"Christabelle"		  
 "Dorothy"
 

 

"Sassy"

"Sunshine"

"Ginger"
 

13 "VAN CATS" RESCUED!

This is a copy of part of the very first Newsletter that Diana sent out..

If you live in Lane County, you probably heard about the 24 cats that had been forced to live in a filthy van until Animal Control Officers liberated them and brought them into the LCARA shelter in April of 2002.  It put a huge strain on the shelter staff to have such a large number of cats to care for, in addition to the stray and unwanted cats that are constantly being brought to them.  After careful evaluation, 13 cats of these 24 were made available for adoption to the public.  In spite of extensive publicity about them, few people came into the shelter to meet the van cats, and only two of these mostly adult, semi-sociable cats were adopted.

The days were passing into weeks, and with their future looking increasingly dim, SARA sprang into action.  With the help of local cat advocates Ingrid and Georgia, we were able to find good farm homes in Eugene and Portland for the six least sociable van cats.   SARA then rescued the remaining five cats: Sunshine, Christabelle, Sassy, Dorothy and Ginger.

Dorothy and Christabelle were adopted by SARA volunteers Susan and Helen.
Sassy was fostered for several weeks at The Cat Spa and then came to live at the thrift shop.  After gracing our shop for several months with her sweet personality and enchanting green eyes, we are happy to report that Sassy has just been adopted by SARA supporters Joan & John and is settling into her new home nicely.  Sunshine is still in foster care, remaining quite wild and coming into the house only to eat, though obviously enjoying her freedom from her former "nightmare" existence in the van.  Ginger has had some major medical problems, she is now recuperating with our friends at The Ninth Life, and we are hopeful that she'll get a "clean bill of health" at her next vet visit.

Thank you for helping SARA turn what could have been a tragic situation into 13 Happy Endings!!!

And now for an added postscript to this wonderful success story:
 

Ginger the least likely to have made it  through the whole ordeal FINALLY HAS A NEW HOME!!!!!!!