing feathers and extreme redness/raw meat. I asked this woman what happened to the poor thing and she briefly told me one of her own dogs attacked Lucy not too long ago. It was evident to me at this time that she did not want to engage in a conversation about it, so I dropped the subject but I had zillions of questions tucked away in my mind. I was deeply saddened by this scene, especially since the dogs were still able to roam free. And, so was Lucy.
This was the beginning to what would be, for me, a series of great sadness - a sadness that would affect me emotionally my remaining years. Seeing Lucy in that condition just about broken my heart into pieces. She was mauled by this woman’s own dog, yet Lucy and the dog still roamed free. The way it looked, I was shocked Lucy's neck wasn't broken ... or much worse. She really could have been dead by that injury but, by a miracle, she somehow survived it.
When I finally entered this woman’s home on that first day, I suddenly found myself unable to comprehend what was happening in there. It was truly overwhelming and quite tragic to see SO many cats in this home... the smell and filth, and the condition of health most of these cats were in. Half of them were in stacked cages, some caged to where they could barely turn around inside of one, and roaming cats were in every nook and cranny of that house. Everyone of them looked sick, some gravely ill. I asked her if she ever allows these cats out of their cages to get their muscles working and to stretch their arms and legs. She said she did but, over the course of many weeks, I still saw the cats in the same cages looking very, very lethargic and I honestly believe in my heart that all of those I asked about ever had that luxury to stretch their legs.
This woman introduced her daughter to me on our first visit which, to this day, I cannot remember her name from being so distraught at the visuals there. Her daughter is mentally challenged and is a sweety, who seemed to assist in some of the basic care of well over 100 cats in this relatively small home. It appeared to me that this daughter wanted to spend most of her time talking simply for the sake of some company, and she really enjoyed talking about Special Olympics and her involvement and achievements with them. She also loves to bowl at the local bowling facility and loved to talk about it. Each time I had been inside their home engaging in conversation with this woman's daughter, it seemed her mother kept her busy doing things around that house which would end our conversations from ever getting too involved.
The most difficult situation that had me deeply concerned and on the verge of tears inside this home, was immediate visuals of upper respiratory infection that had clearly taken over the health of most all cats I saw in the home. Some of those infected cats were barely moving while gasping with a wheezy breath. (I can cry just thinking back to this. Ugh!) Most of these cats were either laying in cages, on the floor, on the couch, on the kitchen table or in the sinks, in cupboards, on the stove top, in the closets, under beds, every window sill, on top of other occupied cages and anywhere else there was room for a cat to rest. The owner and her daughter kept the bathroom door shut because they apparently didn't want cats in the bathroom, and my husband and I were sometimes reminded to close the door behind us whenever we came out.
During this first meeting of what would become many over the following weeks, my husband and I talked out in the backyard about trying to help in some kind of way, strictly for the sake of those obviously sick animals. I was frantic and barely had words. I said to my husband... "Honey, we MUST do something to help these cats! My gawd, this is awful... just LOOK at them!!!!" He readily agreed, as the scene pulled on his heartstrings just as bad.
I really couldn't believe what we were seeing...
The owner mentioned to me that she wanted to, some day, put up a barrier above her fence in the backyard, to allow the cats to go outside but not escape her backyard. She also mentioned her future desire to put in a doggie door somewhere in the kitchen, going out to the backyard, so the cats could come and go as they pleased.
Overwhelmed with the scene, the smell and all evident happenings which were right before our eyes, my husband and I decided to donate our time to put up this fence barrier for her. We, ourselves, knew it would severely take away from our small business we operate at home, and would certainly affect our livelihood in the long run but, at that point, it didn't matter ... we needed to put our own needs aside to help those cats who needed fresh air. And actually, for a moment, I even wondered about the well-being of the mother and daughter, too. It was a very unhealthy environment for all concerned.
And so, day after day, week after week, my husband and I worked on this barrier which ran the perimeter of her tall backyard fence. We would often take trips to Lowes Home Improvement store in Redmond, Oregon (40 miles south) to pick up needed supplies as they came to light and then return. We were there many full days over several weeks span. We also had to bring in our own tools and machinery from our shop at home, to help in the process of this project. It was a much bigger job than we had initially anticipated, but we had a goal and we wouldn't stop ... strictly for the safety and well-being of those poor and clearly suffering cats. Though our intentions were good to help those animals, the home owner's behavior started to become increasingly questionable in the latter stages of our work, so we stopped production and decided to stay away from that home. Sadly, the fence was never completed in its entirety and it is something we have had to live with, since.
While we were inside this home on numerous occasions, even eating dinner at her place a few times, the sight and smell were absolutely beyond overwhelming. I often left her house literally in tears over the sadness I felt for all of those beautiful cats who were sharing in illnesses and filth. Feces were abundant in the cages as the cats lay in it, many unable to move away from it. It was also on her walls, on the furniture and throughout the carpeting. Litter boxes were filthy and I never did see a clean one the entire time we spent there. And we were there often.
