You can get help!

[Monika]

Some time ago, when I learned about the plight of the Montebourg Cat Rescue, I sent a letter to the editor of a well known Cat Magazine, which was published in the last edition. Shortly afterwards I received a call from an English Organisation offering help, and also offering help to us with our 6 kittens and mum with the expense of neutering them. (As we now only have three left (all others have vanished) we have agreed with our neighbours that we will neuter them in early spring as apparently they can not get pregnant in winter, and nobody is there to look after them after the OP in the winter and we will share the cost).

But as you can imagine I was so pleased to find an Organisation which helps people abroad with animals if you should be really stuck. I wrote a thread in Anglo Info and mentioned the charity's name but it was l pulled, so I better not mention it here, but if you want the address pm me.

[Russethouse]

Monika, I really can't see why you cannot mention it here - its a third paty recommendation isn't it ?

It may be very helpful to someone..........

[Catalpa]

Since the "management" of the Refuge apparently imploded over hygiene issues, AI-N seems to have taken against them. Even fairly balanced comment isn't allowed.

I would be interested in the name of the organisation too, Monika. There's a "we were never going back to the UK so didn't keep the rabies thing up and now we are forced to go back we need to re-home the animals..." thread on another forum at the moment (well, probably on all forums if one but looked ) so it may be worth me posting the information on there.

Glad things are finally working out for your lodgers...[:)]

[Will]

As Monika knows, but other readers of the forum may not, the cat refuge has suffered as a result of strong personalities, in the way that will be sadly familiar to those of us who have been involved with organisations controlled by a mix of  volunteers and committees. There has been a fair bit of washing of the dirty linen on the other forum, which has, expectedly, mostly been removed. Without taking any sides or mentioning names it seems that one leading light, who had been largely responsible for attracting a surge in support for the refuge, became concerned about the rather rudimentary standards of hygiene following an unfortunate spread of disease, resulting in animals dying or falling ill. Others had different priorities which resulted in the 'sacking' of the person concerned.

Should any money be forthcoming from this latest good news (the refuge was, apparently on the point of gaining some help from a ferry company so I do not know if this is still coming) then I do hope it can be spent for the benefit of the animals.

Many will disagree with me, but my own feeling is that to shut an animal up in a dirty, enclosed environment where there is a strong chance of becoming ill, or worse, is far less kind than letting them take their chances in the wild. I would rather see fewer animals, well looked after and with a good chance of being rehomed, than just filling the cages with deserving cases. I think if I was a cat rather than a (rescued) bichon frise that's what I would want. But with enough money, maybe both dreams can be realised.

[Russethouse]

I have had experience of a similar situation, hygiene was woeful, probably not helped by overcrowding, and all the pens had to be burned to stop further illnesses and deaths. It took a while for them to get going again - but it really shook them up and the place was never allowed to get in that state again. Sadly its usually a case of a very kind heart and an inability to say 'no' but its not uncommon.

 

[WJT]

Monika, it is good news about getting the kittens and Mother neutered, but terrible news about losing three of them.[:(] At least you know you will not have to go through this again. Shame the neighbours hadn't thought of it in the first place. [:@] Best of luck.

[Christine Animal]

I don't know anything about the Montebourg problems.  But if there are kind people ready to help, but in disagreement with the way things are run, couldn't they get together and start something of their own?