VICTORY: Public Pressure on Petsmart Stops Sales of Pups from Puppy Mills

Claudia Vecchio, 6/12/12
Founder of ORA

For over two years, every weekend, puppies bought from puppy mills were “adopted out” at the Mississauga Petsmart located at 5800 McLaughlin Road.

This activity started around the beginning of 2010 at the previous Petsmart location of 5950 Rodeo Drive and continued at the new site on McLaughin Road until very recently. We got inside information that Petsmart finally ended the arrangement because they “discovered” or could no longer hide the fact that all purebred puppies ranging from Shi Tzu to Maltese to Pugs and everything in between brought every weekend at the Mississauga store were not rescued, but rather deliberately bred and bought from puppy mills.

The enquiries from Petsmart customers about the origins of these purebred puppies were getting more insistent and could no longer be overlooked and ignored. The answer, week after week, that the many puppies were all rescued from puppy mills could not satisfy even the most naïve and simple minded person. Where were the mothers of these puppies? “Already adopted” or “too shy and left at home” were the usual answers.

The weekly exhibit of all those purebred puppies, bought at a volume discounted price from puppy mills, as it was then revealed, offered for “adoption” (rather we should say offered for sale, as it does not seem that anybody was ever declined and the puppies were given out unneutered) were bringing in great business to the Petsmart store. Not only were the puppies bringing in curious customers, but also the adopters ended up purchasing all needed food and supplies starting a profitable customer relationship with the store that could continue for the entire life of the adopted puppy. With such lucrative returns in sight, Petsmart managers were closing not one, but both eyes to the despicable activity going on, welcoming with open arms whatever generated the increased volume of business, no questions asked.

A few day ago, I called the store manager, in fact, I called the top manager and the second-in-command on two different days and I asked for an explanation of what went on. The unanimous official version they came up with is that the purebred puppy weekend adoption was stopped because, they say, Petsmart found out that the woman who was taking in the puppies every week did not have non-profit status. Interestingly, her non-profit status was never requested earlier, as she operated as an associate of Kool Kat, a “non-profit” rescue run by a cat breeder. Under pressure from the public, the puppy trafficking has finally been stopped, but Kool Kat, who was associated with that trafficking is still a Petsmart adoption partner, adopting out cats at several Petsmart Mississauga stores.

I asked Jay, the top store manager at the 5800 McLaughlin Road where did he think those purebred puppies were coming from week after week. He replied that they had heard allegations the puppies could have been obtained (not rescued) from puppy mills but they never enquired, Jay said, because they trusted Kool Kat that sponsored the puppy adoption.

The fact that Petsmart now hides behind futile excuses, indicates that they knew or suspected the truth all along, but for business interests conveniently refused to acknowledge it.

The lack of ethics of Petsmart towards animals has been proven on more than one occasion. They still sell small animals, and investigation on their suppliers as well as on in-store neglect towards small animals throughout the years is disconcerting. Fortunately the Mississauga Petsmart sale of puppies from puppy mills has finally come to an end, thanks to the vigilance of animal caring customers and their pressure on the management.

Happy "Work Like a Dog" Day, Rescuers and Volunteers!

August 5th is “Work Like a Dog” Day. Some people tend to get by doing as little as possible. That’s alright with us. Others do only what they have to. That’s okay, too. And then there are the people, who, as the day’s namesake goes, “Work Like a Dog” (no offence intended to the dogs we love and care for, of course!). You know who these people are. When a mountain of (usually undesirable!) work builds up and needs to get done, “Work Like a Dog”-gers are the efficient ones who rise to the challenge and push forward relentlessly until the job is thoroughly completed!

Work-A-Holic Day was celebrated exactly one month ago today, so some may question the necessity of even having a “Work Like a Dog” Day, but the notable difference between those who "Work Like a Dog" and those who are Work-A-Holics lies mainly in the distribution of energy and effort. Work-A-Holics can always be found working - after work, weekends, on holidays - even though they may not necessarily be working at peak energy levels every single minute. Those who “Work Like a Dog,” on the other hand, may not be working all of the time, but when they do take on a task, they give it their all.

“Work Like a Dog” Day is another one of those human calendar days with no known origins, but it is a welcome day in which we can show appreciation for the rescuers and volunteers who carry more than their load and fair share at times, and “Work Like a Dog.” We recognize and honor you for all that you do: thank you!

