We are pleased to share the story of a rescue group’s success using social media to place a special needs cat who needed help ASAP. Destin, FL cat rescue group Feline Friends of Destin tells Honey’s story.
Guest post by Ashley Ribando,
Feline Friends of Destin recently received a special plea for Honey, a sweet orange tabby in need of a temporary home. His owner was being forced to relocate and she had a very short time period to find a caretaker. If she could find a place for him to stay, she hoped to eventually take him back once she was settled.
Something was unusual and different about Honey. He was born with a bone disorder which caused a severe deformity in his front legs.
Fortunately for Honey, his loving pet-parent was committed to his care, and he learned to use the litter box and move around without any special assistance. Feline Friends of Destin was her last chance to save Honey from either a life outdoors where he would be defenseless, or an overflowing kill shelter where his chances of rescue were slim considering his disability.
Being in the midst of kitten season, Feline Friends of Destin has no available foster homes at this time. However, committed to doing whatever possible to assist cats in need, we offered to share his story on our Facebook page hoping to reach someone that could help.
We had no idea that our post would reach more than 3,000 people in just a few days! Soon we were contacted by a women in Georgia named Kara. Honey’s story had reached across state lines. She immediately agreed to foster him for one year while his owner looked for a new living situation that would enable Honey to come back and live with her. We even received several private donations to cover the cost of Honey’s vet bills.
Transportation was coordinated, vet appointments were met, and Honey was off to Georgia. His new home would be with Kara and her husband at Cat’s Meow Framing in Pine Mountain, GA. Kara has an affinity for special needs cats and even has a feline shop mascot named Brutus.
Harnessing the power of social media, Honey’s story has touched the lives of many and expanded what assistance Feline Friends of Destin could have provided locally. We are so thrilled to be a part of Honey’s journey and to help loving pet-parents when they can’t do it alone.
So far so good; we hear from Kara and Brutus that he is especially fond of tuna.
SPECIAL THANKS: Melissa Smith is an extraordinary volunteer living in Crestview yet volunteering every week at the adoption center in Destin. She went the extra mile to make sure Honey’s story reached thousands on Facebook. She visited Honey and his owner, took pictures, fostered Honey for a few days while he recovered from his alteration, and drove halfway to Pine Mountain Georgia with Honey to hand him off to his new foster mom. Thanks Melissa!
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Feline Friends of Destin is a 501(c)3, all-volunteer, nonprofit group doingTNR (Trap-Neuter-Return), Rescue & Adoption. Improving the lives of cats and kittens in the Destin and surrounding area since 1997.
Feline Friends receives no grant or government money and relies on private donations in order to help cats like Honey; donations can be made securely through PayPal HERE.
Honey – A Sweet Chance at New Life was originally published as a blog entry at the Feline Friends of Destin website. Reprinted here with permission.
You can visit both Feline Friends of Destin and Cats Meow on Facebook.
