Al Chernoff is the well known Alley Cat of Rescue Ink fame. He lives in Philadelphia, where he continues his rescue work.
The Fire that Saved a Kitty
Guest post by Al Chernoff
The best thing in life for Desmal, a sweet cat, was surviving and escaping a house fire.
I am a “cat guy” right now living with my 8 rescues. I’m also one of the guys from Rescue Ink. They seem to call me “Alley Cat”. About a year ago I received a call from a local group, Red Paw Emergency Relief Team, the Red Cross of animal rescue in Philadelphia. They had rescued a cat from a house fire; she escaped the fire and after an hour or so running and hiding out on the street a firefighter grabbed her. I offered to foster until she could go back home.
Red Paw dropped her off to my house. I checked her out and she had fleas and ear mites, she was very underweight and filthy, and her face was burned from the fire. I had Red Paw call the Red Cross Shelter for more information. She had been adopted 10 years earliero and never saw a veterinarian. In addition to her neglect issues, Desmal also tested positive for Fiv. My girlfriend Shelli, who manages a local cage free cat shelter called Kitty Cottage, helped me and we treated Desmal for her fleas, worms, and ear mites along with a really big, dead insect that was found inside her ear.
Desmal took to living in a back room in my house and she started gaining weight. At the vets office it was determined that her teeth were in terrible condition and she needed several removed. With a chip in, we raised most of the money for her extensive dental work.
Red Paw was able to contact the family to find out when she could go home. I was pretty worried about her, as I became attached during these couple months and knew she was pretty neglected. The family informed Red Paw to just “put her down, we don’t want her anyway.”
Well, Desmal was not put down and she has a home. … with us! She lives in my family room area with Katie, who has heart disease, and the two cats have become pals. Desmal purrs all day long and is truly a happy, lucky kitty.
She loves to play with her toys, every meal time she runs one full lap around the family room as fast as she can before she gets to her food bowl, and she is just a joyful, loving, lucky kitty.
##
For more on Red Paw Emergency Relief Team at our site, including video of the amazing story of Princess and her kittens who were reunited after two separate rescue calls, click HERE.
You can like and follow updates from Red Paw Emergency Relief Team at Facebook.
Al Chernoff maintains both a personal profile and a public page at Facebook.
Website for Rescue Ink. At the Rescue Ink Shelter in Long Island New York the cat room is named The Alley Cat Room.
About Author
God Bless you sir. I am too a cat person, I do love all critters but cats are my favorite. I have a decal that my wife bought me that says “Real Men Rescue Cats”
Al has saved so many helpless, loveless kitties and gave them something that many may have never felt or had their entire lives until they were touched by Al and that’s unconditional love and devotion! No matter what it takes whether it be medication, soaking of paws from asphalt burns (his beautiful Hope he recently lost) or just some simple lovin’, he does whatever it takes.
The Kitty’s of Pennsylvania are truly blessed to have him, along with people in his life that he’s touched.
Thanks Alley Cat…
Prayers sent God Bless you for all the help you did for theses babay ‘s
RIP
This is such a great story and it shows AL’s character thru n thru. Sadly Al was murdered this past Tuesday in his home. Al did not deserve this and we ALL will miss him.
Al leaves behind 11 cats n he had turtles and frogs too.
They are currently at the PSPCA – we are hoping for them to all go to loving homes. Please say a prayer for all that mourn the loss of this dear ANIMAL LOVER AND FRIEND. And for the safety for all his loved pets, RIP AL ????
❤
I am still in shock over this brutal murder I have donated towards Alley Cat Rescue and know Al was a wonderful animal person who cared and loved all those cats he came in contact with I hope that disgusting ugly bald male posing as a female suffers one day the same he made Al suffer No compassion for him knowing he stood for being so kind Most likely was racist and was jealous of Al and all his accomplishments Racists operate that way They play the race card and see white and black