Oksana's Story

Nine years ago, ORA’s constitution was still in the works, and cats were already coming in on a steady flow. Oksana was among our first lot of cats.

One cold winter morning, upon her arrival to the make-shift building of Wildcare, a wildlife rehabilitation facility, where she religiously volunteered four hours every Sunday feeding, cleaning and caring for the animals, Corinne, one of ORA’s co-founders, was met by an unusual surprise. The staff and other volunteers were buzzing over an animal in distress, not a wild animal but a black adult cat, that had been found in a red carrier by the front door that same morning. When Corinne appeared, a unanimous chorus declared, “here you are in the process of creating an animal rescue organization so you are the most suitable person to take care of this cat.” She was handed the carrier with no time or opportunity to object that we were already full of cats, even though the organization still existed only on paper.

There was no information on the cat’s name or anything else in the carrier - just an open can of tuna. Oksana, as she was soon named, appeared to be terribly frightened. She had been left in a carrier for who knows how long, on a freezing early morning in the middle of January. She displayed the typical behaviour of an abused animal. She was terrorized by any approaching hand, and we had to put food in front of her by wearing thick gloves or by hiding our hands under a towel. It took a long while before Oksana felt comfortable with us and overcame her fear of human hands. She did not like to leave the room she was first introduced to and only occasionally ventured out for a few minutes before storming back out at the first noise. Eventually, with a lot of loving care, Oksana started feeling at ease, enjoying the play time, the grooming sessions and especially the variety of food we offered her, while tuna remained her favorite food.

That is when the bad news came. The veterinarian who was performing dentistry on Oksana called us as she noted a lump on the right side of her breast. We asked the vet to remove it and have it biopsied. It was malignant. We were devastated by the news. It seemed so unfair that just when Oksana was finally comfortable and had to learnt to trust humans again, her life would come to an end.

In just two weeks the tumor was back. The veterinarian did not feel very hopeful about performing another surgery, but eventually a full right-side mastectomy was performed and Oksana overcame the surgery and soon after she gained a good amount of weight.

We put Oksana on a holistic regimen of vitamins and supplements and for many years she remained cancer free. She became a chunky senior who still enjoys food and playing, showing a particular fondness for catnip mice. Although she never seemed to develop a special friendship with any of the other permanent resident cats, Oksana can always be seen roaming about the house with a joyful expression on her face and with the relaxed confidence that comes from the knowledge that this is her home and the people here love her and care for her. Sadly, Oksana’s cancer has returned again, this time resisting treatment. She is eating well but we know in our hearts that she will not have much time left. In addition to our little Bella being given a recent diagnosis of abdominal lymphona, this past week has been an especially difficult one to bear.

Claudia Vecchio, Founder/Volunteer Chairperson
ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://orarescue.org

Kitty Princess Di's Story

Last year, on a cold day in February, Corinne Thaw and I were carefully making our way through a pack of snow towards the entrance of a house that we were going to show.

Suddenly, from almost out of nowhere, we heard a loud and repetitive, "Meow, Meow!" Someone was demanding our attention. I looked around just in time to see a skinny red tabby cat placing herself in front of Corinne's feet almost to block her way.

Before I could have a clear picture of the cat, I heard Corinne say, "What has happened to you, oh, you poor thing?"

Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the cat was blind in the left eye. Pus and blood were leaking out of the injured eye, and her right ear sported a large growth the size of a walnut with coagulated blood! It was obvious that this poor cat was in pain, and literally asking for help.

One of us completed the showing, while the other knocked on a neighbour’s door to try to borrow a box that we could use to transport the cat in. We then explained the emergency of the situation to our clients; not being animal lovers, they didn’t see what all the fuss was about! Alas, the cat needed immediate attention. She showed very little resistance when she was scooped up and put into the box we were finally able to find. It was Saturday, and the emergency vet clinic was quite far away. In the car, the cat was very quiet enjoying the warmth of a heated environment, a luxury that she had probably never known before.

