WDM residents, leaders help save kitten's life

A community partnership literally saved the life of a critically injured kitten this winter.

On New Year’s Eve, the dedicated officers of West Des Moines Animal Control were called to help a severely wounded kitten. The cat appeared to be feral, and the skin of her jaw had been torn loose.

Those officers recognized that she needed immediate medical attention, so they reached out to local no-kill shelter Furry Friends Refuge. Furry Friends has a longstanding agreement with animal control in the Westpet jurisdiction — West Des Moines, Clive, and Urbandale — to take in animals with urgent medical issues, at any time, in addition to unclaimed strays.

Because the organization has never failed to deliver on that promise, animal control trusted that even on a holiday evening, it would answer the call. And it did: That night, shelter staff took the kitten in and kept her comfortable with pain medication and antibiotics until she could undergo surgery.

Over the next few days, as the cat (then known as Trinity) recovered, she began to warm up to those caring for her. It took just a few weeks for the cat, who had appeared feral at first glance, to become sociable enough to be placed for adoption.

The West Des Moines family who adopted her in early February says she has made a full recovery and very quickly became part of their family.

“She always wants to be right next to us wherever we go in the house and is constantly purring,” reports her owner, who renamed the cat Stitch in honor of the tremendous hardship she has overcome.

In a community not served by Westpet, Stitch might not have been so lucky. She might have been held as a stray for just a few days, then euthanized if she wasn't reclaimed by her owner. The citizens of West Des Moines, Clive, and Urbandale, however, recognize how important it is to offer treatable animals a second chance.

Their support for the Westpet-Furry Friends partnership means that since 2013, countless animals like Stitch have received the care they need, as soon as they need it and for as long as they need it. It has allowed animal control officers to focus on field duties, rather than animal care and adoptions, and thus drastically reduced euthanasia rates in the Westpet cities.

“West Des Moines residents and government have made it possible for us to provide a safe space for all pets in need in their community, whether they’re an injured stray or an animal whose owner can no longer care for them,” said Britt Gagne, executive director of Furry Friends. “For that, we — and the animals — are truly grateful.”

***

Furry Friends Refuge is a nonprofit humane organization serving the animals of central Iowa. The volunteer-supported group has built and maintained no-kill communities — meaning a live-release rate of well over 90 percent — in West Des Moines, Urbandale, and Clive for the past three years. It cares for 200 to 250 animals on an average day on a shoestring budget.