Appalachian Feline Friends

07/27/2022

02/12/2022

**UPDATE BELOW**
‼️URGENT NEED FOR 1 or 2 TEMPORARY FOSTERS‼️ We must close off our housing facility temporarily since the utility bills drain our funds… but this means 2 of our most beloved cats require loving, safe, warm, RESPONSIBLE households… immediately. Are any of our friends who meet this criteria able to host until we can bring them back? Here is an example of what we’re confronting.
‼️Message us directly if you can apply for rapid eligibility to foster for us (WE’RE PICKY!)‼️ Socks and Wally have specific criteria but each of them are fully vaccinated.
If you can help with the bills instead, we appreciate that too. Unfortunately, it’s one of the sucky parts of managing an upstanding rescue. 😔

UPDATE: The immediate need for our utilities has been met, thanks to very generous friends! This provides options as we consider use of our facility during the remainder of cold weather, as well as for Socks and Wally. Thank you, thank you! Any donations we’re receiving from this post will also be used wisely. We appreciate you coming to OUR rescue.

02/12/2022

**UPDATE BELOW**
‼️URGENT NEED FOR 1 or 2 TEMPORARY FOSTERS‼️ We must close off our housing facility temporarily since the utility bills drain our funds… but this means 2 of our most beloved cats require loving, safe, warm, RESPONSIBLE households… immediately. Are any of our friends who meet this criteria able to host until we can bring them back? Here is an example of what we’re confronting.
‼️Message us directly if you can apply for rapid eligibility to foster for us (WE’RE PICKY!)‼️ Socks and Wally have specific criteria but each of them are fully vaccinated.
If you can help with the bills instead, we appreciate that too. Unfortunately, it’s one of the sucky parts of managing an upstanding rescue. 😔

UPDATE: The immediate need for our utilities has been met, thanks to very generous friends! This provides options as we consider use of our facility during the remainder of cold weather, as well as for Socks and Wally. Thank you, thank you! Any donations we’re receiving from this post will also be used wisely. We appreciate you coming to OUR rescue.

01/22/2022

Did you know selling or buying some items on eBay can generate a donation to AFF? What a pawsome way to partner with us! Here’s how to buy or sell on our behalf… and maybe clean out some closets at the same time. 🤜🏻🤛🏻

Through eBay for Charity you can support the causes that matter most - to you - by buying and selling on eBay. We help nonprofits like Appalachian Feline Friends connect to over 145 million eBay community members to raise money.

01/17/2022

☝🏻Start by spaying or neutering your pets. ✌🏻Support people like us to do what we do with such integrity and compassion.
Oh, to live a hundred years advocating on behalf of animals AND influencing others to do the same… well that’s a challenge worth accepting!
🤜🏻🤛🏻

Checks can be mailed to PO Box 101, Appalachia, VA 24216 and our direct PayPal Giving link is

https://www.paypal.me/AppFelineFriends?locale.x=en_US

01/17/2022

I’m so sorry for what I’m about to post, but I must vent.

Let’s set up the scenario… You see a post about an animal from a shelter or rescue that you don’t agree with.

😿 Perhaps they are returning a TNR kitten outside when you think they are young enough to be socialized and adopted out.
😿 Maybe they are warning of euthanasia and you think the animal deserves more time.
😿 Did you tag them in a comment about an animal needing help and they never answered?
😿 How about an injured animal they are announcing they may put down when you feel like the injury is not that severe?

All valid thoughts, right? Here’s the thing, instead of telling THEM what THEY should do from behind your keyboard, why don’t YOU help? ✅ If you don’t like the way something is being done, do it differently. 💞 Telling someone else how to run their own organization is not helping anything. 🚫 If you truly feel the organization is doing something inhumane, get someone with authority involved (but if that were the case, they probably wouldn't be posting about it in the first place. 🤔)

I see this “advice” posted all the time:
“Don’t give up on him/her.”

Shelters and rescues do not “give up”. They are the most not giving up people I’ve ever met in my life! 🙌 BUT, they are “big picture” people. They are forced to be. While people reading posts are considering only that ONE story, the shelter has many animals and situations they are dealing with Every. Single. Day. and a limited amount of funds, space, time, volunteers, etc to do it with. 😿 So before you condemn decisions that organizations are making, consider offering actual solutions.

Don’t want that kitten put back outside? Offer to put the time in to foster, socialize and rehome it. Don’t want that doggy put down? Offer to adopt it or foster it or pay the vet bill. And if you can’t do those things, why do you expect they can? Ohhh... because they are an “organization”? That only means they are helping a MULTITUDE of needy animals! Some days hard choices have to be made and it’s because no one has stepped up to help. ‼️ If you want to see a difference, BE the difference. ‼️

People who work in animal welfare typically don’t do it for the money. They don’t do it because they like to see animals suffer. They don’t do it for popularity. They do it for the love of animals. And their job is hard and they are so, so tired. Do not add to their stress by trying to manage their decisions from the comfort of your home.

01/11/2022

Well done, Spaniards. Well done.
(Spoiler alert... we've accepted the January 17th and will be asking you to join us!)

What a great start to 2022!!! 😍