The veterinarian confirmed what we already knew, that the cat needed to have the growth removed - and that nothing more could be done that day. We took her home to disinfect and clean her up a bit, being especially carefully around the growth in her ear. She gave us some opposition, which was to be expected, however all was forgiven when we offered her something delicious to eat. In fact, she demonstrated a very healthy appetite! We confined her to a cage at first so as not to expose the other cats to her, since we did not know whether she may have been affected by some kind of transmittable disease or not prior to her rescue. She settled herself into the cage very comfortably, however, sleeping deeply, and waking up only to empty her dish. Obviously, she had not had sufficient food for a long time.

The following Monday, we took the cat to our ordinary vet where she underwent an operation. The growth was benign, but the bad news was that the growth was an inflammatory polyp that would re-occur. She had to undergo a long period of antibiotic treatment to clear the infection to the left eye, as well as a second operation. We then decided to treat her homeopathically. We spent over $1,000 on her and it is not finished. She is considered by outsiders to be one of our "unadoptable cats" since she will need constant care and medical attention for the remainder of her life.

Corinne decided to call her "Princess Diana," because all cats are beautiful.

Today, Princess Diana is a very happy cat. She goes around with her little head held high, happy to belong somewhere, to have a home. She is very playful and particularly fond of ‘cat soccer’ which she can play for hours. She has become our loving mascot, because with her happiness, she rewards us every day for our rescue efforts, and she reminds all ORA volunteers of the value of the work that we do here.

Happy Victoria Day, from everyone here at ORA!

Claudia Vecchio, Founder/Volunteer Chairperson
ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org

Sponsor. Foster. Donate. Adopt. How to Help Stop The Killing Cycle.

Have you ever thought of becoming a foster?
Here at ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals, we do not get public funding, nor do we have a shelter. All of ORA’s animals are housed in foster homes, private homes, and homes of individuals like you who offer to help. We are funded solely upon private donations.

Feeding 130+ animals in our direct care costs us over $125 a day alone plus the additional costs of cat litter, other supplies and veterinary bills. It goes without saying that ORA does not get enough donations to cover these expenses so we must take the money from our own pockets, and still, we are very much in the red. We house the animals in private homes, but if there are no foster homes and no money, we cannot rescue anymore.

Why are animals being euthanized?
Animal Services are city pounds sponsored by public funding, and they are known to euthanize strays twice a week, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. This is a fact, and may not be entirely their fault, as it is also a well-known fact they have far too many animals, and not nearly enough cages or space to keep them in, while new animals keep arriving into their facility every day.

This happens when people do not adopt responsibly, when they do not spay or neuter their animals, and when they let them proliferate. When new owners cannot maintain impulsively made adoption commitments, many will abandon their animals under various pretexts. These kinds of people are the ones who are responsible for the killing of so many innocent lives!

Thus, the euthanizations will continue routinely every Tuesday and Friday if someone does not rescue directly, or adopt or sponsor through a rescue group. The Humane Society does not rescue these cats, for they, too, are inundated by animals that are dropped off at their door every day, and they, too, will euthanize when the numbers become too many.

The OSPCA, a previously well-known animal adoption centre, used to euthanize an unbelievable percentage of the animals that they received before they closed one year ago. The majority of the large, public organizations will kill healthy animals when they have too many. Some of them kill routinely.

The reality is that your monthly donations save lives.
Euthanization is the tragic reality and that is why ORA and other small no-kill rescue groups exist so that we can rescue and save as many precious lives as we can. Sometimes, we cannot save them all. So we appeal to people like you to sponsor, to foster, to donate and to adopt because these are the ways that best help us to save lives.

Rescue groups see the photos and the notices every week on the “URGENTS” lists, so we all try to save as many as we can, whenever we can. Nevertheless, that same week, many animals will still be killed.

Sponsor with a monthly donation today to help us to care for the animals we’ve rescued this week, to help us to rescue more animals next week, and to help us to continue our necessary rescue efforts every week, week after week, until euthanization becomes a thing of the past.

