this restores my faith. i w as so sad the other day after reading †his

what a nice Thanksgiving update

I'm so glad to hear that help came in. I was really upset after reading this. I badly wanted to adopt a couple kittens, but my current cat suggested otherwise. :-) So I was happy to give them money instead. It's awesome to hear that other people did as well. I hope it takes the pressure off the Humane Society for a while at least. Happy Thanksgiving, Elkhart!

A wonderful story. If no one ever again purchased a dog from a store (they come from the puppy mills where the dogs live in misery) and if everyone spayed and neutered their dogs, cats and other animals, there would likely not be stories like these as all the available dogs and cats (ferrets and rabbits too) would be able to find homes. And that would be a great thing to be thankful for. So please...spay/neuter and adopt!.

One more reason to give thanks: there are still decent people in this world! Well done Elkhart and all those that cared by doing.

elkhart seems to be getting better. thats always something good to hear on thanksgiving

after being saddended by this article, i contacted the foster / rescue group from which I adopted my 2 cats in January 2009 and to whom I donate $$ on a regular basis. They said they are seeing the same thing. Low adoption rates, adopted pets being returned because of job loss or forced relocation and abandoned pets being rescued from neighborhoods. They too, provide food and supplies to those in need in order to keep pets in homes. I've stepped up my donations and will continue to do so as long as I am able. I encourage anyone who already has pets and can't adopt to look for their local foster / rescue groups and do the same!

i hope people all over our country will realize the plight of these helpless creatures. Please adopt, do not support puppy mills. And open your checkbook - give generously to save the prescious animals.

Thank God........

All they do is give and give and give love....... Why can't we?

This is a touching story. We adopted a kitten from this shelter last month (what a joyful addition he has been to our family!). As we were waiting for his paperwork, I looked up at the tally board on their wall. The statistics are alarming. They are averaging 750 animals taken in a month and are only adopting out 75. The shelter workers said they are getting a lot of animals that are brought in by tearful owners who just can't afford to care for them anymore because their circumstances have changed so drastically over the last year. So, most of these animals are beloved pets who meet a tragic ending due to dire times and leave their owners heartbroken. Things are a little better here but I pray they get a lot better fast. And thanks to all who have supported our little shelter. They're doing a great job under some not-so-great circumstances.

This is an excellent example of why donations should always be given to local Humane Societies and not to the Humane Society of The United States (HSUS).  The majority of donations to local Humane Societies go towards the actual care of abandoned animals and finding them new homes.  Most people do not realize that donations to the HSUS go towards over bloated salaries of its employees and lobbying the government to get their personal agenda passed and  the personal agenda of the HSUS is to end pet ownership!

I was also unable to adopt more cats, the two I have are not real charitable in sharing their home or owner, but I was glad to give. This makes my entire day to know that other gave and that it does make a difference.

Hooray! That original story made me so sad. It is possible to set up shelters that don't kill animals (how can you call it a "shelter" when it kills?). There's a guy called Nathan Winograd who has been very successful at doing this (all over the US).

http://www.nathanwinograd.com/

(I have no affiliation with him, I just admire what he's doing).

Please think of an organization called Pilots-n-Paws. It's a group of volunteer pilots who use their planes to transport animals from kill shelters to adoptees or non-kill shelters. this can help facilitate the connection between the shelter and new pet parents.

Yes, there is a better way!

One of the best things to do to help stop over population is stop this cruel idiot idea that your kid has to see the miracle of birth! There are movies out there that will show a dog or cat having a litter. Your kid does not need to see it and if you insist in doing this, make sure you insist on following through...taking the unwanted puppies or kittens to the shelter and let your kid hold the babies as they are put to sleep! This is the most often excuse used I hear! Animals are not ours to use and abuse. Nor are they toys for children. Make sure your child grows up with the knowledge that a pet companion is a life long commitment and no matter what, they will learn something there. We, the human race, has created this problem and it is up to us to fix it. We need more low cost spay/neuter clinics. Our shelter here in Indianapolis will not spay or neuter any animal unless it is one of theirs. Of course, they also won't take in strays either. Open your hearts and hands and homes to a cat or two and to a dog to stand by your side. You will never regret it.......until they remove the turkey!!

I tried to donate online, but they only take Paypal, which is not as secure as many people believe. I'm glad that  the donations are flowing in. A mailing address would be/would have been helpful.

I have always tried to get my animals from the shelters. My animal friends are usually long lived. my boxer mix lived 13yrs and my malimute mix is 15yrs and counting. I went the shelter to adopt a cat and was told I had to give my animals heartworm drugs to adopt. I have used clay in the water of my horses, dogs, and cats for 30 yrs and they consistently test neg. for worms. My friends call me when they have problems with their animals, yet I can't adopt a cat.

Yea! I bless God and all the good people who are making this happen. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

what a great story - loved that orange tabby, I used to have one & he was a great cat. I'll be checking out my hometown shelter. Thanks for the heart warming story - all is not wrong with the world after all.

Yes, God Bless all he wonderful people who can make this happen. We must stand up for our "kids", for they have no voice! They love us unconditionally and they deserve even more than we can give. This is a truly Happy Thanksgiving!

It is easier than you think to help these animals that need a home. At our dog and cat boutique, Raining Cats and Dogs in Frankenmuth, Michigan, we work with two local rescues and foster one adult cat at a time until it finds a home. In the almost two years since we have started doing this, we have adopted out almost 200 cats. Some cats are with us just a day, some two weeks. The stories of why some of these individual cats are in rescue are heartbreaking. Everything from being found in a foreclosed home to being found as a stray with kittens and broken bones. It's not a lot of work on our part, all we do is clean up after and feed one animal at a time. The rescues do all the prior work with vet checks, spaying and neutering, etc. It makes this giant task of pet adoption so much easier. Any business that has a lot of walk-in traffic and committment from their staff could do the same thing. Happy Thanksgiving!

God Bless!

It broke my heart as well to read that story!

I have 4 Rabbits...yes 4! All from a rescue organization and I could not part with them for a million bucks. Each one has their own little personality!

I just sent my local no-kill shelter a hundred bucks in honor of this story.

My heart broke when I read the original article. Six hundred animals euthenized, most of which I'm sure were cats. It makes me sick.

I am already overwhelmed with my three cats, plus one bird, and have another cat outside whose owner is not taking care of it. It's getting cold here in Maryland and I have little rights to take the animal in. In the county where I live, people can leave there cats roam all they want. It's terrible and the laws need to change for the animal's sake. Regardless, I have been feeding it and looking out for him for some time. I wish irresponsible people wouldn't adopt animals in the first place. This neighbor had two kids and essentially stopped taking care of her animals. The least she could do is make an effort to find it a home and not pitch it out on the streets.

My sincerest appreciation to those who've donated to this shelter. I would encourage everyone to donate to their own local shelter or adopt if they are able to. I know they are in need.

Keep in mind that if you can't take an animal in your home (allergies, stupid landlords etc) that you can sponsor one at your local shelter financially. Some shelters will even put your name on the animal's cage so everyone who looks knows that someone out there is "loving" this animal even IF they have valid reasons for not being able to take them in themselves. I would love to have a dozen cats but my husband is not so understanding (heh). We do have three indoor cats and one stray outside that I feed every day, and two down at our store. We also wash the kitty blankets in our industrial washing machines for our local no-kill shelter once a week for free. I can't imagine life without cats. I also believe that unless by an act of God an animal is going EXTINCT, that breeding animals should be illegal. God bless all the animals and those who sincerely try to help them .