February 3rd, 2010
Hobo was found starving. Unfortunately, she was too sick to save
When Cheryl Johnston and Brenda Barton learned there had been over 60,000 cats euthanized in Illinois alone last year due to the lack of homes, they decided to try to do something about it.
Along with a few good volunteers, they founded Forever Home Feline Ranch in Springfield, Illinois, and in less than a year, have secured their 501(C)3 non-profit status and helped 27 cats.
Tipper is one of the cats up for adoption at Forever Home Feline Ranch
Although their name implies they only help our four-legged feline friends, their food bank program, which gives pet food to people who are having a hard time in this economic climate, has also helped families with dogs. “We decided to include dogs in that program because some people have both and we just didn’t think it was fair or right to help them with their cats and not their dogs,” says Johnston.
They are currently helping a family who lives in a 1-room motel room and have 3 cats and a small Dachshund/Chihuahua mix. Two of the cats were dumped at the motel and the ranch is also currently trying to help find homes for them.
The Forever Home Feline Ranch has raised $6,000 since August 2009 to rescue cats from shelters and from the streets. This money has also goes to help families with veterinarian and pet food costs. Barton, Johnston and their volunteers have put in their own money and given up their leisure time trying to make sure as many pets as possible are helped. One of the cats they rescued, Hobo, was found starving to death and covered in fleas. Although treatment seemed to be going well, Hobo suddenly started having seizures and unfortunately, died. The volunteers were very sad to have lost Hobo, but were also glad that Hobo found love and and had someone holding her when she died.
The Forever Home Feline Ranch needs a home so it can shelter cats as foster families are limited. They are hoping someone will give them a monetary donation for the land and building or donate a rural property with outbuildings that can be converted into shelters.
For more information on the Forever Home Feline Ranch, call (217) 679-1593 or email them at feline_ranch@yahoo.com
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Tags: Cat Rescue; Forever Home Feline Ranch; Pet Rescue
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5 Responses to “Feline Ranch also Helps Dogs”
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Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell has had dogs all of her life. Her first rescue was Hershey, a miniature black and brown Dacshund. She ruled the Campbell household until 2005 when she passed away at age 16. The case of Scruffy, a Yorkshire terrier whose torture death was videotaped in 1997, horrified the nation when the tape appeared on national news shows. Kerri began covering the trial for the local daily newspaper in Kansas City, Kansas where the crime occurred. Her investigation into animal cruelty cases led to her awareness of the puppy mill problem in that state.
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Thank you Kerri for this wonderful piece on our efforts to help companion pet owners keep their pets at home and healthy. We now have an “official donation dog” named Bella that comes to each of our adoptions. Bella is a border collie, blue healer mix who greets everyone at the our adoptions. We are able to show people the best of both the dog and cat worlds. Thank you for sharing our story!
Brenda Barton
President
Forever Home Feline Ranch
Oh, that is wonderful, Brenda! Good luck to all of you, bless you for your efforts and give Bella a treat for me!
I did enjoyed the information shared at this site. Thank you.
Great job in your efforts. Keep up your puuuurfect work. I once knew a Brenda Barton from Streator, Il. who lived in Wichita, Ks. in 1982. Are you her?
Thanks for your care and concern for the dogs and cats.
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