Partner Profile:
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| They are left in empty houses, tossed from cars, poisoned, shot at,
tormented for fun and more, so when Ruth Wessels, who founded Alley Cat Rescue four years
ago, wishes for more money, time and room, she is thinking only about cats and kittens. At
present there are 140 strays and ferals in residence while thousands more haunt backyards,
malls, restaurants; any place people will feed them or food can be foraged. People call when they find or hear of a cat in trouble or an endangered feral colony. While Wessels prefers not to take cats given up by their owners, she does accept pets from people about to enter nursing homes. At another part of the organization in Manatee, Audrey Garrison keeps 150 mostly feral cats herself and advises people who are willing to sustain feral colonies. At Wessels no-kill, non-profit facility, tucked away at Sandy Lane Kennels off Cattlemen Road, mixed breeds and some purebreds live, seemingly quite content, in a variety of tidy indoor/outdoor structures. Cats stroll freely about one large area or nap in comfortable cages, many with exterior runs. Others occupy cat condos that resemble airy telephone booths complete with layered shelves and screen doors. One unusual tortoise shell tabby likes to sit in a sink and plays happily with the running water whenever the faucet is turned on. Alley Cat Rescue is financed by adoptions, donations and from the family's own resources. Veterinary care depletes most of the funds while the remainder is soon spent on quality food, litter and materials for necessary repairs. There is no permanent, paid staff. Wessels, her daughter Laurie, four fulltime and some part-time volunteers manage the entire cattery by themselves, often working while cuddling at least one cat or kitten. Wessels' husband and son are also constant, willing helpers. Alley Cat Rescue is not a family business but it certainly is a family commitment. Persons able to provide loving, responsible homes for the animals complete a pre-adoption questionnaire and sign a legal contract. The contract insures the new owner adheres to promises such as always keeping the cat indoors. Testing, vaccines and spaying/neutering are included in the $60.00 adoption fee. Alley Cat Rescue participates monthly in PetSmart' adoption days at the Landings in Sarasota. Pictures and histories of the cats can be viewed at Petfinder.com, the national internet directory of homeless animals. Or see the enchanting felines during visiting hours or by appointment at Alley Cat Rescue. |
How you can
help.
Alley Cat Rescue Ruth Wessels
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