A Safe Haven for Pets

In February 2016, my sister had put garbage cans to the curb and when she turned around there were 3 cats where none were before. After half an hour of watching the antics of these furry balls of cuteness I went to bed not giving them much thought because a stray cat on my property is not unusual.

It was quite a surprise when I went to get the morning paper the next day and discovered that the cats were still there. Since there was a wet snow falling I put out underneath our overhang a box with an old blanket. When I came home from work I saw that my sister had put out a bowl of food, next to which I placed a bowl of water.

Now what? We had three cats already and were not looking to increase our household. I posted a few pictures on my Facebook page advertising that these cats needed a home. I got a few likes, and someone commented that they loved the feather duster tails the Maine coons have, but no offers of adoption.

I then spent the next two and half weeks calling and emailing dozens of cat rescue organizations both large and small, famous and ones I never heard of, and our own Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter. Not one would take the cats. The only promise of help I got was from a well-known organization that said I would be put on a waiting list and when a space opened I would get a call. Three and half years later I’m still waiting.

We decided to accept the inevitable and adopt the cats. We took them to our vet who diagnosed them as having been abandoned by their humans because they were too friendly to be feral.

I’ve seen videos on social media where people are caught on camera abandoning their pets and I’ve read the comments about how heartless these people are. My own experience has made me more forgiving. Are there people out there who would abandon their pets without good cause? Yes.

But what happens if you must rehome a pet? Maybe you lost a job, maybe you’re about to be forced from your home, maybe you’re relocating, maybe someone is allergic, maybe you must rehome a recently deceased parent’s pet? You did what I did, spent weeks looking for help and received none from the very same organizations dedicated to helping pets find homes. If you are in a desperate situation there is no solution except abandonment with the hope that some kind-hearted soul will give your pet a home.

In trying to solve this problem, I would like to gather together the pet rescue agencies operating in Nassau County as well as interested veterinarians, animal hospitals and pet stores and see how they all can pool resources and work together to make sure every pet is a wanted pet.

I would start the discussion by saying what is needed is a safe haven system like what is available for women who feel they can not take care of their babies. These safe havens for pets can be a rescue organization, a veterinary office, animal hospital, large box pet store. Modeled on the Safe Haven for Babies Law, a pet owner might be asked to answer questions about the pet’s health and if the agency you are delivering the pet too is certain the pet has not been abused then the pet owner can leave, no questions asked, knowing that their pet will be taken care of.

In addition, I envision a website where you can enter onto a form the type of animal you are looking to rehouse and up would come a list of organizations that are currently accepting that type of animal—think a reverse PetFinder. There would also be a list of pets that are in the safe haven program ready to be adopted.

I would also include on the website a list of food pantries that offer pet food and supplies so no pet is homeless because the owner can’t afford to feed it and organizations that offer low cost spay and neutering services. Perhaps there are veterinaries who might be willing to offer some free medical services to low income people? Maybe a volunteer corps can be started that will visit elderly people in their home and help them take care of their pets?

Many of the pet rescue agencies already have fund raising in place. I would think big box animal stores and the large pet food manufactures would be interested in being a sponsor of such a program.