BHS Desperate Housecats

In the sleepy suburban neighborhood of Ole Turnpike Dr, the BHS Catpartment Building sets the scene for our story. The residents spend their days lounging lazily around their various apartments. At night after the super has gone home for the day, the drama comes alive...



If you're interested in learning more about any of our desperate housecats, email info@bhsva.org. If you're interested in fostering one of our desperate housecats, email sunshine@bhsva.org.

Extra Mile Fund

Donate here to help us go the Extra Mile for furbabies in need...

The Little Ones Seeking A Second Chance

Sometimes the surprises waiting for you when you show up at the office have sad eyes and empty tummies. At least that's what happens when you work for an animal rescue organization.

Butterscotch

Butterscotch (lovingly referred to as Butter Butter by Diane who has very much fallen in love) was the first surprise waiting for our office staff when they arrived one morning last week. Thankfully, those who left him took care to place him in a carrier with blankets and water, so he was at least protected while waiting for someone to find him.

Little Orphan Annie

Sadly, the second surprise didn't fare as well. Little Orphan Annie was left in the middle of the driveway in a box along with her newborn kittens. Because the box was left in the direct sun with no water source, Annie and her kittens were in rough shape by the time staff found them this week. Annie ran off before staff could catch her. After some work, Michelle was able to coax Annie back and able to get her into the office.

Annie is improving, starting to put on some weight and feel a bit more comfortable. Tragically, her babies were not so lucky. One was already gone before staff even reached them that day. After that, each remaining kitten passed, one by one, despite desperate attempts by staff to nurse them back to health. The last passed on peacefully in Michelle's hands.

We now turn our focus onto Annie, hoping to help her flourish into a happy, healthy young lady who can go on to find her own safe, forever home.

Wednesday

Our last little one was not left at our office after hours, but brought in by a volunteer who found her cowering on the side of the road. For now we're calling her Wednesday (we do love the Addam's Family). Wednesday is very thin, quite dehydrated, and very frightened. She is, however, also quite sweet.

These are the stories of just some of the Little Ones who have found their way to us and just want a second chance at life.



This is where we need your help. We always welcome donations to our Second Chance Fund that will allow us to help these little ones get the medical care they so desperately need. We also need foster homes willing to care for these babies while they wait for their chance at a forever family. We have no room left at our office to house more cats/kittens and we have no room left in any of our cat/kitten foster homes.

Cats and kittens are so easy to foster, requiring very little of your time. If you are interested in learning more about animal fostering, please email sunshine@bhsva.org or visit our website at www.bhsva.org.

Please Note: We do ask that anyone needing to surrender an animal please contact us during office hours. Our office is not always staffed and animals could be placed in more danger if they are left without our knowledge.

Donations can be mailed to:
The Bedford Humane Society, Inc.
829 Ole Turnpike Dr
Bedford, VA 24523

Foster Coordinator Needed

May 9th, 2012. That was the day I found out that I am not Wonder Woman. What led me to this very devastating realization? Guilt. I was sweeping up the piles of fur that had been blanketing my floors for at least two weeks and I felt a sudden pang of guilt. Guilt that I was cleaning my house instead of grading the piles of student papers or working on that dissertation I started over a year ago or finally dealing with the paperwork that was laying throughout my house. I felt guilty for cleaning my house for the first time in two weeks. Yeah.

So, with that realization, I am admitting that I can no longer dedicate the time to the Foster Coordinator position that it truly deserves. I am hoping that one of our wonderful supporters or volunteers will feel the call to step into the role in my place.

In a nutshell, this role involves coordinating the intake of new fosters, movement of fosters from one placement to another as needed, recruiting new foster homes, and coordinating the approval of new foster homes. I am also currently handling all of the intake, medical records, and adoption processing for our fosters, but I think those pieces could be potentially be handled by other volunteers who would be willing to learn our software.

We also have two wonderful volunteers working on the Foster Team that are a great support to this role. So, the new FC would certainly not be in this alone.

Are you looking for a way to get involved, but can't foster? Want something you can do from home? This really is a great volunteer opportunity for someone who has the time and organization to do it. If you're interested, please contact our office. If you'd like to learn more about what I am currently doing, please email sunshine@bhsva.org.