To my horror, I also witnessed the home owner self-diagnosing and then medicating many of the ailing cats (some who weren't even sick yet!), including giving them Sub-Q fluids through an IV drip, liquid meds and pills - as if she were a licensed veterinarian. She would give Sub-Q fluids even to the baby kittens less than 1 month old.One baby was clearly distressed upon this treatment, suffering terribly from upper respiratory infection, and who was on the verge of dying. In a panic, I asked her if she was allowed to do all of this, and how she was getting so many medications in her possession when she wasn't a doctor. She simply said “she could” and then moved on to another subject.
I kept thinking to myself "this is just NOT RIGHT!"
Many of her cats had upper respiratory infections and I recognized it immediately upon first sight of them. I watched them suffer, day after day, week after week. I've seen several cats in my past with the same illness to where I can easily recognize the symptoms, and knew how deadly and horribly contagious upper respiratory infections are. I also know that cats must be seen by a vet once this infection starts in. One of the many baby kittens in this home had been suffering so badly and couldn't breathe, that I swore the poor thing was dying right before my eyes. It absolutely broke my heart and this woman knew it did because I always asked about him, whether from my home or while there. And, I even called her from Wal-Mart in Bend one evening, just to see how the kitty was doing. It is because it weighed so heavy on my heart. And, as always, this woman would quietly assure me that he was ok, but was always evasive.
Still in all, I kept asking over the following days, just to see if he was going to make it. I knew I was becoming a pest to her about that situation, but I was VERY upset over that poor baby who had to endure so much from her - Sub-Q fluids and all. She never once took him in to the vet for treatment. We actually have a local animal hospital that gladly works with charity, so this is exactly where I would have taken the poor thing.
Anyway, days later... the kitten died.
Regardless of the emotional scare it now leaves with me over this entire situation, I am extremely grateful for all involved who finally did something about this woman and the obvious turmoil that was going on. Though the owner claims she was trying to save these cats from abandonment or by no choice from people leaving them at her doorstep, I knew there was something more to it and not quite right about that entire situation, from the moment I stepped foot on that property. She could have taken those very sick animals in to be treated but, in my opinion, she simply let them suffer in her home where many have died at her hands. Those cats were suffering beyond imagination and she just kept on medicating them, herself, and whether they needed it or not.
And any of them getting loving attention, simply did not appear to exist.
One other situation I found extremely disturbing and unnatural, is in regards to a healthy looking mother cat locked in a cage, who was actually giving birth to a litter of kittens while I was inside this home one day on a break. What deeply disturbed me was the fact that this woman would pick up those infant kittens just moments after they were born to 'clean them up' - grabbing them just minutes after they came out of the womb. She deprived the mother of what a mother cat is always suppose to do and it was so sad to witness. She would just take those babies moments after birth, to do her own nursing on them ... and this mother cat was healthy!
I'm sorry, but this is just flat out WRONG.
From what the TV News broadcasted about this home owner, it appears she is able to keep her non-profit license to run a shelter. They didn't take it away from her after this rescue because "she cooperated" with the rescue, once the rescue was in effect. But.... why didn't they?!? With what the rescuers and county discovered upon entry to that home, you'd think it would become immediately prevalent in their minds that this woman should never again be allowed to practice any non-profit stance when dealing with animals.
I seriously hope the city of Madras and Jefferson County work together to remove her non-profit stance. This woman, who is NOT a veterinarian, is diagnosing and medicating terribly sick animals and not taking them in to where they can be helped and, possibly, saved. Many have died at her hands, which should have never happened. I have seen and witnessed much of this during my visits and, in my humble opinion, she should never again be allowed to run a shelter ... not even for another day.
While I pray for the rescued animals, and the cats still under this womans care for the time being, I extend my thanks to all involved for their efforts in rescuing some of the sick, lethargic and love-lacked cats. Their worst suffering is now over. Maybe, soon with the help of donations and treatment, they will find love through adoptive families, to where they can finally rest their weary heads and heal.
And for those sick kitties who passed away, or who are on the verge of dying, my heartfelt prayers go to them. I feel so badly over this situation.
At this time, I plea with whoever is in charge in making the legal decision for Jefferson County, to please rescue the rest of those cats left behind at the Madras home as soon as possible, and to reconsider this woman’s' non-profit status.
In my honest opinion, it will not be over until every cat is out of that home and the license is removed.
Regards,
Vicky
Added 12-29-09: Since posting my story, I have been asked why I did not report this woman, myself, seeing the neglect going on inside this home. It should be of no concern in whether I reported this situation or not, nor would it be something I would discuss online. What is important and should be of utmost concern to every one right now, is that most of these cats have been removed from that home so that no more suffering and/or deaths occur. The rescue teams still need to get the remaining cats, so we are counting the days until this happens. Please help support CRAFT in taking care of these kitties.
