Friends of Felines is pleased to announce that we are moving forward with plans to completely outfit a trailer to do rescue work in the case of a natural or manmade disaster situation. A minimum of 25 volunteers are needed, who are willing to be trained and certified through ICS 100/200 classes, which can be done online, and first aid, which has been arranged with a local vet. Read the full news release at Midwest's First Mobile Rescue Unit. Sign-up to volunteer for this project at Rescue Volunteer.
When the tornado struck Greensburg in May, we were unfortunately seeking shelter with cats we had rescued; we were in transit to Pratt where the veterinarians were to spay/neuter the cats the following morning. We lost 27 cats, a trailer, a van, and all the contents.
We had people in the Greensburg area the following Monday morning helping with rescue operations. After reviewing our rescue efforts, and the efforts of others, we concluded we were poorly equipped to undertake a disaster rescue effort, and the other groups involved were poorly equipped. This was again apparent in the flooding in Coffeyville.
Our current project is to completely outfit a trailer to do rescue work in the case of a natural or manmade disaster situation. This unit will be equipped with everything from traps, food, water, radio communications, first aid supplies, etc. The trailer has been donated is now being painted and outfitted with our graphics. The cost of outfitting with all the necessary items is substantial, and we are seeking donations for this project.
This unit will be manned by volunteers who have completed FEMA Incident Command Courses, a class taught by a veterinarian covering first aid, zoonotic diseases, the safe handling of animals, etc. All of our volunteers are exactly that, no one is paid for their services.
When this unit is operational, we will notify each County Emergency Management Office of its existence, our willingness to respond to their request for assistance, and that we do not charge for our services.Our goal is the timely rescue of people's pets and to reunite them with their owners. As was witnessed with hurricane activity in Louisiana and the surrounding areas, people will put themselves in harms way rather than abandoning their pets.
Feel free to contact us at info@felinefriendsks.com with any questions you may have about this exciting and most-important project for our animals friends.
Thank-you to Joanne Clevenger of Wichita for the wonderful trailer, and Unruh Fabricators of Sedgwick for the terrific paint job. See trailer gift story on the News Page.
Early last spring, an individual from Syracuse contacted FOF for some much needed help. This is what transpired.
On May 4, 2007, Ray Huff and Terry Gaul arrived at the Syracuse property. A wonderful lady by the name of Jose greeted us, along with a lot of beautiful cats. That afternoon with the help of Jose, we trapped 27 of those cats -- our plan was we were to drive to Pratt where Veterinarians were to do the spay/neuter work, and then the cats would be transported to new homes.
We carefully loaded each trap on the trailer, trying to ensure each cat would be as comfortable as possible for the ride back to Pratt. A tarp was placed over the top of the trailer to protect the cats from the wind. We departed your lifelong home for the trip to Pratt. We stopped several times to check on the cats, and none complained. On the trip we hit bad weather, heavy rain and large hail. We were worried about their comfort and safety. We pulled off the highway into Greensburg looking for a car wash or any business with a large overhang where you would be protected from the weather. About five minutes later a very powerful tornado struck Greensburg and we were directly in its path. Our vehicle, trailer, all equipment and most importantly 27 treasurers were destroyed by this act of nature. It was an unbelievably sad day.
May 18: Ray, Terry, and Wayne and Norma Roberts made a second trip to Syracuse to trap/neuter/relocate a group of the "herd." Twenty-three (23) more cats were processed and relocated to new homes in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Kansas. A special thank-you to Dr. Al Collingwood, Dr. Pam Howell, new colony caretakers, and all those who donated to FOF for this project.
August 2: Ray and Terry made the long drive to Syracuse, again. Thirty-one cats were trapped and taken to Sedgwick on Saturday for processing and relocation in other parts of the state. Only about 20 cats remain. The final phase will occur in mid-October. A very special thank-you to Dr. Sarah Pratt and Dr. Molly Lusk, along with Sedgwick Vet Clinic staff members Sherry Parton, Sarah Davis, and Erin McVicar, and FOF volunteer Carol Burnham for their help in processing the 31 cats.
The original goal for the Syracuse Project was to relocate 130+ cats. It is estimated that there are only about 20 cats left at this location to trap/neuter and relocate. It's been a long, hard job, but thanks to the help of our volunteers, veterinarian services, and your cash donations, we're almost done! The final phase will occur early this fall, with the remainder of the colony moving to Kismet, Kansas.
October 26: We made yet another trip to Syracuse during which 22 of the colony were trapped, neutered, and relocated to a farm outside Kismet, Kansas. It seems there were a few more than 20 remaining from the last trip. Only a very few cats remain on the property; they will be trapped, neutered, and relocated in the very near future.
November 10 -- The final trip to Syracuse: To take care of the last of the "herd." Seven cats were trapped/neutered/relocated to a remote area of Sedgwick County with a caretaker. Each of the Syracuse herd was spayed/neutered and relocated to areas where caretakers will tend to them for the rest of their lives. WE HAVE COMPLETION. View the Syracuse Project photo gallery.
Mr. Smith dies. His wife of many years remains on the farm until she becomes too ill to care for herself. She moves to a nursing home. What happens to the farm? It sits, and sits, and sits, waiting for attention. As do the family's farm cats. Friends of Felines to the rescue.
The Bentley Farm Project has been one of our most challenging projects. We were originally told there were approximately 25 cats on the property that needed rescuing. The 25 turned out to be 45 adult cats and a dozen or so kittens. We, unfortunately, lost eight adults cats and five kittens because of exposure and/or lack of food.
Through the heroic efforts of volunteers, all of the cats have been trapped, spayed/neutered and either returned to the farm or adopted to good homes. These volunteers have driven 22 miles every day to provide food and water. In addition, volunteers spent over 150 hours trapping the cats.
The property owners graciously agreed to let Friends of Felines use an abandoned chicken coop as shelter for the cats. Volunteers spent eight hours cleaning out the building and removing foliage from the outside. Pictured below are photos of the outside of the building before, the outside and inside after cleanup. Since there is no heat, the walls and ceiling were insulated and the shelving was carpeted to provide warmth in the winter. All the materials and labor to complete this project were donated by volunteer members.
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|
 |
Friends of Felines has spent thousands of dollars in food and medical expenses on the Bentley Project.
Mistie, who we think is part Norwegian Forest cat, was rescued along with six other black cats from the storage area behind a large department store in Wichita, Kansas. The other six cats were relocated to a feral colony in Sedgwick. Mistie was adopted by a Wichita family that already has two other indoor feral cats. You may have seen her TV debut on KWCH-Channel 12.
| Make a Difference with Your Charitable Donation For additional information, email us at info@felinefriendsks.com |