Scratching post: Helping the Humane Society

It had my dander up, that’s for sure.

I had heard through the rumor mill that one of the expensive auction items at the Intermountain Humane Society’s silent auction on Saturday went missing. Turns out, it was an “honest” mistake, and that’s fine, but while I was fuming, I chewed on why shelters such as IMHS are important.

Over the years, I’ve become a cat magnet; strays find me. I've rescued them from awful situations: kittens locked away from their mother inside a dank basement cabinet, a broken cat from the middle of a busy road, a tied-up cat about to be shot and an entire litter of five, half dead kittens roasting in the hot summer sun. Occasionally, they get to stay with me in a forever home. Simon, Buster, Pretty, Boyfriend and Mean Kitty all found homes with me and no, I’m not a cat-lady, there aren’t dozens of cats swarming around food bowls, napping in the bathroom sink or using the couch as a litter box. At my house, today there are just the twin terrors: big, dumb Jack and furry, snotty Nina.

Shelters are important, because without them, I would have a house full of cats, including almost all the 25 cats I found while working as a meter reader for Public Service. In that list, I would have to include Dusty, who came across my path just recently.

A few months ago, I could hear the tiny meow of a lost kitten outside in the pitch darkness of my mountain home. I went outside, searching and listening. Nothing. Early the next morning, I had just glanced out the window and saw a handful of a dirty-white kitten creep along the gravel driveway and slink up into the engine compartment of the car. Peering into the network of cables, chunky metal and hoses was the auto-ostrich and with much work, he surrendered his engine perch. Hungry and tired, the kitten devoured a tiny bit of Fancy Feast Classic Tender Beef, and soon he snuggled into a worn towel and fell asleep. With dumb Jack and snotty Nina in residence, a third cat was a no-go. Enter IMHS.

I called IMHS and they were eager to meet the kitten rescued from certain death in the car’s engine. Near as we can tell, he made a trip once already, most likely from the feed store two miles away. They took him in, ran the appropriate tests and pronounced him dirty, but healthy. They did all this without charge. I dropped a $10 bill in the donation jar.

Over the next few months, I would drop in and check on Dusty’s progress. He went from abandoned to adopted through a pet fair at a Denver area Petsmart, chosen by a young man, whose name was also Dusty. Kismet.

My daughter who works at the Crestline Petsmart said the IMHS animals are well cared for, calmer and easier to adopt out. The staff is kind and friendly. I personally see them working hard, long past regular business hours, offering their time, energy, money and their hearts. They are great people with a great mission.

The point of all of this is without organizations such as IMHS, homeless cats and dogs would be left out in the cold and elements, subject to the merciless whims of the cruel, and without a chance at love. If you have some spare change or can afford an extra bag or two of pet food, drop it off at the shelter in Pine Junction. Donate often and generously and get to know the furry souls in the cages and dog runs at the shelter. See if you can resist caring about the soulful eyes or playful paws that reach out through the bars of a cage.

I’m glad it was a misunderstanding, that someone didn’t take the $100 gift basket destined for sale and the proceeds to benefit IMHS. However, if it had been true, I believe Mean Kitty would have known how to deal the problem: scratch their eyes out.