Jamie's Legacy

Jamie's Legacy Non-profit, volunteer run organization, providing stray cats in critical need, sanctuary & adoption. All in all, he was in pretty rough shape. So off I went.

How this page came to be

Jamie turned the heart of every person that met him. We brought him home from Helping Paws Pet Haven, Inc., a no-kill cat rescue in Huntington, IN, on December 2008. Jamie needed medical attention that my husband and I hoped we could provide him. He was about 9 months old then and at the time he had a serious upper respiratory infection, a severe head tilt from an ear in

fection that left him with a burst eardrum, a polyp in his right ear that had to be removed, as well as being anemic and having allergies! Jamie fought for over a year of intensive medical treatment to become a happy, quirky, much beloved member of our family. With monitoring, prescription food, and regular medical care for his allergies and his immune system deficiencies, he remained strong and healthy. He didn't have the same "grace" that other cats have, but he adapted and flourished. Jamie was friendly, gentle, curious, and brave. He had one of the purest, most innocent souls of any animal I have had the privilege to know. Jamie traveled thousands of miles with us across the U.S. and Canada, and he had two beloved friends in our other 2 cats, Khaya and Ally. On Monday, September 17, 2012, he was outside playing in our yard. Jamie was not a wandering cat; he was always within a few hundred feet of our home, so when we hadn't seen him in a while, we immediately started looking for him. Believe it or not, Jamie was a cat that came when he was called, or if the tracking receiver on his collar beeped, he came running! We called and called, and no Jamie. So began our 96-day search. A search, that resulted in Jamie becoming beloved and supported, by thousands around the world. On December 22, 2012, we received the call that ended our search, and broke all our hearts. Jamie had been found 96 days after he went missing. He had died only a few days before. So began 'the Compassionate Path' he set us on. We began doing TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return) of stray/feral cats in the Huntington, Indiana area, as well as started a Sanctuary/Adoption Facility for special circumstance cats, that could not be returned to their communities for various reasons. In January 2014 we became a registered 501c3 non-profit organization and changed the name of the page from ‘Help Find Jamie’ to ‘Jamie’s Legacy’ to honor his memory. Jamie’s Final Story – Part 1

“My mom has been trying for days to write my final story. I’ve been watching her from the Rainbow Bridge, and it has made me so sad to see how difficult and heartbreaking for her it was. I watched as time and again, she would start to write, and then the tears would come, and I would hear her saying, “I can’t, I can’t”, and then she’d stop again, and go away from it. I kept wondering, if it hurt her so much, why not just stop making herself sad, and just not write it? So last night, when she was sleeping, I clawed my way into her dreams. Trust me, it wasn’t an easy task!! I’ve tried many nights before, and even sent other loved ones that are waiting for her, but her heart and mind were hurting so bad, she was closed to anyone coming to comfort her. But last night, I knew I had to reach her. I knew it was very, very important that I break in. So, I went to her, and I meowed, I purred, I hissed, and I clawed until she opened a door and let me in. Oh, I wish I could tell you how wonderful it was for us both! We ran to each other, and she held me close to her heart. We could feel the warmth from each other's bodies and the beats of each other's hearts. We cried together for a long time. When the tears started to ebb, we sat together, always touching, in the soft green grass, with the warm sunshine on us, and we talked together for a very long time. I asked mommy why she was hurting herself by trying to write about what happened after I got lost. She told me that she thought it was very important for people to see the truth of what happened. She said that she, daddy, and other people made mistakes, and that those mistakes cost me my life. She said that as hard as it was to tell about those mistakes, it was very important for people to know so they wouldn’t make the same ones. She said by people reading my story, it might save other animals from dying. She said she wanted to give me a legacy. Not sure what that is, but how she said it, made me think that if she could have that, maybe she would be less sad, and that maybe then we could visit together more often. So, I asked mommy if I could tell my story for her. At first, she said no, she didn’t want me to have to do that, she didn’t want me to hurt any more. Then I told her that it wouldn’t hurt me, cause I’m at the Rainbow Bridge now, and that nothing can hurt me here. I’m healthy, happy, safe, and protected from all bad stuff! When she thought about it and made sure it was what I wanted to do, she said yes, I could write my own final story. So, on this last night of the year, I will start writing my story, and then I will share it with you all in the new year of 2013, and it will be an ending for me, but for mommy and all of you, it will be a new beginning. A new beginning of awareness, education and hopefully change. A new beginning to help lots of other lost, stray, sick, and homeless kitties that won’t have to come to the Rainbow Bridge before they should. And a new beginning for mommy and I to meet in her dreams.”

