Best Friends needs help

crossposted from another group:

crossposted from other group:

Anyway, I work for Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab,
Utah, and before coming here I did rescue work in Los Angeles for 10
years. I have a 14-yr-old FIV+ boy at home whom I rescued off the
streets last year. [He's doing great, by the way! : )] I definitely
have a soft spot for this misunderstood group!

Anyway, I'm posting because I know you guys likewise are very
understanding about FIV+ kitties - something many people are not -
and was hoping you could help spread the word about a situation we
have...

Best Friends went into New Orleans the day after the hurricane
struck and we still have a number of staff members down there
attempting to care for animals left homeless by the storm. We set up
a temporary facility in Tylertown, Mississippi, to house the many
dogs, cats, rabbits, and others (28 tarantulas!!) rescued out of
homes and off the streets. Thousands of animals made their way
through this facility and on to foster homes - or back to their
owners in some cases!!!

Among those animals who are still left there, however, are 26 FIV+
cats. No one has responded to our requests to adopt or foster these
guys - rescue groups took many, many kitties, but by and large did
not have room for these guys. Most of them are tame (a few are
feral), and there are plenty of those "big head boys" who are FIV
poster children.

Best Friends is committed to these cats, and our plan is to bring
them all back here to our sanctuary where we will continue to look
for loving homes for them.

But life in a multi-cat sanctuary environment is NOT a home.

There are some amazing cats in this group - and all of them deserve
more one-on-one than they will get living here (though we really,
really TRY to give them all the loving we can!).

If anyone you know would be interested in opening their hearts and
homes to an FIV kitty, please pass on this info. Just spreading the
word is help enough!! These guys lost their homes and their
families, and have been living in cages for months, shunned because
they have this "terrible disease."

Interesting, then, that they not only survived the hurricane and
going without food, but are downright fat and sassy!!!

Anyone who would like more info about these guys can contact me
directly at . Thanks for your time, and thanks
for continuing to support FIV kitties everywhere!

Hi, Karen,

I do belong to Best Friends and do believe in them, donate and some day may
even go out there to see them. I thought from reading their literature that
the FIV cats had an area of their own where they moved about freely, rather
than in cages. Perhaps with Katrina there are just too many of them.

--
Barb
Of course I don't look busy,
I did it right the first time.