Claudia Vecchio, Volunteer Chairperson
ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://orarescue.org

Monte's Story

Monte looks forward to the upcoming rally at the HAC! Sweet Monte, who kicked off ORA's National Pet Month at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_351546937355, has finally been placed with the perfect adopter (Name Withheld). No cat, no matter how brave a hero he has proven himself to be, (see below for the tale of his rescue from the HAC), is an island unto himself, so he would like to thank those of you who helped him get where he is today: "mew!" (translation: thank you!). Happily ever after, Monte gets to bask in the warm sunlight again - this time, with his forever loving new owner.
"Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man [cat] is what you do when that storm comes."
-A. Dumas; The Count of Monte Cristo

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
(Updated May 27, 2011. 9:52 PM EST / 6:52 PST)
--
We received one sponsorship offer specifically for Monte today! Special thanks to (Name Withheld) for setting up monthly donations with ORA for him, which will greatly help with Monte's care needs at ORA until we are able to find him a permanent adopter. On that note, we are still looking for someone to adopt Monte at this time. We are also looking for additional sponsors for Monte's fellow rescues as well, so please contact Claudia at 416-726-5762 for more information about the other new cats at ORA this week. Finally, we are very pleased to report to you that Monte and all of the cats scheduled for euthanasia yesterday at HAS have been successfully rescued by ORA and other rescue groups. Thank you again for all of your support during this particularly emotional rescue. Have a good weekend, ORA members. ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals http://orarescue.org (Updated April 30, 2011. National Honesty Day. 2:11 PM EST / 11:11 PM PST) -- We are still looking for a permanent home for Monte. He will be staying at a foster home in Markham for now until we can find a suitable adoption match for him. We received a couple of tentative sponsorship offers for his care yesterday, but disappointingly, neither followed through with actual payment. Help of any kind, therefore, is appreciated for Monte, or for his new friends, at any time. If you would like to help, or know of someone who genuinely wishes to sponsor or to outright adopt one of our rescues, please let us know here on Facebook, or call 416-726-5762. ORA - Organization for the Rescue of Animals http://www.orarescue.org (Updated April 29, 2011. Arbor Day. 3:30 PM EST / 12:30 PM PST) -- We were finally able to find a suitable temporary foster home for Monte in Markham until an adopter comes through. I have received quite a few calls about Monte, and I really appreciate everyone's help. We desperately need money and sponsors though, as we will be getting at least 5 new cats checked up and neutered next week. With the additional food and care costs, well - you can just imagine! Claudia Vecchio, Volunteer Chairperson ORA - Organization for the Rescue of Animals http://www.orarescue.org (Updated April 28, 2011. Pay It Forward Day. 4:00 PM EST / 1:00 PM PST) -- Due to a sudden revelation by Penny Cooper from Hamilton Animal Services on Facebook, and some obvious miscommunication via email, it turns out that Monte isn't scheduled to be euthanized tomorrow anymore! That said, Monte is no less deserving of a rescue from the pound and eventual euthanization. So with your help, we plan to continue to try to find a more permanent living situation for Monte. ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals http://ora-animalsrescue.org (Updated April 28, 2011. Pay It Forward Day. 12:00 PM EST / 9:00 AM PST) -- ORA rescued a number of cats today from certain death at Hamilton Animal Services today, but we couldn't rescue them all. There was one poor fellow marked for euthanization on the high-volume shelter's "URGENTS" list whom we regretted in particular that we could not save and take with us this time: Monte, a two year old long haired tuxedo cat who is scheduled to be euthanized this Friday. To all of the cross-posters and animal life advocates working hard within our Facebook network (particularly the local ones in T.O., Canada), please share and include this incredibly urgent message about Monte far and wide in your help lists today so that we may be able to save his life within the next 24 hours. Contact 416-726-5762 before 12 noon tomorrow for details to rescue Monte and save his life. ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals http://ora-animalsrescue.org/

Five-Fifths of Laura's Brood Turn 8 Today.

MEMBER NEWS. On this day in 2003, Laura, a pensive-looking black beauty, gave birth to a fine litter of kittens: Claire, Sara, Fifi, Dexter and Sydney. Estimated to be barely over the age of one in cat years at the time of her life-saving rescue, Laura was assumed to be an abandoned teen mom.

Shortly after the kittens were born, ORA’s volunteer team picked up Laura with Fifi and twin cats, Sara and Sydney, after having received a call from a suburban residence in Woodbridge, Ontario. Laura was memorably discovered on a platform high above the garage floor, bravely caring for three-fifths of her near-starving brood. Prior to their rescue, Claire and Dexter, having spent a couple of days away from their mother on the garage floor at no more than just two weeks of age, were arranged for an emergency drop off by ORA at a veterinary clinic close by. Claire and Dexter had to be revived by clinic staff before they could be reunited with the rest of their family at ORA. (Further details about the remarkable rescue of Laura and her kittens will follow in a separate post written by ORA’s founder, Claudia Vecchio.)

