It Takes A Village to Care for Abandoned Animals...Don’t Look Away!

by Sylvia Bagdonas

She said it was one of those usual monotonous trips in the “outback” of Wyoming during winter when our minds often drift off and we don’t pay much attention to our surroundings. But then it was a movement of white in the distance along the road that caught her attention. She noticed the hawks flying overhead. Curiosity made her stop to take a closer look. Then she saw the cat laying there nearly frozen and with obvious injuries. What a lucky break for this abandoned cat! Someone actually stopped to help. 

Lewis, recovering

Thanks to this young woman who brought the cat to town, Betsy at There Is No Place Like Home Animal Rescue took in ‘Lewis the Cat’ (named for the road Lewis was found on) and immediately rushed him to the Animal Medical Center of Wyoming for emergency treatment. The damage was extensive. Frostbitten ears and paws. A huge cut on the tail that required amputation of the tail. Extensive nerve damage. Infected eyes with eyelashes growing into his eyes, requiring surgery. And it was discovered that his voice box was damaged. Obviously, Lewis was at the “end of the road” when a passerby decided to stop and check out the little white patch that drew so much attention from the raptors above. 

Tracy, a volunteer foster mom with the rescue, took over treatment after Lewis was released from the veterinary hospital. For over 40 days Lewis was in recovery with Tracy, hanging on with extensive pain and a chronic upper respiratory infection. His frozen ears fell off and salve had to be applied to his frostbitten paws constantly. Lewis lost a toe. He was kept on a regiment of medication which Lewis took without complaint. Tracy believes he understood the relief from pain came from the medication. 

Finally, it was time for Lewis to go to a forever home. With the local news coverage about this unique rescue there were many offers to adopt Lewis. RaNae and her husband had heard about Lewis through the Facebook page and immediately wanted to visit, then adopt him. It was mutual affection at first sight and Tracy decided it was time to let go of her patient. 

Lewis, lounging

As an experienced foster mom for cats, Tracy knows the difficulty and impact of letting go after taking care of an injured cat patient for an extended period of time. It is called foster grief. Letting go of a friend is stressful. Tracy is disabled herself and understands the challenges of caring for “hard to deal with” cats. Growing up with cats in her family she has developed skills to handle feral, special needs, or sick cats. Her motto is that they deserve a second chance. 

Five months later RaNae continues the treatment in Lewis’s recovery program. He has thrived in his forever home and is an extremely lovable pet. Lewis is described by his new owners as “the coolest cat ever”. Recovery treatment continues and still months later Lewis can barely croak. His ears, paws, and tail are healing. The vet suggested that the tail injuries are typical of being caught in a trap or barbed wire fence. Fortunately, the medical bills have been partially covered by generous community donations. 

Love your cute little ears!

There Is No Place Like Home Animal Rescue has been in operation for about 7 years. Betsy is involved with Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), trying to reduce the feral and stray cat populations in her area. Her services also include caring for cats temporarily when people have been ill and in long-term recovery. Before adopting cats out Betsy tries to conduct home visits if possible. This practice often eliminates an animal being returned to the rescue, or worse, being dumped – although her policy is also to take back animals that do not fit into the new home. According to these three veterans in animal care, during the notorious boom & bust cycles that Wyoming is known for, local shelters and rescues feel the impact when workers abandon an area and move on to the next boom town. Unfortunately, abandoning animals during such a mass exodus is not unusual. That is why Betsy first started taking in animals. She’s almost given up several times due to the overwhelming physical demand and financial cost. Without foster homes, donations, and caring veterinarians, it would be impossible to maintain rescue services. Facebook fundraisers, garage sales, and monthly donations help to keep the service going. 

So Why Do People Abandon Animals in Wyoming? 

The animal control agencies and shelters in Wyoming are generally full of animals. It is a crime in Wyoming to abandon an animal but rarely are pet owners charged with pet cruelty. Usually, they are anonymous, or if not, no one tracks them down to enforce the law. With animal control and shelters available to take in pets when people can no longer keep them, Betsy, Tracy and RaNae explored the reasons for so much pet abandonment in Wyoming. Of course, lack of public awareness about the policies in their local animal control agencies is a big obstacle. People recall the early morning cartoons of the dog catcher taking a dog to the pound and killing it. A high-kill shelter can discourage pet owners from dropping off their animals. They want to believe that the animal has a better chance of surviving on their own or that she will find a new home.

Now, how’s that for an adorable fuzzy bum!

In addition, the animal shelter location or hours are not always accessible as people depart in haste after losing their jobs or they cannot afford the fee if it is required for a drop off. During the pandemic many agencies require appointments to enter a city or county shelter which was inconvenient. Sometimes it is the embarrassment of admitting defeat or the reluctance to acknowledge sudden poverty that keeps them from entering the local shelter. Community emergency plans frequently do not include issues related to pets. Sometimes, unrealistic expectations in adopting a young pet can create such frustration that the pet is no longer welcome. Loss of jobs, family illness, change in rental policies, divorce, or the birth of a new baby can prompt pet owners to abandon their pets on an isolated road rather than take them to a local shelter. Regardless of the reasons, Betsy knows from experience that when the Wyoming bust cycle approaches it is time to rally the foster homes and to make room for abandoned animals at her rescue. Hopefully as more shelters adopt a ‘No-Kill’ policy and utilize foster homes and rescues, the negative opinions about the “dog pound” will change.  And as people become better educated about animals as pets, the hope is that fewer will be abandoned or returned, or not adopted until the family is good and ready to adopt for life. 

Lewis the Cat

Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. But it does take a village. This team of amazing people, each playing their part, brought Lewis back from the brink and changed the lives of not only this kitty but everyone along his path to recovery and ultimately to the lucky adoptive family. 

Don’t Look Away! An animal’s life may depend on it.