I pulled my car into
Unable to peek into the concealed box, I immediately, pondered approaching the couple. I wanted to inquire if there was a cat or rabbit in the concealed take home crate. My concern being -it was an awfully warm April for an animal to be placed in direct sunlight for an unknown time.
I decided to make my deposit and if the individuals were still present after of my errand, I’d softly inquire.
Several minutes later I did investigate, the box was vacant, and a very friendly, attractive brunette, Dana and her Latino neighbor Jose, both self proclaimed good Samaritans, were on their way to ACC to redeem a cat for their neighbor. They asked me if I knew of the charges and asked if they thought they could be waived, as it wasn’t their cat and they were attempting to be outstanding citizens and neighbors, but both were painfully broke to pay any redemption fees.
I asked what was happening with the cat's guardian. I was told - Esmerelda, a Mexican born native, who did not speak a lick of English was unfortunately preparing for her husband’s impending demise as his life was seized by a brain tumor. His survival was uncertain, but prognosis was not good.
I mentioned the kitty would be in room 208, the "holding zone" for felines. Cats enter the system as stray or abandoned and are held until their fate is determined. Formerly, this legal period of time was 5 days under the Hayden bill, which was then shortened to 3, only to become obsolete in the past few weeks.
However, even with debilitating budget cuts and the escalating, superfluous amount of animals callously discarded by the public, the shelter still valiantly upholds a five day policy. Animals are also 'discarded' by the public due to the economy’s downfall and numerous foreclosures, death of a guardian, individuals trapping feral cats or trapping the poor gallivanting indoor/outdoor cat, there is also the well-intentioned (but ill advised) individual that takes a kitty that appeared in his yard to the pound, (common sense says the cat would of jumped the fence to go back home), or in one horrendous case two cats seized by PD due to arrest of a child pornographer. Recently, the SFPD made an unforgivable idiotic mistake, they brought unspayed and unneutered cats to their warehouse storage site near the Naval Shipyard of SF, building 606, to control the mice population only to have them breed and subsequently seized by ACC to be evaluated and put on the "unadoptable list" all except for one black kitten. I think employing felines for their natural instincts as a green method to keep the mice at bay is a wonderful idea but DO NOT DISCARD THEM AFTER YOU HAVE NO USE FOR THEM, and ABSOLUTELY HAVE THEM ALTERED BEFORE THEIR EMPLOYMENT.
The numbers of lives that come through ACC are endless. ACC has a large pool of misunderstood animal loving folks needing to follow a very paranoid bureaucratic structure very concerned with liability. There are bleeding hearts and not so bleeding hearts that make up this shelter world.
About 40 minutes after meeting Dana, I proceeded to 'Orange Card' the “owner surrendered animals” in 208 for a unique group of volunteers to socialize. The 'orange volunteer program helps socialize felines, alleviate kitty anxieties, and get them ready for their behavior test that will deem them “adoptable” or not adoptable.
Shortly thereafter, Dana entered 208 escorted by animal care attendant, Joy. She pointed out Tito, - a big, proud, slightly boisterous looking black and white tom that meowed to us. He teemed with anticipation as she told me the front desk would not allow her to take the kitty home because she was not the registered guardian. Fees to redeem him were at a whopping $180 at the three day mark.
Dana departed mentioning that this was Tito's second impound which escalated the redemption fees. It’s $25 daily, plus vaccinations, plus who knows what.Each day, the fee gets higher.
Apparently, another neighbor ignorantly assumed they were accomplishing a good deed by scooping up Tito and driving him to the pound I could only conclude had an ongoing spat or probably witnessed a neglected cat. My opinion is this person’s efforts is frankly impulsively ‘dumb’ and clearly has not addressed ramifications. Risk a cat’s life to prove a point? Take the cat and feed him yourself or give them the affection they crave. I thought how awful and self centered as a man lay dying to take away the cat to to an unknown future. Ok, I understand if the concern is for the welfare of the cat as I would put my life on the line for a feline any day and maybe not for a human, but truth be told, Tito is not any better off a cat for his dismal days in confinement.
I followed Dana out and gave her my number and told if by chance he couldn’t be redeemed I would see if I could help.
Brainstorming with Toni from Toni’s kitty Rescue and speaking to orange volunteer and cat advocate Karen, who agreed to split the bill if we had to, Toni suggested consulting Mary Ann from Feral/Fix to see if she could be of assistance.
Days past, and little Tito was a bit grumpy, an occasional hiss, an attempt to swat, he desperately wanted out. Surrounded by so many other cats made him edgy, and he was showing a propensity for overstimulation.
I thought due to this being Tito’s second impound perhaps this indicated irresponsibility of the owners, and due to my overwhelming schedule questioned how deeply would I want to get involved. I had a client schedule, new living arrangements in the mix, and a host of life’s duties waiting to be tackled. There were literally scores of other cases I was following and concerned with at the shelter in the last month alone, hundreds in the last two months, how much time and energy can be allotted to each cat is never a matter of choice but I try to be smart with my time... I had a room of custody cats of which I was still the only volunteer approved to actively spend time with. These animals are lonely beasts. For 9 years, the custody cats and I have been allotted less than a handful of months from another volunteer to help keep the animals from deteriorating as their confinement days are two lonely weeks of longer.
