11/15/2025
Defeated
This week (yes, it's Tuesday, buckle up it's going to be a long week)
I have heard a lot this week about people bringing animals to our area because we are better off than they are. They are drowning. I'm not talking Yakima, they are drowning. I'm talking CA, TX, and other foreign places.
I have always wanted to go and visit these spots. I'm curious. I may one day. So I can walk their view point. I honestly have no opinion here. Those that do it and it's the only way they rescue yes, be mad at those rescues. The rescues picking up dogs and cats, getting vet care for cheap and coming up here and making a hefty profit. But those rescues that do it once or twice a year, you can't be mad at. Something tugged at their achy break heart and they couldn't say no. I've said yes a handful of times.
I know I only see our view point. But let's be honest our view point sucks. The s**t I saw yesterday alone would shock you to your core.
I'm seeing animals suffering, I'm seeing cat colonies of twenty, thirty, forty, up to eighty cats all going unfixed. Trailer parks drowning in cats. People don't want to give them up because they love them, but can't afford to fix them, or feed them. So they run a mock unfixed. Breeding like crazy. To me this is suffering.
This kitten is one of a sea of many. Two siblings left outside. This baby arrived cold and has stopped eating. My foster has done everything she could, but now I take over. She is so cold, she is boney, but she is loved and now we fight for her. Hope it's not to late for the siblings. But it's so cold outside, no real food source and it sounds like they are being beaten on by other cats.
My phone blows up daily with the offer of Twenty, thirty, and forty kittens per day. I'm not drowning in fosters and I'm not drowning in spay and neuter spots. Adoptions have slowed way down. I'm not looking for new fosters right now. We don't just hand fosters kittens and wish them luck. We have a process, we put on a class, you get a foster box. There is a whole support system. Maybe this spring, but again maybe not. If I'm struggling to get spay and neuter I can't bring in kittens to have fosters hold for months on my end. Fosters need a pinpoint person. That is me and another person. When my plate is full I can't take on anymore fosters right now.
It feels like it's getting worse and worse. Not enough people care, not enough help, resources.
Our dogs are literally sitting and yes, it's my fault I'm not posting them often. But I can't remember the last time I sat down. But let's be honest no one wants a big dog, over 60 plus pounds with anxiety.
Today was prepping for tomorrows spay run. Twenty cats lives change tomorrow. But it's not just load the cats and go. I have 928373 bottle babies that will be tagging along. It's baby girl I need to try to keep warm. It's our new fragile kitten who isn't eating. They all need stuff, from food to warmies. It's me worrying about them the whole trip.
It's me wondering why I work so hard and it feels like I'm spinning? It's the time after time Everytime we need something I hate asking. And feeling so related when you all come through time after time. Allowing me to take care of yet another animal. It's been a brutal week that is for sure.
I'm drowning. The truth is there is not enough help, rescues, spay and neuter, vets, adopters. People don't understand when my phone is off, it's because I can't breathe. People think rescuers need to work around the clock. Clearly because you are taking care of animals you should answer my message? I can tell you I don't live on my phone. I am rarely on FB.
It's freaking November a time we should be cleaning out the rescue. Having empty fosters. But we are not. This saddens me to no end. A simple make an appointment and drive your animal and fix your animal and we wouldn't be in this crisis.
I truly hope an answer comes soon, hope, something because rescues are dropping from burn out.
Ramblings from a tired rescue person
I can't describe how small this kitten is. Do you see her sunken eyes?
