Brilliant way displaced pets are rescued and air-freighted to other states for rehoming in America

The news today about which I'm very pleased and impressed is that 28 cats which were displaced by Hurricane Helene have arrived at a Cape Cod shelter. And also, simultaneously, it's reported that cats rescued from the same hurricane have arrived in Cincinnati. Dozens of feline friends from Tift County Georgia are now at Cincinnati Animal Care.

And regarding the 28 cats displaced, referred to above, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals animal shelter on Route 28 received the animals on Tuesday, October 8 and they could be ready for adoption by the end of the week.

Cats are very resilient under these circumstances. But also, humans are very resilient and I'm referring here to Americans who do such a wonderful job of finding homes for cats displaced during natural disasters such as the one mentioned.

They do this over and over again and take in displaced and homeless cats out of one state and air freight them across the country to other states and other animal shelters where they can be rehomed. It's complex and it requires a lot of commitment, effort and time and money. And yet they do it obviously supported by many volunteers. These volunteers have hearts of gold as far as I'm concerned.

You don't see this kind of thing in Europe and in the UK where I live. It's is, it seems to me, specific to America where they have this well oiled machine which kicks into action. Perhaps it's partly due to the fact that they have lots of hurricanes it seems to me in America along a specific corridor.

Hurricane Helene was a devastating tropical cyclone that caused widespread destruction fatalities across the South-Eastern United States in late September 2024. It was the strongest hurricane on record to strike the Big Band region of Florida, and the deadliest advantage hurricane since Maria in 2017.

America's great rehoming process

In the United States, when natural disasters like hurricanes displace companion animals, animal rescuers, shelters, and organizations come together to relocate and rescue these animals. The goal is to ensure that pets left behind or made homeless after a disaster are brought to safety, cared for, and, ideally, rehomed. This type of large-scale animal transport is complex and coordinated, involving many steps and stakeholders.

Process of Companion Animal Transport After Disasters

1. Initial Rescue Efforts:
   After a natural disaster like a hurricane, local authorities, animal control, and rescue organizations begin by identifying and rescuing animals. This could include dogs, cats, and sometimes other companion animals like rabbits or birds. Many of these animals are either found wandering, trapped in homes, or surrendered by families who can no longer care for them due to the crisis.
2. Temporary Shelters:
   These rescued animals are typically brought to temporary shelters or staging areas. Here, they receive medical care, food, and water. Many times, these shelters are set up by national animal welfare organizations like the ASPCA, Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and Best Friends Animal Society, along with local shelters. These temporary shelters often quickly reach capacity, especially in heavily impacted areas, and that’s where the need for transportation arises.
3. Assessment and Coordination:
   Rescuers assess the health and temperament of the animals to determine if they are fit for transport. Volunteers and coordinators from national organizations, local shelters, and transport groups create a plan for relocating the animals. The plan involves moving animals from the affected region to shelters in other parts of the country that have the space and resources to take them in. In many cases, a distinction is made between pets who were owned and need to be reunited with their families, and those who were strays or surrendered prior to or during the disaster. The former are often held locally for a period to allow families to reclaim them, while the latter may be transported sooner.
4. Air and Ground Transport:
   There are two main modes of transporting companion animals across the country:

• Ground Transport: Ground transport is typically coordinated using a network of volunteers or professional pet transport companies. They use specially equipped vehicles that can accommodate multiple animals in a safe and controlled environment. The trips are often long-distance and require careful planning to ensure the animals are kept calm, safe, and healthy during the journey.
• Air Transport: In more severe disaster situations, or when time is of the essence, air transport may be used. National organizations partner with airlines, pilots, or charter services to fly animals out of disaster zones to safer areas. Organizations such as Wings of Rescue, GreaterGood.org, and Pilots N Paws are frequently involved in this effort. After Hurricane Helene and other hurricanes, private aircraft, cargo planes, and even military planes have been used to evacuate animals.

1. Receiving Shelters and Rehoming:
   The animals are sent to shelters across the country that have capacity and resources to care for them. These receiving shelters might be in areas unaffected by the disaster, where adoption rates are higher or where the animals will have a better chance of being rehomed. For example, dogs from a hurricane-hit area in Texas may be sent to states in the Northeast, where there is a demand for adoptable pets. Once the animals arrive at their destination, they are often placed in foster care or in shelter adoption programs. The animals receive additional veterinary care and may be microchipped or spayed/neutered if necessary.
2. Public Awareness and Adoption Drives:
   Following the relocation of these animals, shelters and rescue organizations often launch public awareness campaigns and adoption drives. Highlighting that these animals are survivors of a natural disaster can attract attention and motivate people to adopt. These campaigns often have strong media coverage, drawing attention to the urgent need for homes for these pets.