Anecdotes of the lives of felines and small and exotic animals from the "custody cases room" to come later... castro lovers' bloody murder and suicide with four surviving pets, PG&E workers fornicating with chickens on Van Ness ave, drug dealers being evicted, disenfranchised serving lock down time, to the death of lonely elderly persons living in SRO's (single residence occupancy) in the seedy Tenderloin, to the current child pornographer to name a handful of cases end up in the custody room....
I speculated Tito's behavior exam, and imagine him being declined as "adoptable" by both ACC and SPCA. As a gentle, cat savvy person not trying to provoke him, what behavior would he indeed exhibit for his aggression-provoking-behavior test? For sure, I anticipated him on the euthanasia list. I thought does Give Me Shelter, the local cat rescue really need another cat to save? ummm.. No.
I phoned Dana and told her of my concerns, and said I will try to help.
Karen, a very beautiful and skilled cat handler (I never use the word “cat handler” as most people I feel do not have very good feline skills but Karen is a cat handler) elected to talk to the deputy director, Kat, about Titos’ plight. I remained in the background, as I am familiar with the endless pitfalls of getting involved with public cases. I know of enough failed cases. Sometimes it does not work to an animal’s benefit to return them home, and I decided to linger in the background until I was summoned.
Toni from Toni's Kitty Rescue, Karen, an "orange program volunteer," Kat , the deputy director of ACC, Deb, the volunteer coordinator, and Vicky all consulted.They graciously agreed to waive fees and send poor Tito home to this grieving woman, and family that was about to lose one of their most treasured members. Jose was consulted and agreed to pick Tito up that afternoon... But … he didn’t. All of the neighbors agreed to help Tito, which was a glorious thing and I wondered about the unintentional malicious neighbor who surrendered Tito as a stray to an uncertain future and the subsequent remorse, as Tito’s human dad awaited the visit of the Grim Reaper.
We waited... and waited. Gregarious Tito’s behavior seemed to be showing more frustration as he was used to roaming the outdoors, visiting neighbors. The little guy attempted to reign in a very big personality inside a 2x3 stainless steel cage, but that was proving too difficult a task.
Several days later, Tito still remained at ACC. Later that afternoon, I received a text message from neighbor Dana, stating Esmerelda and her daughter attempted to redeem him, but the front desk staff would not release frustrated Tito. Upon many, subsequent phone calls and further investigation, we learned grieving, Spanish-tongued, Esmerelda did not have his identification number to redeem him. What I gather is- she went to the municipal shelter assuming everyone knew her plight and were ready to return her long awaited feline. Esmerelda patiently sat in the waiting room for two hours awaiting an employee that was not even scheduled to work that day. Noone knew why she was there.
Kat did not believe the story as there were no documentations which must be done by staff concerning an animal. I further inquired. Bottom line is Esmerelda is not from this country, she has never been informed of the bureaucratic happenings and protocols that are strictly adhered to. It was a failed attempt but she did attempt.
I consulted with Toni, emailed Deb and Vicky, phoned Karen, and left message for Kat. I wondered with all the 3rd party communication and language barrier how much information was Esmerelda really getting? Dana and I texted. Karen offered to drive Tito home.
The next morning I turned my sometimes dreaded, but modern day necessity cellphone on to find a text message from Dana
saying Esmerelda and her daughter are attempting yet again to redeem Tito.
Attempt #3 sigh...
Shelter doors were closed, public hours start at
Again, massive calls, texts, communications to Karen, Toni, front desk staff,Deb Vicky and Kat. I text messaged Dana saying please have her call acc , as kennels opened 11am. My heart sank, as this is the story of one stray kitty trying to find his way home and the endless mistakes, pitfalls, attempts, failed attempts, of humans and human behavior, protocols, fees, and despite dedicated commitment of several people circumstance was prohibiting returning an animal to his home.
Perhaps, at this point as it was sure that the husband lay on his deathbed I wondered, would the preoccupied family throw in the towel? Would Tito be one the endless statistics of another cat to be placed in a rescue if he was lucky, and/or sent to kitty heaven to control the overpopulation issue??
How frustrating for all of us, yet so gracious of the Animal Control employees to make an exception in a very specific case when a family was really in a time of need left me with mixed and conflicting emotions.
How much time does one spend correcting the mistakes and carelessness of others? The good intentioned folks that ignorantly do painful acts that cause many others harm. Currently, we were all suffering for these people and racked with anguish for Tito .
I was never sure if he came from a good home, but what kind of person impounds an animal to a potential euthanasia from a neighbor’s home if there is serious illness in the family? Difficult to comment, because I also had some reservations not knowing the full circumstances of his home environment.
I felt my common disillusionment for humanity, yet also witnessed the very loving spirits of some dedicated people including myself who never met a woman, or her family, yet went to bat for her and were making it possible to get a kitty back home. My frustration was monumental. It is amazing how many factors and variables can effect and bear weight on a situation that in reality should be so simple.
I ruminated... does it take more than a community of people to correct a mishap? to get a cat home?...This is one story and there are millions of others, millions in the US alone annually.
Two hours later, my cellphone chimed, it was a text message from Dana,“You will be happy to know Tito is home, Thank you for all of your help!”
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