When Hurricane Irma hit Florida on September 10, the damage to communities and lives was hard to comprehend. And while efforts have been made to help so many in peril, there are those voiceless victims that you haven’t heard about, until now.
A cat rescue and sanctuary in Sebring, Florida, home to some 75 cats, was demolished by Irma. Many of the cats and kittens were killed in the storm, and most were dispersed and lost into the surrounding forest and neighborhood.
LoveCats Rescue has been operating in their community for 17 years, and they work in cooperation with numerous local authorities and organizations from the Humane Society to the Sheriff’s Office, the latter periodically bringing cats to LoveCats Rescue that have been recovered from situations such as animal abuse.
Trish Anderson, the founder and operator of LoveCats Rescue has set up a Go Fund Me in order to raise money to rebuild the shelter. Anderson says, “Hurricane Irma made a direct hit to Sebring, Florida, and has brought total devastation to us. We are LoveCats Rescue, a no kill shelter that has been in Sebring for 17 years, saving the lives of thousands of cats and kittens. There are no paid employees, we volunteers donate our time. Now our roof is missing and what is left is hanging dangerously ready to cave in. We have no power, no food, no water, our family of care givers and the cats are homeless. We need money to find a safe place for all of the cats and kittens from six weeks to 12 years old. The cats and kittens are terrified and need to be relocated. If anyone in the area can temporarily foster any of them until we can get the money to find a new home for the rescue, please contact us. Thank you for any help, and please pray for us.”
To date, the effort has received little to no exposure, and therefore they have only raised $400 of their modest $5,000 goal. Frankly, it will take a lot more help.
However, a heartbreak even more powerful than Irma hit just this week. Now, the need for donations has become even more critical.
Anderson explains, “A five month old kitten, named Angel, needs a leg amputated immediately, but we are out of money. They cost $500 per amputation. We are overwhelmed. So, Angel sits in a cage, awaiting amputation.”
“You have no idea how desperate we are. We only have days, we need help now.”
Help of all kind is needed: Donations from the public is the most critical need for vet care costs; local veterinarians willing to donate their services for surgeries; foster homes for cats and kittens still residing in the destroyed shelter with only a partial roof; volunteers to rebuild the facility. If you can help in any of these ways, please call Trish Anderson at LoveCats Rescue at 863-414-4076. To donate funds to LoveCats Rescue please visit the Go Fund Me link here.
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