News Archive
50 shelter cats find homes and companions through partnership
6/23/2009
Once again the Indiana Department of Correction – Pendleton CIF is stepping up to help homeless pets in Madison County. On June 22nd over fifty cats from Anderson Animal Care and Control will be going to live at Pendleton CIF.
The cats will be housed on the prison grounds where they will cared for by prison offenders chosen to be in this program. This partnership between Anderson Animal Care and Control and Pendleton CIF is a win-win for both. The program is literally saving the lives of these cats which have ended up at Animal Care and Control for one reason or another. The cats will be cared for and socialized by the offenders. One of the great positives for the cats is that they will receive much more attention/socialization at prison than they do at Animal Care and Control. This human contact will help alleviate the depression and stress which many of the cats experience when put in cages which can lower their immune systems and lead to illnesses which can prove fatal even with the best of care.
This is a win for the offenders in that they will receive unconditional love from their feline friends and it provides the offenders an opportunity to give back to society and become part of the solution for homeless animals. The offenders are assuming the responsibility for these animals that the people on the outside so carelessly abdicated.
The cats which go to prison are eligible for public adoption as are all animals at Animal Care and Control and you will be able to see their pictures on petfinder.com and at Animal Care and Control.
This program will help save these cats and allow them humane care which will allow them to be adopted to loving homes. Housing the cats at Pendleton CIF will also lesson the horrendous work load the Animal Care and Control staff experiences on a daily basis. People are bringing kittens and cats to Animal Care and Control by the basket full – literally. In one day Animal Care and Control took in 44 animals, most of which were kittens. People can prevent this problem by getting their cats spayed/neutered or keeping them inside their homes.
This program will provide better care for the cats, will lower euthanasia rates and is expected to raise the number of adoptions for our felines. The offenders will experience the gift of caring for and assuming responsibility for another living creature. They will also experience the calming effects of being around animals and the gift of unconditional love.
If you would like to donate to this program here’s what we need:
- Clay cat litter
- Cat food
- Cat toys
- Adopt one of our beautiful cats
- Monthly monetary donations to help fund this program.
Don’t forget the FIDO shelter dog prison program. These dogs come from Animal Care and Control and are being socialized and obedience trained by the inmates to prepare them for adoption. Go to: petfiner.com under Anderson shelters – animal protection league – maleahstringer@aol.com or 765-278-9435.