Walking in Spirit - Please Sponsor Me

Anyone who reads this blog or who knows me in real life has learned by now how much I love being a foster mother to the various cats and kittens that have come through our home this year. But what many of you may not know is why I got into fostering in the first place.

Due to various health conditions, I have not been able to work since early 2005. Since I love animals and could not work, I wanted to volunteer. But I quickly found out that I was not physically up to going into the shelter even once a week because in order to drive I have to skip my medications and when I do that I am too sore and weak to be of much use at the shelter. Fostering was the perfect compromise because I could care for the foster cats at home without needing to drive very often. I was thrilled to find a way to help even with my limitations. There is just one thing that I have wanted to do for a long time and still can not do.

Many charities that I care about often have fundraising walks where people can sponsor you and then you go and walk. I am sure that you are all familiar with the concept, so I won't go into details. One walk that I really had hoped to be able to do is a walk for the shelter I foster for - The MSPCA Walk for Animals 2009. People will be walking with their dogs to raise money for the shelter.

I almost signed up to walk, but the reality is that even though it is a short walk, I am still just not physically capable of doing it. I am going to be there on the day of the walk as a volunteer because they have found me something I can do sitting down, but I was still disappointed that I could not join in the walking.

Then that made me think: I know that I am not the only one out there that can not do charity walks. There are others like me that are not up to the walking, or those who can not walk at all. People whose schedules are too busy, but wish they could find the time. And people who have cats, birds, hamsters and other pets that don't really go for a walk. So I have decide to reach out to my friends, family and cyber friends and ask you to sponsor me as I walk in spirit for this really good cause. With more and more animals being surrendered to the shelter every day due to the economy, they need help now more than ever.

To make a donation, no matter how small, please visit my participant page and donate online. The team I have joined is the Fabulous Foster Failures. Or to donate by mail, send a check to: MSPCA Walk for Animals350 S. Huntington Ave.Boston, MA, 02130 and put the team name of Fabulous Foster Failures in the note section. Thanks for your help.

Taro - ADOPTED

Taro was a kitten that got his shelter collar wrapped around his lower jaw and ended up with a mild embedded collar injury. This happened overnight at the shelter and was quickly noticed by a volunteer who was cleaning his cage in the morning. For more details about his story and collar safety, check out my main blog page. Since I happened to be at the shelter dropping off my previous fosters, Arista and Tiger on the morning his injury was discovered, I offered to take him home for the week he needed to recover.

He spent the first three days on pain medication and was very loopy, but after that his true personality came out. He was a very active, incredibly playful little guy. I knew that he would not last long once he went back to the shelter and I was right. I dropped him off late on a Thursday and when I went back shortly after opening on Saturday, he has already gone to his forever home. :)

Pixie, Duncan and Chica - Adopted

Pixie, Duncan and Chica were three slightly older kittens that came home with me because they got sick when the shelter got over crowded. I am pleased to say that they are all now healthy and in their forever homes. I will add some photos of them as soon as I get them off the camera.