Example: Hurricane Helene (or Similar Hurricanes)

Hurricane Helene, although not as notorious for animal displacement as other hurricanes (like Hurricane Katrina or Harvey), serves as a case study of how animals are moved in response to such disasters. After hurricanes, it is common for animal shelters in the affected region to be overwhelmed with stray or surrendered pets. Local authorities, overwhelmed by the number of displaced animals, seek help from national organizations.

For example, in hurricanes like Helene:

• Wings of Rescue or Pilots N Paws might arrange flights to transport animals out of affected areas.
• Shelters in unaffected states, like those in the Midwest or Northeast, would receive the animals. These shelters would prepare for an influx by recruiting extra volunteers, organizing adoption events, and reaching out to the public.

Key Organizations Involved in Disaster Animal Rescue

• ASPCA: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is often one of the first organizations on the ground to help coordinate animal rescues.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): They provide direct response teams and coordinate the evacuation and relocation of animals.
• Wings of Rescue: A nonprofit organization that uses air transport to relocate animals from disaster zones.
• Best Friends Animal Society: They often play a leading role in disaster animal rescue and relocation efforts.
• Pilots N Paws: A volunteer organization that uses private pilots to transport animals.

Challenges in Transporting Animals

• Capacity: Shelters in disaster zones are often quickly overwhelmed, and coordinating the transfer of hundreds of animals is a logistical challenge.
• Health Risks: The stress of transport and the animals’ exposure to trauma can make them vulnerable to illness or behavioral issues.
• Resource Constraints: Coordinating large-scale evacuations requires funding, volunteers, vehicles, and space in shelters across the country, which can be difficult to secure quickly.
• Reuniting Pets with Owners: While some animals are transported for adoption, others may need to stay in the area to be reunited with their original families. Tracking and identifying pets during a chaotic event like a hurricane can be difficult.

Through this process, companion animals are given a second chance at life, and many are adopted into loving homes across the country, far from the disaster that originally displaced them.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

What would be a cat's reaction to changing owners?

The answer to the question in the title depends on the context. At one extreme, sometimes domestic cats voluntarily change owners albeit fairly rarely. They move out of their owner's home, jump over three or four fences and into the home of their new owner where they are well cared for. This might happen if the cat has got used to their owner's neighbour and prefers him or her. The desire to move may be reinforced by the fact that their current owner is not very good. The cat's reaction will be one of pleasure and contentment.

At the other extreme, a domestic at is abandoned to a shelter, suffers a lot of stress inside the shelter and then his adopted perhaps a month or two later into a new home where there are other cats and of course where the owner is a stranger. This will be very stressful all the way for this cat who has changed their owner. The change has been forced on them.

The default reaction by a domestic cat to a change in owner is anxiety because as we all know domestic cat get used to their owner and often domestic cats are fearful of strangers. But that response, too, depends on the cat's character. Some cats are confident and some cats are timid and some cats are in between. Confident cats tend to accept new owners far more easily than timid cats. And they might be the kind of cat who walks into a neighbour's home and learn to like it as does the neighbour!

RELATED: Cat Personality Types.

The picture below was made by AI. It shows a man gifting a cat to his girl. I did not ask the AI computer to do that! 💕🤔. It is still good though and the cat is changing owners! 💕😊

Domestic cats change owners all the time in the general world of cats. That's because there are millions of cats passing through animal shelters in for example America where many of them are rehomed. They have a new owner. Sometimes of the cats are very happy to have a new owner because they have been in a shelter for a long time.

Sometimes shelter management put a notice on the cat's cage to tell adopters that this cat needs to be in a quiet home with no other cats. That, too, would be the default scenario for a cat changing home. I mean the new home should ideally be quiet. The new owner should be very pleasant and loving and ideally should follow a routine and be at home a lot. Result? Happy cat after some initial anxieties perhaps.