Since their rescue, Claire and the twins have gone on to find forever loving homes with carefully screened adoptive couples.

Laura, and her two remaining children, Dexter and Fifi, have been living at ORA for so long that they are now considered to be permanent residents.

With your help, we hope to be able to give Laura, Dexter and Fifi a belated birthday present to share and enjoy with their best friends and fellow residents at ORA: the restoration of the fallen Cat Den.

For more information, please contact ORA Volunteers at 416-726-5762, 416-726-8895 or info@ora-animalsrescue.org.

Laura's Story

Laura and her babies were rescued eight years ago from a garage in Woodbridge. We were alerted one morning to two kittens, approximately one week old, having been found on the floor of a garage in a Woodbridge home. The kittens had been there for some time and seemed to be stone cold and motionless. We arranged for the kittens to be transported to the nearest vet right away and we were very lucky because the vet technician working there was very experienced with kittens. With love, knowledge and care, she slowly resuscitated the two kittens. After their temperatures had been normalized and they were able to move around a little, the revived kittens were then carefully bottle-fed every two hours.

In the meantime, after further investigation, it appeared that Mom Cat and her other kittens were living on the rafters of the garage ceiling! We immediately made arrangements for two experienced volunteers to go in to the home the following morning to rescue the mom and the other two kittens and eventually unify the whole family. The volunteers spent many hours clearing away all kinds of storage items in the garage that were blocking access to the rafters, and to make matters worse, the owners of the home were very uncooperative. Hours later, the volunteers succeeded in clearing enough of a path to successfully rescue the three kittens down from the rafters. Once they ensured that no one else was left behind, they proceeded to get Mom Cat.

Laura, whom we later renamed Mom Cat, was absolutely terrified. There didn't seem to be any way to coax her to come out from where she was hiding: a sure spot that the volunteers could not reach! In the meantime, the owners of the home were becoming increasingly inpatient, insisting that the volunteers wrap up quickly and leave. By early evening, after numerous failed attempts to lure out Mom Cat, the volunteers seemed quite ready to give up. It took me many attempts to reason with the homeowners and to beg them to let us finish our rescue, and several more to exhort the volunteers not to give up!

By early evening, though, things finally turned around for our rescue team. Laura, enticed by the scent of fresh tuna, came out hesitantly from her heretofore unreachable hiding spot.

Some time after our successful rescue operation, Mom Cat and the five babies were reunited and eventually transported to a foster home where she immediately took to feeding all five kittens as if nothing had happened. It was an emotionally tough rescue for the cats and for the volunteers, but much to our relief, Laura and her kittens made it through.

Claireby was adopted the same year of her rescue by ORA members, Clara and Justin Speer, and has since moved with them and their older cat, Mao, out to Los Angeles, California. Dexter was also adopted, but returned after only two days because his new owners found him too "needy," or in other words, too affectionate; Dexter would never leave the side of his adoptive Mom. A few years later, Sara and Sidney were adopted together by an older Mississauga couple (who would prefer to keep their anonymity).

This is our rescue story of Laura and her kittens.

Claudia Vecchio, Founder
ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org

Spencer retires from ORA's Work, but not from Life.

MEMBER NEWS: ORA’s well known “demo dog,” Spencer, an eleven year old Australian Shepherd mix, was recently diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease (hyperadrenocortism). Dogs can live several years with Cushing’s, though, and ORA has no intention of losing Spencer before his time. To that end, Corinne and Claudia are working tirelessly with vets to find the right treatment that will control Spencer's disease and improve his quality of life long-term.

As loving pet advocates, we may be at least somewhat biased, but we really mean it when we say that Spencer is a genuinely good dog. Claudia and Corinne fondly remember taking Spencer with them into local area schools to talk to students about animal rights, and to espouse the need for truly committed pet ownership. Spencer never, ever minded being admired and petted by so many children, and he especially loved to be hugged!

On another occasion, Spencer spent a memorable day at Humber College's fundraising program sitting quietly next to Corinne. He was a good student for most of the day, except when he got bored in one class, and started snoring... We’re sure Spencer picked a good one to nap through, though.