Jamie’s Final Story – Part 2

“I think it is time that I finish my story now. On Monday, September 17, I went outside to play in the grass and sunshine for a little while. I remember the day because mommy and daddy had gone away on the Friday and didn’t come home until late Sunday, so I hadn’t been able to go outside while they were gone. Our wonderful Aunt Dawn came everyday while they were gone and took great care of us, but we weren’t allowed out. So on Monday, when mommy said we could go out, we were all very happy and excited. Daddy was out mowing the lawn, and I always like that, the smell of the fresh cut grass is so nice, and I’m a big boy and not afraid of the noise. While he was mowing, I played and played until about noon when I ran in the house to use the box and have a quick bite to eat. Mommy was all wrapped in blankets, lying on the couch because she was very, very sick with something she called bronchitis. She wanted me to come and cuddle with her, but I think germs are yucky, and I really wanted to go back outside and play a little longer. When I went back out, I went over to play in the bushes at the edge of our lawn. There is a place next door that has all kinds of horse trailers and RV’s. I don’t know why, but for some reason I went over there. I didn’t usually do that cause the cars and movement made me nervous, but that day I saw an open door and I had to go and look inside. Khaya, Ally, me, mommy and daddy had gone on a trip once in one of those and maybe I thought it was ours. When I got inside, I realized it wasn’t ours, it didn’t smell right, but when I went to leave, the door closed! The place I was in was kind of like the one we had all been in, but it was different too. There was a big window at the front, and a wheel like daddy sat in front of when we were in the car, but nobody was inside with me. There was lots and lots of stuff all over the place. It was really messy in there. The bed wasn’t made, the sheets and blankets were all messed up, there were smelly cloths lying around everywhere, there was old food, and it was dirty. I didn’t like it at all. The thing started moving with no one inside. It stopped quite a few times, but then it would go again. Then all of a sudden it stopped again, and this time it didn’t move anymore. I was very excited, because I thought someone would open the door and I could get out and go home, but the door didn’t open. It got dark, and then light again, and then the dark came again, and the light, and the dark, and the light, and I was still all alone. Then all of a sudden, after it had been light for a little while, the door opened, and I thought my mommy and daddy had found me. I was going to run to them, but something made me stop. I heard voices, but they were not my people’s voices, and I heard loud noises that made me even more afraid, so I stayed hidden until it was quiet again. When I knew for sure they were gone I came out of hiding and looked around. There was something different about the place I was in. There was a big hole in the floor between the two seats at the front, and when I looked through the hole, I could see the ground below me. I got so excited cause I knew if I went out the hole I could run home, so I jumped down and looked around to make sure nobody was around. I was sure I was right where I had left from because I could see lots of other wheels attached to underneath lots of other things. So, I ran under them all until I reached the grass. Oh, my heart was pounding because I knew I just had to run across the grass, and I would be home!! But when I got to the grass and looked, I didn’t recognize anything. I didn’t see our house or smell anything I knew. I’d never been away from home before without my family, so the panic was terrible. I didn’t know where to go, or what to do. There was a big building behind all the wheeled things I’d run under, but it was very loud and noisy over there, so I just ran to hide. I can’t tell you for sure exactly where I was all the time, or what I did every day, but I know there was a garage about 500 feet and a house about 600 feet from the thing I had been in. I don’t think anybody lived in the house because it was very quiet, and I never saw anyone around the house. The garage door was open and it was very quiet too. There were two other houses not too far away from these, and people lived in those. I think I moved around from under the house, the garage, the woods, bushes and fields, and maybe even around the houses with people and even around the big building when it was quiet. I think that first day, a while after I got out of the thing, that I might have heard my mom and dad calling me, but I can’t remember for sure. If I heard them, I don’t know why I wouldn’t have gone to them, and my collar never beeped, like it usually did when they would call me. I might have heard them calling me other times too, or maybe I didn’t. I might even have smelled them where they walked all around looking for me, and that’s why I needed to stay close, but maybe not. I’m sorry I can’t remember every detail, but when I came to the Rainbow Bridge, all that time away from my family became very dim, like a dream, and I could only remember clearly the wonderful times before the day I got into the thing. I do know that I was very lonely, hungry and frightened, and that the days and nights just kept coming and going, coming and going, and that there were a few nights where the moon was so big and bright, that I could see like it was day. After a couple of those moons, one day I heard people in the garage and then they went away. Sometime, maybe about 10 lights and darks later, I went into the garage to see if maybe there was something in there that I could eat, or maybe someone would come back, and I would be brave and let them see me. It was getting colder outside, and I was having a harder and harder time finding something to eat. I had never had to hunt to eat before, and besides, I’d never liked hurting anything, so I wasn’t very good at it. I was looking all around and climbing on stuff, and somehow a rope got around my body, just above my back legs. I tried very, very hard to get it off me, but I think I only made it worse. The rest is like seeing and feeling through a thick fog, or like watching something from a distance. All the animals that greeted me here said I would never again feel it or see it like it really happened again. I’m glad of that, because I think it wasn’t a nice thing to have to remember. Maybe only 3 – 5 lights and darks after that day a boy came into the garage and found me. He knew who I was right away, so he went to his boss, and that man called my mom and dad. They came right away; I think knowing it was for sure me, but also praying very hard that it wasn’t. My mom and dad saw me again for the first time in a long time, just as the boy had found me. I hope that in the telling of this story, my family and friends will soon be able to remember like I do, from a distance, without so much pain and sadness. I want everyone to remember that I was given a home and medical attention once and had a wonderful life. I want you to remember I was so very, very loved. I want you to remember me chasing butterflies! Now I will always be in your hearts. Now I will always be remembered with love. So now is the time to help the many of my kind that are not at the Rainbow Bridge yet. They need medical help, they need homes, they need protecting, and they need you all! Now is the time for me to say, “we’ll meet again someday”. Now I’ve told my final story.”


