Ark Animal Sanctuary

13 years ago

by Lorraine Monfils
    In last month’s article, if you recall, we had an overload of kittens. Since then we have taken in a little, black kitten about four weeks old, found going around in circles in the middle of the road. Perhaps the reason she was going around in circles was because she was trying to run from the fleas that were biting her little body. I have never seen so many fleas on a 12 oz. kitten. Since she arrived on a Tuesday, we decided to name her Tuesday. She is a little, black ball of fluff looking for a new home.
    We received a phone call that someone had dropped off a cat that appeared to be very pregnant, in someone’s yard. Reina arrived at the Ark at 5:30 on a Wednesday. At 5:45, she went into labor and delivered four baby kittens.
Contributed photo
BS-Ark-dcx-pt-36NEW ARRIVAL — Tuesday, a 4-week-old black kitten is one of the newest arrivals at the Ark Animal Sanctuary.

    Clara Bell, a long-haired, torti kitten, was brought in infested with fleas and a severe eye injury. The fleas are gone and her eye is being treated. We are currently housing 32 kittens in foster care.
    Update on Elvis. He has improved greatly and loves his new foster mom, Courtney, who has been taking wonderful care of him. Sonny, Cher and Reba are doing well, although we almost lost Sonny twice. He has made a few trips to the vet but is well on the road to recovery. Reba is still a concern. While her brother and sister both weigh well over one pound, Reba only weighs 12 oz. This is very tiny for an eight-week old kitten. The good news is in the last week she has gained four ounces.
    All of the things we do would not be possible without our dedicated volunteers. They are always only a phone call away when we need them and without hesitation, they are always willing to help. Chelsea is always there when kittens need to be bottle-fed or they need sterile eyewashes. She cleans litter boxes, does laundry and shows up at most all of our fundraisers.
    Karen is always only a phone call away when we need to make a vet run. I think she could get our babies to the vet with her eyes closed. She is truly a lifesaver.
    Courtney is a godsend. She does everything from medicating to cleaning to fostering sick kittens, sitting up all night with them when they are too sick to eat on their own or they need to be hydrated.
    Aunt Margie is my moral support. She doesn’t know the word no. She always says whatever I need her to do just ask and she will do it.
    Veronica and Krystal are always busy coming up with new ways to raise money and their creativity, hard work and enthusiasm make me proud to be a part of the Ark.
    Darlene is always there to update and manage our website as well as our Facebook page. Our website is an invaluable tool for us.
    Holly – all I have to do is say I need food made or help with a fundraiser and she is there with a smile on her face.
    My husband, Bobby is a true saint. Every time I ask him to do something, such as hook the stove up so we can cook outside on the sidewalk, he just laughs and does it. He helps me bottle-feed or medicate the kittens so I can get some sleep. He buries the ones that don’t survive in a special place up at the land and gives them a final farewell. He cries with me when we lose one, but most importantly, he shares my dream of what the Ark Animal Sanctuary will be in the future.
    All of these volunteers make the Ark a wonderful success story. Their only reward is the self-satisfaction that they are making a difference in the lives of so many animals. They are truly amazing and an inspiration to me and so many others. For all that they do, somehow thank you does not seem enough. You make me more than proud!
    In August the Ark took in $1,976 in donations and fundraisers and our expenses were $1,387.64.
    For the month of August, we took in seven cats and kittens and one dog. We adopted one dog and we currently have four dogs for adoption. We adopted eight cats and lost two kittens to natural causes. We currently have 58 cats and kittens for adoption.
    Please join us on Sept. 14 for another evening at the Horn of Plenty. Strut your Mutt is on Sept. 17. We hope to see you there. For more information and registration forms, contact or stop by the Hollywood Pet Salon. On Sept. 24, we will be doing pulled port and nachos outside the Hollywood Pet Salon. On Oct. 1, we will have a bake sale outside Hollywood Pet Salon.
    Thank you so much for your continued support and thank you for reading our column.