Westfield Homeless Cat Project: COVID-19 Operation Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
Since the COVID-19 crisis has cancelled many of our events, severely limited our ability to raise funds, our medical bills for our kitties and cats were mounting, with no way to pay them. Our shelter receives no funds from the city or state for our lifesaving work; therefore, this grant was critical in preparing our kitties for their forever homes; 100% of the grant went to medical expenses. Many of the kitties serviced have already found their forever homes!
The COVID-19 grant helped our organization get all the cats and kitties in our care the appropriate medical attention needed so they could be adopted into their forever homes. Some had routine services, such as neuter, spay, and shots, and one of our cats, Murray, received more-extensive care. Happily, the majority of these cats and kittens have already been adopted, and Murray is featured in a story I've attached from his adopters.
How many pets did this grant help?
48
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
From Murray’s adopters: “Our Murray (first photo) is living the good life as a pampered housecat, where there is never a shortage of yummy food, fun toys to play with, and warm beds in which to take luxuriously long catnaps. There are plenty of places to catch a few rays, and Murray spends his days relaxing and enjoying the love of his family.
“But that wasn’t always the case for Murray. For many, many months he lived the life of an unwanted stray. He never knew where or when he would get his next meal, and was always seeking refuge; he was prey to the weather, busy streets, and other animals. For a long time, no one cared about Murray, and he feared every day would be his last.
“That is, until the good people from the Westfield Homeless Cat Project intervened. They took Murray in and immediately arranged for a veterinary exam. Murray’s days on the streets had taken a toll — he was infested with fleas, ticks, worms, and ear mites. Because he was not neutered and had been subjected to numerous tomcat fights, he’d contracted FIV. Due to chronic eye infections left untreated, he had developed entropion, a condition that caused his lower eyelids to turn inward, with his fur constantly rubbing against his corneas.
“But WHCP was not deterred — nor was Murray. While his living conditions had been poor, his personality was undaunted. Murray remained a sweet and gentle soul and put his trust in WHCP. He received the appropriate medical attention, including surgery to correct his lower eyelids.
“When we arrived at WHCP, we had planned to adopted a kitten, or maybe two, to add to our family. After looking at the kittens, one of the volunteers suggested that we look at the adult cats before we made our final decision. We strolled through the shelter past many cages, and when we moved towards Murray’s cage, he immediately moved to the front of the cage and reached out to us with one of his paws. His eye caught mine, and I signaled my other family members to stop and have a look. We were immediately taken with him, even though we had originally planned to adopt a kitten. After spending 15 minutes interacting with Murray, we knew his personality was a perfect fit for our family. He was a love bug!
“We asked the volunteer what she knew about him. When we learned Murray’s background and what he had been through, we knew we had found the perfect match for our family!
“We took him home, where Murray blossomed even more, becoming chatty and playful — and most of all, loved. Murray is safe, adored, and beloved by our family. He goes for annual checkups with our vet, and he is the purr-fect picture of health thanks to the love and medical attention he received from the folks at WHCP, who believe that every animal deserves a loving home and a happy life.–The Mitchell family”
