With kitten season in full swing, one Tennessee shelter was in a serious situation. Their kennels were full, they were running out of food, and they didn’t have the resources to care for the huge influx of kittens the season brought with it. It was a heartbreaking decision, but 60 kittens were scheduled to be euthanized on Monday.
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Euthanizing the kittens would have freed up space and resources to better care for the remaining kitten population, but that’s not where this story ends. A staff member at the Tennessee shelter made a desperate phone call on Sunday to a home-based animal rescue in Connecticut called Kitten Associates. As founder of Kitten Associates, Robin Olsen works with a network of volunteers to save as many Connecticut cats as she can. Their focus is usually local, but Olsen refused to let 60 kittens slip through the gaps of the shelter system.
Without hesitating, Olsen used her connections to coordinate with other rescue groups. After a lot of phone calls, she successfully arranged for all 60 kittens to be transported to safe shelters. Instead of having only 12 hours to live, they now have the second chances they need to find forever families.
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Safe from death row, 13 of the original 60 kittens have made their way to Kitten Associates. They survived a system that sees 3-4 million homeless animals euthanized every year for the simple reason that there’s no way to care for them. Shelters are overburdened by unwanted and unexpected litters, and while these 60 kittens from Tennessee have a happy ending, there are thousands of others that don’t. Shelter overpopulation is especially serious in southern areas with warm climates and limited access to spay and neuter resources.
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The 13 kittens currently being fostered in Connecticut will stay with their new foster family as they continue to grow and learn, but it won’t be long until they’re ready for homes of their own. Help Kitten Associates reach their goal for Clear the Shelters Day on August 19 by adopting a kitten into your family. Contact them via Facebook or visit their website to learn more about this super hero group of kittens that narrowly survived death row.
Featured Image Source: Facebook/Kitten Associates