BHS Adoptables of the Week: Emma and Punky

When we met Emma in the pound, she was trembling in a corner, terrified of these strange people she had never met. She was very pregnant at the time and we placed her in our foster program while she gave birth to her babies. She is currently still nursing two hulking boys, so she will not be available for adoption until mid- to late-June. We think she is about 3-4 years old and is crate-trained and very close to being fully housetrained. She is taking great care of her babies, but she clearly wants to be cuddled and spoiled, too. Even though she is not officially available for adoption yet, if you are interested in meeting Emma when she is available, please download an application from our website at www.bhsva.org and submit it to our office at info@bhsva.org.

Pumpkin (aka Punky Brewster) came to us because her loving owner could no longer care for her. Punky is a special girl that prefers a stable, quiet environment. She can also be very affectionate and cuddly when she's had enough down time throughout the day. She will often cuddle with me on the couch in the evenings and looks forward to waking me up in the mornings with a gentle purr to remind me it's time for breakfast (who needs an alarm clock when you've got cats?). Punky would love to find a forever home where she can be the only cat. If you are interested in this gorgeous girl, download an application from our website at www.bhsva.org and submit it to our office at info@bhsva.org.

BHS Adoptables of the Week: Foxie and Tyson

We pulled sweet Foxie from the pound as soon as we found a foster spot for her. Those beautiful eyes showed just how much she wanted a family to love. Foxie is a 4 year old female Shepherd mix that was born in January 2008. She rarely makes any noise at all as long as she is with her people. She loves to cuddle, gets along well with other dogs. She hasn't been tested much with cats, but seemed only mildly interested in the one cat she has met. This little girl would love a family with children she could run and play with. If you are interested in Foxie, please download an adoption application from our website at www.bhsva.org.

One of the unique features of Tyson is his gentle bird-like purr. He is the sweetest, gentlest soul. He loves attention and can be very vocal in his attempts to get you to hold him. He may not be a show cat, but he has more love to give than you can imagine. If you are interested in this unique little man, please download an adoption application from our website at www.bhsva.org.

No, Emma, the Cats Don't Want to Play

Some of the joys of fostering lie in the utter ridiculousness that living creatures exhibit at times. I think my favorite part of fostering is getting to know the various quirks and neuroses that each different foster animal brings into my home.

My sweet little foster baby Emma (known in my house as Emmy Lou Who) really seems to love other animals...all of them. But I think she may love them a little too much.

Since she was pregnant when I brought her home from the pound (VERY pregnant) and I didn't know her medical history, I wouldn't allow my large Rottie mix Lobo or any of the cats to go into the basement where she stays. And while we waited patiently (well, some of us waited not so patiently), Emmy seemed content to ignore the animals that would peer in at her from the basement door. She had bigger issues to concern herself with, like how she would ever get her figure back after giving birth to puppies that were clearly part Sasquatch

After the babies came, however, my little Emmy Lou Who made it known in no uncertain terms that she was entirely aware that there was a house full of animals that she did not have access to. She would talk, in a very animated manner, to the raccoons that knock over the trash cans and to the birds that build their nests under the upper deck, just oustide the basement door. And when my Lobo would peer in at her through the basement window, Emmy would have what I would describe as a doggy conniption.

Eventually, I relented and allowed Lobo into the basement to visit with Emmy, thinking there was a strong possibility that she may try to eat him. But I just wanted her to calm down and see he was not a threat to her or her babies. I did not, however, expect her to be so gleefully excited about finally meeting him that she would actually pee with joy. Yes, this little girl peed right where she stood when that giant of a bear came into the basement. And then she began playing. Since then, I have found that Emmy doesn't just love dogs. She also loves cats (and the cats are super-excited about that...).

Emmy now has free roam of the house on a regular basis. She still spends most of her time in the basement with her babies, but occasionally she will come upstairs for some Emmy Time. When she comes upstairs, she spends a full five minutes prancing excitedly in place like it's Christmas morning and she's looking at a tree full of presents with her name on them. When she finally regains her composure, she spends several more minutes going from animal to animal saying,

"Hi! Hi! I'm Emma! Hi! I remember you! You're a cat! I love cats! I'm a dog! My name is Emma! You can call me Emmy! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Wanna play?"

No, Emma. No the cats don't want to play. They want me to give you a sedative.

Eventually, after she has made her rounds to greet Lobo and all the cats, she finds a suitable lap to cuddle in. Now, it doesn't really matter if there is already a computer or a book orrrrr a cat in that lap. Emmy manages to plop her cute little behind right down on top of who or whatever might already be there. And there she will stay for as long as she thinks she can leave the babies alone.

Currently, she is cuddled in my lap talking to her reflection in the window. Yep. She just knows there is a little grey Chihuahua staring in at her from outside and she really wants that dog to come in and say "Hi!"