v
Sometimes, disease is the least of
their worries when it comes to saving
cats. Phoenix’s story is just one of the
heartbreaking stories that Orphan Angels
sees all too often.
Phoenix came to the shelter half frozen,
blind and very sick. After several weeks
of foster care and the cat not seeming to
recover, doctors discovered that Phoenix
had a liver shunt, a condition where blood
is diverted away from the liver, leading to
a buildup of toxins in the body. To keep
Phoenix alive, he needs a regimen of four
medications a month and a special diet, all
of which is extremely expensive. Orphan
Angels founded “The Phoenix Fund” to
help keep Phoenix’s needs met.
While Phoenix’s story is more extreme
than most, most times, once cats are in
Orphan Angels’ care, they’re in the lap of
luxury, waiting until they find their forever
home.
“They do their thing until they make a
bond with a potential adopter,” Bayer said.
“Adopters are asked a series of questions.
If they rent, we talk to their landlords
to make sure cats are welcome in the
building. Once everything is good to go,
each cat is delivered to the home by staff or
volunteers.”
The adoption fee of $70 covers all
vaccinations, a subcutaneous microchip
and spaying/neutering of the cat.
Efforts to get the cats into loving homes
are nonstop, with Bayer making the
“We’d love to have some
experienced grant writers
on board as volunteers, but
we’re also appreciative of any
volunteer that’s willing to
help us out
in any way.”
rounds on local radio stations, helping to
organize adoption events and fundraisers,
and by keeping the shelter’s social
media Facebook and Twitter streams
current with new arrivals and successful
adoptions.
Despite all the effort and hard work
the volunteers put into the organization,
there’s always a need for more volunteers,
Bayer said, especially people who have
grant writing experience.
“We’d love to have some experienced
grant writers on board as volunteers,” she
said. “But we’re also appreciative of any
volunteer that’s willing to help us out in
any way.”
Some of those ways may be simply
donating items to the shelter that are in
constant need, like scoopable cat litter.
The shelter also accepts canned cat food
donations of Friskies or Fancy Feast cat
foods. The shelter also accepts donations
for its rummage sale, which helps raise
funds for the cats.
For more information on Orphan
Angels, including a listing of all the
cats available for adoption, please go to
orphanangels.org online. For the most
recent events supporting the shelter, go
to the Facebook page: Facebook.com/
Orphanangels. ■
West County | Summer 2014 | icmags.com 25