‘We knew that they have been sick and that something might occur, and sadly that is the place we’re at. We did one of the best we might and that’s all we might do,’ says volunteer
It’s been simply over a month and a half since workers at Aldergrove Animal Clinic in south-end Barrie got here to work to search out 26 ragdoll cats deserted in cardboard containers on the entrance porch. Despite one of the best efforts of everybody concerned, 13 of these kittens have since died.
In a Facebook submit yesterday, Furry Friends Animal Shelter, an area non-profit and no-kill organization, initially confirmed the deaths.
“Our hearts have been relentlessly tugged between elation over small victories, and sorrow over large losses,” the submit reads. “We have needed to watch as, regardless of the countless efforts of our unimaginable vets and foster households, extra of those excellent cotton ball angels have succumbed to the neglect that they suffered by the hands of the people who failed them earlier than they met us.”
Being a no-kill shelter, that sort of a loss is having a big effect on the volunteers, mentioned Nicole Swyers, the volunteer feline co-ordinator for the Hart Drive animal shelter.
“I think it’s the biggest loss we’ve had, certainly in a long time,” she mentioned, confirming that because the shelter took the kittens on the finish of July, greater than a dozen have since succumbed to sickness.
Swyers mentioned it is nonetheless unknown what sicknesses the kittens suffered from, including it may very well be something from parvovirus or feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which is generally undetectable and untreatable.
“It’s been really tough. The fosters have been bottle-feeding some of them, so (they’re) up every two hours. They go up in another two hours and find that one of them has passed. It’s been mentally and emotionally exhausting. It hasn’t been easy,” she mentioned.
While volunteers have been hoping for one of the best consequence for all the kittens, Swyers acknowledged they knew it was doable that not all of them would survive.
“We knew that they have been sick and that something might occur, and sadly that is the place we’re at. We did one of the best we might and that’s all we might do,” she mentioned.
Virginia Cornell, who owns and operates the south-end Barrie veterinary clinic, mentioned in July that, after assessing the animals, solely 4 of the 26 have been totally wholesome, whereas the remaining 22 all had medical issues of some type.
Swyers needed to thank the volunteers and all the individuals who have helped — each by means of donations and by fostering the deserted animals.
“We are in fixed contact with the fosters,” she mentioned. “We are hoping we’re by means of the worst now and that the remainder are going to be getting stronger and to the purpose the place they’ll flourish and get higher.
“Everyone did one of the best they might, from the vets to the volunteers. All we are able to do is to maintain going for those which might be nonetheless alive.”
One of the grownup cats not too long ago gave beginning to 5 kittens, Swyers added, noting shelter volunteers are monitoring these new child kittens very intently.
“If (the) mom has something, she would pass it along to the kittens. It’s a day-by-day thing right now. But that was one kind of happy thing I guess … and they are all, so far, healthy.”
