People-pleasing brothers waiting for new lives

By Cory McKeown with photos by Melanie Epping

If little Andy looks sad, it is because he is… He and his look-alike brother Pat were adopted last summer from one of our foster homes (mine!) to a wonderful older lady who lived in Ocean Park. Even though she was fighting cancer, Marlene was fighting valiantly, and wanted these two very sweet cats to help her keep her spirits up. She loved the brothers and gave them wonderful care and tons of love. They helped her when she knitted and helped her get through the dark days of her chemotherapy.

Unfortunately, Marlene began losing her battle, and had to go into an assisted living situation as her health declined. Her biggest heartbreak was losing Pat and Andy. She no longer could care for them and give them the attention they needed.

Now it is time for the brothers to move on, and these two young, playful and extremely affectionate cats are ready to be loved again in a real home – right now, they are in our kitty room where their basic needs are met but they don’t get the one-on-one attention they really need.

It would be wonderful if they could go to a home together – they are truly bonded to each other, and it would be a shame to break them up now. They are very well-mannered and used to being inside-only kitties.

Please come and meet Pat and Andy – they are experts at making life more enjoyable and worthwhile!

By Cory McKeown with photos by Melanie Epping

Poor Jasmine – For Now, She is a Pretty Little Flower Only in Her Heart

Because we see animal cruelty and neglect far more than we would ever want, we at the shelter try hard to maintain our composure so we have the energy necessary to care for the needy pets that come through our door.

But when we received this poor little Jack Russell Terrier from another shelter, we were moved to tears. She was very thin, had chewed off much of her coat because of an untreated skin condition and looked exhausted. Without ever having been told her story, we knew by experience what she had probably been enduring in the past seven years of her life. Neglected and poorly-fed, she had been used as a “puppy-mill” – having litter after litter of puppies brought into this world only to make someone a profit.

As if this all wasn’t enough, when we got her to the vet for a check-up, it was found that she has some degree of kidney failure. With almost a week of vet care, her laboratory work improved, and she seemed perkier.

But, only time will tell what the future holds for Jasmine. Two things we are sure of – she will get good nutrition and the medicated baths she needs while she is with us. Her kidney function remains a question and only time and good vet care will tell.

Hopefully, this sweet little dog, the victim of life-long neglect, might have some quality time left. Regardless, what she needs is someone to show her that people can be caring and treat their pets with love and respect. Jasmine deserves every bit of this. If you feel you are the right person to turn her life around, please call the shelter and ask about Jasmine. She is waiting.

Reggie – He has Waited too Long for his Home Run

This handsome young butterscotch and buff boy has been at the shelter since July – for months, he has watched as other cats and kittens have gone to loving homes. There is nothing wrong with Reggie – he is sweet, playful, and loves nothing more than to be petted. It is just that he came to us at kitten season and cute kittens are a lot of competition!

Reggie gets along well with the other kitties in the room, and would be a good companion for another cat, maybe even a mild-mannered dog. He likes people of all sizes and ages.

Come meet Reggie, and let him steal the bases to your heart!

Don’t Forget our Raffle

- Great Prizes!

Our annual raffle is in full swing, and we have some wonderful prizes for the lucky winners, including nice resort lodging and meals at some of the Peninsula’s best restaurants, to name just a few. Tickets are only $2 each and the odds of winning are much better than the lottery! Plus, the money raised will go to help the shelter animals – truly a win-win situation. Tickets are available at the shelter, at Western Coastal Mortgage and at beachdog.com.

By Cory McKeown with photos by Melanie Epping
Ginger is waiting to spice up someone’s life! – This pretty 2-year-old cattle dog mix is just full of life and waiting to join a loving household. Ginger likes people of all ages and gets along well with other dogs. We think she might be mixed with yellow Lab, because she absolutely adores the water! Our manager bought her a kids’ plastic pool for her outside kennel, and she is very entertaining to watch as she darts in and out of the pool, playing all the while with her floating toys.

She would be a wonderful companion for an active adult or family – she particularly likes older kids who will play with her. It would be especially wonderful if she could find a situation where she had water to enjoy!

Ginger is not good with cats, and needs to go to a “feline-free zone” household. Come meet this bathing beauty today!

Commander Cody – large and in charge!

This generously-sized kitty is Cody, one of our three resident shelter cats. When Cody first came to the shelter several years ago, she was a pretty much averaged-sized kitty. She loved to eat, though, and soon discovered that the shelter was a wonderland of readily available treats and kitty food delights.

It didn’t take Cody long to grow to very large proportions, and it soon became necessary for us to put her on a diet. Well, Cody was going to have none of that Lean Cuisine Routine if there was anything she could do about it! Not only is Cody amazingly determined, she is also very bright and sabotaged our diet efforts on a regular basis.

She quickly learned that there are free samples of dry dog and cat food on the front porch, and developed a technique for putting small slits in the bags – slits just big enough to get kibble out of, but not so large that we were on to her shenanigans. Cody also started spending considerable time lying on her side by the other cat cages, carefully snaking her paws through the bars and scooping up any cat food we were silly enough to place too close to the front of the cage. She even figured out how to open some of the cages!

Little by little though the diet efforts are paying off, and Commander Cody now has the re-emergence of a little waist-line indentation – she wouldn’t if it was up to her!

Cody loves the shelter, in spite of our efforts to “starve” her – the shelter is her home. There are, however, wonderful adult cats and kittens awaiting their chances at new lives.

Come in a meet Cody, and let her fill you in on all the details of her horrible diet ordeal – she is always glad to have a new, and perhaps more sympathetic audience. And please do look at the kitties for adoption – someone just might steal your heart!

Shelter Wish List – We would be very appreciative of donations of canned cat and dog food, and dry dog food – Pedigree or Kirkland brand. The kitties would love some new small scratching posts and soft beds. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful support!