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17 shelter cats find forever homes at Catoberfest

Greetings Sonoma! I hope this finds you well. 

  As the leaves fall around us, we begin to take in our outdoor furniture, assess our wood inventory and generally begin the process of hunkering down. I just had the distinct pleasure of taking a few days away last week and went to visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.

  For any of you animal lovers out there (which you most likely are, if you are reading this column) it was the Disneyland of animal rescues. A simple but beautiful sanctuary that was started almost 30 years ago when a bunch of animal advocates pooled their money together to buy a 3,800-acre piece of property in southern Utah with the thought of having more space to save more animals. Now they are an internationally-known organization with more than 500 employees and 8,000 volunteers.   

  Awe-inspiring backdrops surround you where the sanctuary is nestled in Angel Canyon with neighbors being the north rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon and Lake Powell.

  I read the book before going and walked onto the property truly energized and very proud of our little shelter in Sonoma. I thought I might feel a bit inadequate when I saw the scope of BF’s operation, but I was graciously hosted by one of the founders, Faith Maloney, whose kindred spirit allowed me to recognize the shared belief that kindness is the answer; to the animals, to one another and to the planet we all share.

  Thank you Joyce Pease for connecting me with the folks there. What a treat!

  And I am thrilled to report that our Catoberfest got off to a grand start with 17 cats adopted on Saturday Oct. 15, and yes, we did have one person who took us up on our lederhosen challenge (adoption fee waived for anyone wearing lederhosen). The story is that she did not intend to adopt a cat, but wanted to tease her teenage daughter as only a mother in lederhosen could do, but once here, she fell in love with precious little Petey and the rest is history. Please come to the shelter to visit our ever present inventory of cats and kittens as Catoberfest (all cats and kittens $10) continues through the end of October.

  And lest we forget, October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, so please come check out the canines as well. I need to do another shout out to all you chihuahua lovers about our darling Mama Lu (aka Lucy).

  She is such a dear and would be perfect for a single mature person or couple. Lucy came into the shelter over a year ago with her (five) little puppies and we just scratch our heads in wonder as to why this sweet girl is still here. Mary Kate, if you are reading this, come for a visit … Lucy would love to see you.

  She doesn’t require a tremendous amount of exercise, just a rounder in the yard a couple of times a day. She’s quite content to snuggle and snooze her day away. Does that sound like they way you like to spend your day?

  We will close out Catoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 29, with the Pets Lifeline book sale.

  So if you have books to donate, we have bins in front of the gate you can drop off at anytime. But mark your calendar for Oct. 29 to pick up a good book, a great cat and your 2012 Pets Lifeline Calendar.

Remember … wag more, bark less!