Mission

“To improve the lives and wellbeing of stray/feral cats within the Huntington, IN area, that are in critical need situations, providing a safe place of sanctuary, rehabilitation and hopefully for many, adoption; as well as, helping to eliminate Community Cat overpopulation by advocating, educating, and assisting with the non-lethal practice of TNR (trap, neuter, return). Jamie's Legacy, Inc is a registered 501c3. It is funded solely on donations from the caring public and maintained by volunteers. 100% of your donations go directly to the full care of the cats living at the Sanctuary. To achieve the goal of our mission, we will always need the active participation, expansion and support of Jamie’s Legacy’s village of supporters. We welcome you joining us in our journey. Any inquires for information, assistance or to volunteer may be directed through email to [email protected] or ‘private message’ to www.facebook.com/jamieslegacy. Thank you, the JL Team

I spent into the early hours of this morning going back to the beginning when we were still Help Find Jamie, reading thr...
07/24/2025

I spent into the early hours of this morning going back to the beginning when we were still Help Find Jamie, reading through so many of our old posts. I laughed some and I cried a lot. Where have the years gone?

Before September 2012, Mike and I never would've imagined doing what we've done since losing Jamie. Honestly, I can't even remember who I was before that day. And since losing Mike, I have forgotten who I am at all.

But every single morning when I wake up, I know this for certain: the cats are here, and they need me.

Looking through hundreds of pictures and posts, I was reminded of the lives we've saved. Of the many I have held as they crossed the Bridge. Of broken bodies and broken hearts that arrived here and found healing. And of those who have stayed, who will stay, until their final day.

Through it all, their hearts, their souls, their love, and their need, have sustained me. It's true, there is no purer love than that of an animal.

I know how much people are struggling financially, physically, emotionally over these past few years and even now. Please know how much your love and support mean to every cat who has walked through the doors of Jamie's Legacy, and to me.

Bless you all for giving, for sharing, for loving us! 💞 Joan & the gang

Pictured: Timmy, then and now.

We're very worried.  Can you help?There are 89, previously stray cats, currently calling Jamie's Legacy home.  Each and ...
07/23/2025

We're very worried. Can you help?

There are 89, previously stray cats, currently calling Jamie's Legacy home. Each and every one of them depends on this sanctuary, and right now, they depend on you.

We are 100% volunteer-run and entirely donation funded, and this year, we've suffered two devastating losses in monthly support. One donor had been sending us about five bags of dry food and six cases of litter and treats every month. Another donor, who supplied about 80% of our dry food, just send their final shipment in June.

Somehow, we made it through July with food and litter but had to cancel quite a few medical appointments for vaccinations and surgeries. But now, August is coming, and we only have $400.00 in the bank.

Here's what it takes to care for our cats each month:
- 420 lbs of dry food (32 - 16lb bags) - $545 to $670
- 720 lbs of litter (36 - 20lb jugs) - $300
- Medical care - $625
- Electric - $304
- Water - $80
These numbers do not include cleaning supplies, maintenance, or any extras like treats or toys.

We're reaching out with humble hearts to ask for help. Whether it's a one-time gift or monthly support, it truly makes a difference. Every dollar stretches. Every share matters. Every donation feeds a hungry belly, keeps a light on, or covers a vet visit.

