March 23, 2007

How My Mommy Will Spend Her Weekend

This ginormous facility is Wayside Waifs. It is the largest Humane Society in Kansas City. They've been around since 1944! I am proud to say that my Mommy spends a lot of her "free" time volunteering for this organization. Mommy volunteers as an "adoption counselor," which means she has the job of finding forever homes for the kitties (and doggies - but mostly kitties) who live there.
Here's a short history of this building;
In March 1999, Wayside Waifs opened the doors of its new state-of-the-art facility. The 32,700 square foot building can shelter up to 800 animals. In 2006, nearly 15,000 pets were taken in at Wayside Waifs. In addition, Wayside offers many other services to the community including humane education for children and adults, an anti-violence humane education program for grades 3 - 5, a volunteer program, a seniors’ program, shelter for the pets of women in domestic violence shelters, a behavior helpline for frustrated pet owners, and more.
Pretty overwhelming, eh? On any given day, there are over 300 kitties, doggies, bunnies, birds and reptiles looking for forever homes. That doesn't mean that there are "only" 300 animals in the facility. There are an additional 400+ animals who are being evaluated, held for various reasons and boarded for domestic violence. It is a very large shelter, but it is a very caring and humane shelter too! Mommy says that it is a place you can go and see the very best in humans come out and the very worst. The people who work and volunteer there give all they have to the wonderful animals who have found themselves homeless.
Mommy always feels bad this time of year because it's starting to be kitten season and the shelter will take in so many kittens that it will fill up all of the spaces in the shelter and it will fill up all of the foster homes (and there are a lot of foster homes)!
I know I'm a smart and lucky kitty - so I won't preach, cause you kitties have humans that take good care of you! But, if you have a few spare bucks, or have a spare bedroom, help your local humane society. This time of year they can use all of the help that they can get!
So... go now and give your humans a head boinky and a few purrs! Let them know you are happy to have love and a forever home. There are way too many of us who don't have that luxury!
Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend! Keep those tails high and proud!
Purrs to you all!
Parker

12 comments:

mister jeter harris, hizself said...

deer parker,
congratulashunz on yer blog. it lookz verree, verree good! i like reedin wut yer writin!
u ar a espeshulee grate lookin tabby ... jus like me! (laffin)
luv--yer frend--jh
ps--yer mom iz a grate purson. az u may or mayen't know, i wuz feral ... mi noo brudder matsui wuz feral ... mi brudder mickey wuz a rescyoo frum da north shore animal league ... mi sistah wuz a stray. we don't hav a d-o-g.

Anonymous said...

how wonderful! our Lady volunteers when she can at the local animal shelter (she works too much and home schools one of the teenagers). she used to rescue homeless kittens, care for them, and find them homes. the place where we live is NO PETS ALLOWED. she found us (a litter of 3 two month old kittens) under a junk car and brought us home. the rescue agency she usually worked with was full, so we stayed a little longer...it's been almost 2 years now and she'd never give us up.

Rosie & Cheeto said...

That's sooooo nice of yer lady! She's a hyooo-woman-a-tar-e-un fur all the woofies and kitties of the werld.

We bowth were strays when owr lady tuk us in. Owr lady always tells us it is so importunt that peepul listen to that guy on the price is rite...whatevur that means.

Unknown said...

You have a very good Mom, Parker...It must be very rewarding work to see so many kitties find forever homes!!!

And your bloggie is looking grate! So glad we found you!!!

Daisy said...

Hi Parker! That sure is a nice looking Humane Society. My Mommie volunteers at a cats-only rescue shelter, but it is much much smaller. There are usually only about 70 cats there at one time. But you are very right, it's almost kitten season!

Kate (Pablo's mum) said...

Wow. I think that must be the biggest animal welfare facility in the universe! It makes the Hobart Cat Centre look like a coupla garden sheds joined together (it's not much more than that, but they still do great work helping out kitties less fortunate than us. They don't even have the internet, so they can't blog!). It's so great to know that there's people out there who work real hard to make up for all the horrible things that horrible people do to animals.

Parker said...

Mommy is thinking about doing a story on a kitty at the shelter every week. She would include their photo and some information about them. She thinks that if anyone near us reads my bloggy, they might go and adopt the kitty. Would any of you be interested in following the life of a shelter kitty? She has kitties there who are quite wonderful and interesting!
Purrs!
Parker

Big Piney Woods Cats said...

You have a great Momma. Give her lots of kitty kisses.

We were so glad you came to the fairy viewing yesterday. Nice to meet you!

Patches

Big Piney Woods Cats said...

Pee Ess...Momma added your linky to our blog.

Patches

Bogdan, the editor said...

Hello Parker,
The Morning Scratch staff has added you to its blogroll!
It's Bogdan here visiting for all of us.
We enjoyed reading your story about the animal shelter. Our investor tries to volunteer at the local humane society every week. The shelter is for cats, and they are full! She goes to socialize them for adoptions. She and the man hope to someday be adoption counselors like your mom.

Anonymous said...

This looks like a wonderful place!
I am going to copy and change your address into your old address... um you know?


I thing it is great that your mommy helps kitties. They are so cute and wonderful they all deserve forever homes

~Caesar

Just Ducky said...

You live near the Cowboy. He has talked about visiting this place after his kittie went to the bridge. But he hasn't found the right kittie yet to replace Eponine!

http://eponinealittlemonster.blogspot.com/