What is amazing about all of these success stories is that they are amazingly the same … and they all begin with the leadership at the shelter making the decision to quit killing.
Then, the solutions become obvious. They include providing low cost spay/neuter options. Doing aggressive marketing of the animals that need homes. They include building up a volunteer base and foster homes and doing off-site adoption events. It includes proactive efforts to reunite lost pets with owners and reaching out to the public to ask for their help and support and embracing the community (instead of blaming them for your problems).
It isn’t about the shelter, the region of the country, or what kind of pets we’re talking about. It’s about a community that wants to think differently.
Funeral dirge on Beale: Meanwhile, Memphis is still broken. You won’t be surprised to learn they’re not a No Kill community. (thanks to alert reader John Robinson)
Mice still playing across the pond: So they hire a new cat to patrol the premises at 10 Downing Street. Larry is in charge of mouse control at one of the world’s most famous addresses and…he’s doing a terrible job. MSNBC is on top of the story.
Barely had the 4-year-old tabby lapped up his first saucer of milk on the job, when a whiskering campaign began against him. He was, some said, simply not up to the job.
“He has shown no interest in the many mice in Downing Street,” said one of Larry’s anonymous accusers (cattily) from inside Number Ten. And, unusually for that place: “There is a distinct lack of the killer instinct.”
The problem is that he spends too much of his time, well, sleeping.
You can insert your own joke here.
Feline CSI: Now for some good kitteh news – your cat can help solve crimes (even if she’s asleep). As Discovery News explains, the fur shed by cats can have sufficient genetic material to be used as evidence.
Fur from a fluffy, white house cat has already been used in a murder trial. The accused, Douglas Beamish of Canada, had cat fur stuck to one of his pockets in a discarded jacket. The fur was genetically linked to victim Shirley Duguay’s cat, Snowball. The evidence helped to convict Beamish of second-degree murder, leaving him with a 15-year prison sentence.
So if some dastardly crime befalls 10 Downing, Larry can do something helpful.
A hero among us: Rob McMillian is a Facebook friend of mine. I have to admit that until I read this Culver City News piece about Rob and his wife Helen, I had no idea this man has done something so remarkable. Love, training and unswerving patience can accomplish wonders. Bravo, Rob.
Farewell, Bri: Wayne Mates is a dear friend and fellow Syracuse alum (Go Orange!). His website is devoted to tips and tricks for small business entrepreneurs, but he took time out to compose a tribute to his late dog Bri that choked me up until I couldn’t speak. Thank you for sharing this post with us, Wayne.
Finally, a chuckle: Once you’ve recovered from that, you can cheer up by watching Simon’s Cat cope with sticky tape.
I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories. Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.
Photo credits: Happy dog, flickr creative commons (wsimmons). Bri, waynemates.com
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