You can donate through PayPal
paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=R7TRXEHUUXRNY

Send items directly from our Chewy Wish List (Please, dry food is our priority right now)
https://www.chewy.com/g/jamies-legacy-inc_b90254950 -list

Help us with litter via our Walmart List (We like the Special Kitty 20lb jugs. We do not require the more expensive brands)
walmart.com/lists/shared/WL/223e0b6b-474e-424f-b906-a79e89717be1

These cats have nowhere else to go. But with your help, they can continue to live with love, care, and dignity.

Please help us spread the word. Together, we can make it. With sincerest gratitude, all of us at Jamie's Legacy 💖 the Assistant, Volunteers, and especially the cats.

Guess what?  Our friend Shauna, who usually volunteers on Wednesdays, surprised us with a special visit today!  She came...
07/21/2025

Guess what? Our friend Shauna, who usually volunteers on Wednesdays, surprised us with a special visit today! She came on a Sunday (we know, wild & wonderful) and did a fantastic job cleaning the Cottage and the Palace.

We supervised closely, of course, and she passed with a standing ovation from us all. The Assistant, thanks to Shauna, got to spend time on other needed chores. So, we're all feeling a little more on top of things today.

Thank you, Shauna! We appreciated you coming very much! 😽 Lyla, Woody, Timmy & the gang

P.S. Lyla and Woody are both waiting for adoption. Both are altered, tested, and vaccinated. Lyla is 8 1/2 years old and Woody is 5 1/2. They are supper loving and gentle. Lyla will let you brush her all day long and Woody will talk your ear off while helping with your chores. Message the page or call 260-388-2133 for more information.

We're late checking in from the sanctuary tonight.  Our day was kind of like the weather, scattered and unpredictable!  ...
07/20/2025

We're late checking in from the sanctuary tonight. Our day was kind of like the weather, scattered and unpredictable! We had rain, clouds, sunshine, more clouds, and more rain...and the Assistant was just as all over the place.

If you were in the path of the storm, we hope you stayed safe and dry. Sending love from all of us. 😽Laili

Laili is 8 years young, spayed, vaccinated and open for adoption. She is gentle, loves being brushed and pampered. She would do best in a laid-back home environment. Message the page or call 260-388-2133 for more information.

Sydney is not on FB, so asked me to please extend her sincerest thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes!  She read ...
07/18/2025

Sydney is not on FB, so asked me to please extend her sincerest thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes! She read them through her mom's page and was deeply touched by your messages. She had a great day, spending some of it shopping at Goodwill in Fort Wayne, with her bestie. 😺

Today we're sending the biggest birthday wishes to one of our brightest lights at Jamie's Legacy, our lovely volunteer, ...
07/16/2025

Today we're sending the biggest birthday wishes to one of our brightest lights at Jamie's Legacy, our lovely volunteer, Sydney!

Sydney has been volunteering with us every Tuesday for over a year now, and in that time, she has become such an important part of our sanctuary family. She's funny, she's smart (an honor student this year - go Sydney!), and she's endlessly kind. Her love for the cats shines through in everything she does, from giving them gentle pets and grooming sessions to making sure their spaces are clean, cozy, and cared for.

Watching Sydney grow over the past year and a half has been such a gift. This is our second birthday getting to celebrate her, and I truly hope it's just one of many more.

From me, and all the gang, Happy 14th Birthday, Sydney!! We are so lucky to know you! 🥰😻

Meet 'Milo Two', yes, Two, because for a while I thought he was the original Milo.  Some people may not understand how I...
07/16/2025

Meet 'Milo Two', yes, Two, because for a while I thought he was the original Milo. Some people may not understand how I could be confused, but for perspective, I have TNR'd (trap, neuter, return) at least 8 orange/orange & white cats on the property in the last 13 years.

Anyway, back in November, this orange and white guy showed up in the barn, already ear-tipped, and he looked like a cat I'd neutered back in 2021 and named Milo. A nice, but distant boy who disappeared a few weeks after his surgery. But something about this one made me wonder, could it really be him?

Milo Two stayed in the barn for the winter, where he had a heated house of his own, fresh food & water, and my company for short periods every day. At first, he stayed distant and hissed to keep me away, but slowly, he started warming up to me. Still, unlike most barn cats, he never showed any real interest in going back outside. Day and night, 99% of the time, he just stayed in the barn. We did come to an understanding of each other, though. He likes me to pet him, and to talk to him, but he does not want to be picked up or made to feel at all restrained.