As I said at the beginning it depends on the context and the circumstances. The default is anxiety and sometimes it is pure pleasure for a cat learning to live with a new owner. And even when their is anxiety, provided the new owner is good and a good cat caretaker, the cat will get used to their new caregiver quite quickly and all will be well until the end of the cat's life.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Werewolf cat looking for a new home March 2024

This is from the Warrington branch of Cats Protection. News media tells me that they have a Lykoi cat aka werewolf cat for adoption as their caregiver went into a residential care home. This is a very rare cat breed so I am sure someone will snap him/her up. They'd make a great TikTok star attraction 😎. I have checked their website without success. Perhaps they are preparing the cat for adoption.

Lykoi Cat: the “Wolf Cat”

Here is the story in summary as provided by Bing Copilot:

Here’s the latest update on the ‘werewolf’ cat:

Fern, an extremely rare Lykoi cat, is looking for a new home after her previous owner had to go into care. This breed, also known colloquially as ‘werewolf cats’, is believed to be one of only between 100 to 200 left in the world. Fern was taken to Cats Protection in Warrington, Cheshire¹.

The Lykoi is known for its distinctive appearance, being a hybrid between hairless and haired cats. Fern is described as a sweet cat who has come out of her shell while staying with a fosterer. She is looking for a quiet home without other pets or children, where she can receive the attention and calm environment she needs¹.

Fern had been treated for an ear infection which has since cleared up, and she also has a small cyst on her head that is not a concern according to the vet. The adoption centre is hopeful that Fern will find a loving companion who appreciates her unique qualities.

For those interested in adopting Fern or learning more about her, they can get in touch with Cats Protection in Warrington.

8 month old male Lykoi. This is not the cat in the story. Image credit: Wikipedia.

How can I adopt a cat from Cats Protection in Warrington?

To adopt a cat from Cats Protection in Warrington, you can follow these steps:

1. Visit the Website: Check out the Cats Protection Warrington Adoption Centre website to view cats available for adoption.
2. Choose a Cat: Select a cat you are interested in and read about their personality and needs.
3. Express Interest: Enquire via the cat’s listing on the website or contact the centre directly.
4. Visit the Centre: Arrange a visit to meet the cat at the centre located at 14 Elizabeth Drive, Padgate, Warrington WA1 4JQ.
5. Adoption Process: Discuss with the staff to ensure a good match and understand the cat’s history and health.
6. Home Visit: In some cases, a home visit might be arranged to ensure your home is suitable for the cat.
7. Complete the Adoption: If all goes well, you can complete the adoption process, which includes paying an adoption fee. The fee for adult cats is £85, and for kittens (8 weeks - 6 months), it’s £105.
8. Aftercare: The centre will provide aftercare advice and support as you welcome your new pet into your home.

For any general enquiries about your suitability or the adoption process, you can call the centre on 0300 012 0612 during their open hours: Monday to Sunday, 11:00 - 15:00.

It’s wonderful that you’re considering adopting a cat. Wishing you the best in finding a new furry companion! 🐾

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home will defy British law after December 31 and rehome American bully XL dogs

NEWS AND COMMENT - UK: On December 1, 2023, it will be a criminal offence to breed, sell, advertise, rehome, abandon American XL bully dogs or allow them to stray. Owners of American XL bully dogs will be required to keep them on a lead and muzzle at all times in a public place and the dog should be in a secure place when at home.

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. Photo: Architects Journal.

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and Blue Cross, both top animal charities, the former being perhaps the best-known animal charity in the world in terms of rehoming rescue animals both cats and dogs, have said that they will continue rehoming the breed despite the new rules. They plan to defy the criminal law which is extraordinary.

They disagree with the new law. And they are not the only people who do because the argument is this: the problems with American XL Bully dogs is not that they are a dangerous breed per se -although, as I recall, they are not a registered breed with a recognised kennel club. The problem is the people who are involved with breeding them and owning them. That's the problem area.

RELATED: American XL bully should be docile according to the co-founder of the breed. But owners are giving them steroids and making them aggressive to be attack dogs.

Secondly, the argument is that because each individual American XL bully dog is not registered in a kennel club studbook, the only way you can identify them is through their appearance, which is very dubious. It's very difficult because there are hybrids of this dog. They are crossed with other dog breeds and the argument is that it is almost impossible to identify with accuracy an American XL bully by appearance alone. It'll be a nightmare for the police.

American XL Bully. Image believed to be in the public domain.

I believe that that is the argument of these charities. Anna Wade, the public affairs manager at Blue Cross, said: "Any dog can be dangerous and by stigmatising one breed you are sending out the wrong message."

That point has been made before as well namely that a little cute French Bulldog can be dangerous and bite people under the right circumstances, background and experiences.