For many years now, Spencer has proudly been ORA’s one and only demo dog at countless pet nutrition seminars and other fundraising events organized by ORA. He has also participated in several demonstrations emphasizing the benefits of massage, Reiki and Tellington TTouch® on animals. He is such a great dog, and his near celebrity presence at future ORA events will be keenly missed.

Dogs can live for several years with Cushing’s, and we hope that Spencer will be one of the lucky ones. In the meantime, multiple diagnostics and vet visits are crushingly expensive. ORA spent over $600 for just one day’s worth of diagnostics last Friday. Spencer has since returned to the vet for a blood test on Tuesday, and is already scheduled for another consultation this coming Monday. Hundreds more dollars in bills to come.

That said, ORA will not let Spencer go untreated, and we hope that you won’t, either.

If you’re a friend of Spencer’s, please feel free to contact Corinne at 416-726-8895 to find out more about his condition, as well as news about his treatment. If you would like to offer Spencer your personal and immediate assistance directly via sponsorship or donations, please call Claudia at 416-726-5762.

ORA Project SPENCER

ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org

Layla's Story

It was on a Monday morning when David, a structural engineer and one of the owners of Land Construction Company Ltd called ORA to ask if we could take in some cats that were roaming inside a vacant building on the east side of Scarborough. His crew had noticed two or three cats that were appearing mostly in the late afternoon, and since Land Construction had been hired to board up the building, they were concerned about those cats living in the building. They offered to deliver the cats to our residence. We agreed to take in the cats, but how were they planning to capture them? Were they domesticated? From a few questions, it became apparent that we were dealing with feral cats. The construction workers had fed the cats regularly since they first saw them, but they could not get to them.

I asked and obtained permission to access the building with other ORA volunteers to trap the cats. The day after, three of us went to the building armed with traps and lots of tuna. As soon as we saw the interior of the building we were disheartened. The building was quite large with a lot of rooms; it was difficult to decide where the traps would be the most effective. Also, there were so many spaces and holes where cats could hide: a real heaven for feral cats!

But what cat can resist the smell of tuna? After only three hours we successfully trapped a young kitten. However the lady who was carrying the trap toward the exit, suddenly felt the trap getting lighter and before she could realize what had happened she saw a kitten running away at the speed of light. The kitten had succeeded in escaping from an opening not bigger than one and a half inches from the back of the trap. The gap was tied up and the trap reset. Nothing happened for a full day. The following afternoon we received a call from the site informing us that two cats were in the traps. We rushed to pick them up and to take them to the vet to be checked, vaccinated and spayed/neutered. One of the cats was the mother cat. We named her Layla, a beautiful tortoise shell cat, probably less than one year old. The second cat was one of Layla’s kittens, a gorgeous orange tabby, approximately three to four months old that we named Percy.

We knew that there was at least another cat in the building, the one that first escaped, but we could not get her back. The workers learned to activate the traps every morning and then they would tie them back at nights before leaving so that the cats would become accustomed to eating inside the trap.

Three full days went by and we took a few daytime and evening trips to the building, but there were no more sightings of the kitten. She would eat the tuna during the night when the traps were tied back, but not during the day when they were activated. Finally, four days after the mother and the sibling were taken, we got her: Mimi, a tabby/calico and exceptionally smart kitten. We left the traps for another four days just to be sure that no other cats were in the building. After four days in which the food was left uneaten we concluded that we had all the cats. The workers finished the boarding of the building and we started the socialization process of the three cats.

With Mimi it did not take long. She is watching the other cats in the household and learning how to use the scratching posts, how to politely ask to sample human food and how to entertain herself with all the cat toys. She is really showing her joy at being part of the domesticated cat population. Percy is less responsive, he is very reserved, but follows his sister and takes directions from her. They are both absolutely adorable and they are now ready to be adopted. For their mother Layla, it will take a bit longer. She was obviously on her own for awhile and she had learned to fear people; for her the change is very radical.

We want to express here our deepest gratitude to the members of Land Construction Company Ltd for their assistance and their help in saving these cats. We hope that their example of compassion towards the animals will be imitated by more builders and construction workers who in their daily activities encounter and displace all kind of animals.

Claudia Vecchio and Corinne Thaw
ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org