I felt really sad for him alone in the barn, so in March I moved him into the garage with Saber, BB, Mister & Max who already knew him. The garage cats are locked in at night, with the cat flap opened during the day, so he could come and go at his pleasure, but I thought he would get much more attention with volunteers coming and going, and myself, as I spend much more time in the garage than the barn. It is also heated in winter and air-conditioned in the summer. And again, he was content, quiet, gentle, and happy just staying inside most of the time.

So, last Thursday, he went to our Vet for a checkup, vaccinations, testing and a microchip scan, because if he was Milo, I had microchipped him. But no chip. This isn't the Milo of 2021, and since I don't know if he is another, we TNR'd with no microchip, he is now 'Milo Two'.

He is about five years old, is now vaccinated, and although he did test positive for FIV, he is in good overall health. His home is still the garage, still claiming his favorite nap spot, and still not tolerating being picked up, but he loves a brush, gentle petting and a quiet moment. I don't know about moving him into the Cottage or Palace yet. For now, he's content, and that's more than enough. Welcome home, Milo Two 💖the Assistant & gang

Y'all, I am exhausted.  Supervising humans all day is no joke.  I meowed, I paced, I napped (strategically), and I tried...
07/12/2025

Y'all, I am exhausted. Supervising humans all day is no joke. I meowed, I paced, I napped (strategically), and I tried hard to keep the Assistant on task, but she pretty well did whatever she wanted, which in my opinion, was a pretty minimal amount.

Now it's late, the gang are winding down, and we just wanna say: Happy weekend from all of us! May your treats be plentiful and your naps uninterrupted. 😺Chloe & the gang

Yesterday, I graced the Palace with a full self-administered grooming session, perfectly timed for this summer heat.  Fo...
07/11/2025

Yesterday, I graced the Palace with a full self-administered grooming session, perfectly timed for this summer heat. Fortunately, our Palace is air-conditioned, so I was able to primp in luxurious comfort.

Our volunteer, Shauna, was thoroughly entertained by my performance. She kept snapping pictures of me, which, let's be honest, I loved! I mean, look at me. I'm adorable from every angle!

In case you're wondering, yes, one ear is a little floppier than the other. It's not a fashion statement; it's the result of a hematoma surgery a few years back. But I think it adds character. A warrior's ear, if you will, although I am a giant snuggle bug.

Anyway, carry on with your evening, but always remember: if you pay any attention to me, I shall reward you with all the love you can handle. I am about 6 years young, neutered, vaccinated and ready any time for a forever home. Paws and purrs, your friend, Thor 😻

07/08/2025

Another beautiful day at Jamie's Legacy. There is always lots to do aside from scooping litter, food, water and cleaning. Although, the cats would definitely lobby for more time for them! We hope you are all having a good day, friends. 😀 the Assistant

Every Thursday, Shauna brings sunshine to the Cottage and the Palace, armed with brushes, treats, love, and truly impres...
07/05/2025

Every Thursday, Shauna brings sunshine to the Cottage and the Palace, armed with brushes, treats, love, and truly impressive cleaning skills! The cats adore her (and so do we!). Whether she's pampering them with cuddles or giving them the best spa-level grooming, she makes every cat feel special.

From all of us at Jamie's Legacy, furry and human alike, we wish you the happiest, most love-filled birthday ever! 💖 the Assistant & the gang

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Lexington, SC

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Our Story

We had 3 wonderful cats, Khaya, Ally and Jamie, and were quite content with our little clan. Then, on September 17, 2012, our Jamie, went missing and our lives changed forever. After a 97 day search, he was found; tragically, he had died only days before.

Within days of Jamie going missing, free roaming cats started showing up on our property, and the calls from all over the city saying ‘we think Jamie is here’, started coming multiple times a day. We would always go to investigate, not finding our Jamie, but finding so many other lost/abandoned/feral cats, and hearing the stories of the many others also out there. Seeing and hearing about a couple of cats wandering would not have been alarming, but we were confronted by the knowledge of thousands. It was heartbreaking and just didn't make sense to us. We couldn’t help but believe that Jamie was directing us to these lost, alone, abandoned, hurt and illusive cats, with the hope of healing us, and helping them.

With this knowledge of the overwhelming number of free roaming cats that needed help, combined with learning about the proven success of TNR (trap, neuter, return) Community Cat Programs, we were led to the next most obvious path for Jamie’s Legacy to forge.

That path was to become a registered 501(c)3 non-profit; to create a limited admission stray/feral cat sanctuary; to give the best personal, physical, emotional and medical care to those Sanctuary cats; to advocate and educate about TNR; and to assist other Colony Caregivers, physically and whenever possible, financially, with the TNR of free roaming cats in Huntington and surrounding areas.