As Real Estate professionals, we possess an array of skills and qualities that can be applied in other parts of our lives. The one thing that I know I'm really very good at is "strategizing" and marketing...selling homes and making sure transactions close is my thing. Anyone who follows my blogs also knows that I'm an animal lover, and I've chosen animal rights as my cause.
I volunteer at the Broward Animal Care and Adoption Center - Shelter, where I focus mainly on helping cats find forever homes. I spend time holding the cats, brushing them, taking photos of them, socializing them, and getting to know their personalities. Spending time with the cats allows me to match their personalities to the humans who come in to adopt them. I use my marketing skills to hopefully help enrich the human's life with a new pet, and to help the cats avoid an unfavorable fate. Volunteering not only allows me to take some time away from the stress of work, but it also fulfills me on a on a higher level. So I encourage everyone to try to find a cause to take up (if you haven't already), not only for the greater good, but for yourself.
That is me, holding and socialing Oscar who was up for adoption during one of my volunteer visits.
Now, spending all that time with the cats at the shelter has also had the added side effect of me wanting to take home every single cat that doesn’t get adopted. I have noticed, not surprisingly, that cats with disabilities are usually left behind… so I made up my mind that the next cat that would be joining our family would have to be a disabled cat. I had focused on adopting a blind cat, and I set out on working on my husband’s resistance to take home another cat. Such a huge percentage of cats are put down in shelters before they are even given an opportunity to be adopted, so disabled cats face a dire future once they’re taken off the street or are surrendered. My husband, being the animal lover and tender heart that I know he is, didn’t need that much convincing once I came across our newest addition.
This is Roo's intake photo and info sheet
I first saw Roo on a Facebook post, made by a shelter volunteer, before I was able to visit the shelter for the week. Roo was a stray that was brought into the shelter. His two front legs are deformed, so he looks like a little cat-kangaroo.
Roo, hanging out on his cage waiting for his second chance
Roo's sweet disposition made the shelter staff fall in love with him, and as a result, he was given a chance to be adopted. From the minute I saw his picture, I was in love.
The Amazing Shelter Staff came by to say Good-Bye to Roo.
I visited Roo at the shelter, and quickly learned that this kitty has no idea that he’s any different from the rest of the cats. He just uses his legs and his tail to balance and get around.
Me, in love.
Roo came home with us the next day with a really bad upper respiratory infection. It was horrible watching him not eat or drink, and having to take him to the vet for shots. We lucked out with my husband being a licensed ICU nurse because the vet allowed us to give Roo IV fluids at home, and although I still had to hand feed him because his nose was still a bit stuffy, Roo is doing much better.
Needless to say, we are madly in love with Roo we are happy he is now healthy and able to meet his very curious brothers and sisters.
Roo, ejoying his new life.
You might already know that my County Commissioners recently voted, unanimously, on a resolution to make Broward County a NO-KILL County. I could not be happier. :)
If you live in Broward County or anywhere is South Florida, please come to the shelter and adopt an animal. Visit the Shelter's Facebook page to see the beautiful animals looking for a home:
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