Will you save more cats like Sweetie and Tinkerbell today?
Neither cat had an easy life before Barbara Taylor gave them a home. She found a kind but scruffy cat in 2007 as she was leaving church. When no one claimed him, she named him Sweetie. A year later, a friend’s grandson found a skittish cat who seemed to be sick. Barbara stepped in to help again and adopted the cat, naming her Tinkerbell.
Barbara faithfully cared for both cats, nursing Tinkerbell back to health and giving Sweetie medical treatment after he was diagnosed with diabetes. In return, Tinkerbell and Sweetie were devoted to her.
When Barbara’s health began to fail, she entered an assisted living facility with her cats. The bonded pair was always at Barbara’s side, providing love and faithful companionship in her final days. Unfortunately, she passed away, leaving Sweetie and Tinkerbell without a family. They urgently needed somewhere to go. Without you, they would’ve had no one.
But donors make it possible for OHS to take in pets at a moment’s notice.
Luckily, Barbara had diligently prepared for the future. A supporter of OHS for many years, she’d decided to enroll Sweetie and Tinkerbell in the donor-funded Friends Forever® program.
This meant that OHS would take in and care for her pets after she passed until they were ready to be adopted again. Within hours of her passing, OHS was notified, picked up the bonded pair of cats and brought them to the shelter.
Donors saved Sweetie and Tinkerbell’s lives.
Sweetie, age 17, and Tinkerbell, age 10, were given time to adjust when they arrived at OHS. They had lost their person and now they were in a new, strange place. But staff and volunteers gave them the loving care they needed. Sweetie also received medical care to stabilize his diabetes. Once they were ready, they were placed up for adoption.
Without donor support, cats like Sweetie and Tinkerbell wouldn’t be able to get the specialized care and attention they need.
A couple, who already had two senior cats adopted from OHS, saw a video of Sweetie and Tinkerbell on the OHS website. They had a diabetic cat at home and felt taking in another would be manageable and rewarding.
They took the two cats to their new home in June, and the whole family has been healthy and happy.
Every OHS story is about a community coming together to make extraordinary acts possible. Sweetie and Tinkerbell’s new beginning was made possible by a thoughtful and considerate owner, caring staff and volunteers, compassionate adopters, and, most of all, generous donors. This life-saving work can’t be done alone, and we need you.
Show your commitment to finding a happy home for every animal. Will you give today to save the lives of cats like Sweetie and Tinkerbell?