Blue Cross has estimated that about between 50,000 and hundred thousand dogs might be affected by the new rules.

Rishi Sunak, UK's Prime Minister, is determined to eradicate this "breed". As mentioned, it is not a formal breed as registered. He has described the dogs as a "danger to our communities" after an attack in Birmingham by a cross bred XL bully which injured two men and a girl aged 11.

We shall wait and see what happens because the question now is whether the authorities will prosecute these two charities which they will be able to do if the charities carry out their intentions. I don't think they will.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

AITA for giving away some of my girlfriend's rescue cats?

The man asks on Reddit.com whether he behaved badly (AITA) when he felt he was forced to rehome some rescue cats that his girlfriend had found. The title sort of indicates that he might have behaved badly but when you read the story carefully, he hasn't at all.

Reddit's AITA category for discussion.

His story

He works from home and he owns his home. His girlfriend of two years lives with him in his home. She also works from home. She does not pay rent.

She found a box of 6, 2-week-old abandoned kittens by the side of the road (that stuff happens which is appalling). She asked him whether she could bring them in to the home and he agreed even though he has a severe cat allergy. Although he asked whether she could take them to a shelter but she didn't want to do that and he relented.

Conditions he set

But he said he would allow them to come into his home on condition that she adopted them out at eight weeks of age. In the meantime, they should stay in the guest room/bathroom. And he agreed to look after them if he had to in an emergency otherwise the responsibility was his girlfriend's.

She breaks the agreement?

After four months they were still in the house and they needed fixing i.e. spaying and neutering and he did not want the expense. Also, they were now roaming around the house. His girlfriend tried to get him to clean the litter tray because she didn't feel like it, he said.

He said that his allergy to the cats was a real problem for him and that he had to constantly take precautions like wash clothes et cetera to minimise the allergic reaction.

Warned her of adopting them out

He told her three weeks before he adopted them out that he would do so. Eventually he posted them on Facebook offering them for adoption. She agreed to it.

A couple of people responded and met with him. She agreed with that as well. As a result, four of the cats were adopted out. She appears to have been out of the home at the time and when she returned, she "flipped her shit".

He was very surprised. He said that she was angry because he didn't let her say goodbye to them. He said that he gave her two months of goodbye time. He asked AITA?

3 kinds of animal shelter in the USA (according to Nathan Winograd)

I receive a newsletter from Nathan Winograd for which I am very grateful because he is an incredibly knowledgeable man about the animal rescue network in the US and he is, I believe, instrumental in instigating and driving forward the concept of no-kill animal shelters. His basic attitude is that with effort and imagination and with the right attitude managers of animal shelters in America can rehome all their animals except those that are genuinely unsuited for rehoming. And therefore, he has saved millions of lives.

RELATED: Only remaining cat at a shelter is finally adopted through a novel veterinary program.

Animal shelter. Image by Daga_Roszkowska from Pixabay 

So, what he says goes and he divides up animal shelters into these three categories and I will use his words verbatim for the sake of clarity and certainty:

1. 'Those that embrace the No Kill Equation achieving placement rates of 99%'. Comment: these shelters rehome almost 100% of the animals that are in their care. They are the ones he considers to be doing good work;
2. 'Those that routinely kill animals because they find killing easier than doing what is necessary to stop it'. Comment: this, I believe, is a strong hint at the fact that some managers of some shelters don't commit to rehoming the animals that pass through their organisation in using their imagination, commitment and good business practices. It is, he thinks, a form of laziness in this sector of the animal shelter operation;
3. 'Those that close the door to animals in need and tell people who find animals that if they don't want to ignore the animals, they have to take care of themselves'. Comment: I believe that this is a reference to some shelters who argue that in respect of feral cats it is best to leave them where they are even if they are semi-domesticated and can be rehomed or perhaps this attitude also relates to stray cats. They might argue that the stray, homeless domestic cats have learned to live outside of the human home and therefore because they have a limited amount of space at the shelter, they have decided that these cats should stay where they are but if their customers object to that process, they, themselves, can look after these homeless cats. That is my interpretation and if I am incorrect, please tell me in a comment.

There is nothing more than I can add because although I subscribe to his emails, I do not subscribe to his blog nor to his podcast where I will probably learn a bit more. I don't subscribe to his other outlets because I have enough on my plate already and I have enough subscriptions and associations with other websites which already make my life a little overcomplicated.

RELATED: The higher an animal shelter's live release rate the higher the rates of burnout in shelter staff?