Saving the Strays in New Iberia

Dixie: 00:00:02

Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the

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people and rescues making a

difference in the lives of animals.

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Hey, everybody, and welcome back.

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Today, I am gonna be chatting with

Sonia, an independent rescuer that

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is doing amazing work with TNR,

Trap Neuter Return, and helping

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community cats live healthier lives.

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It's gonna be a really great

conversation, so let's jump right in.

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Hey, Sonya.

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Welcome to the show.

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Sonia: Thank you.

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Dixie: Today we are gonna talk about

your role as an independent rescuer.

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To get started, tell us your backstory.

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How did you get involved with

being an independent rescuer?

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.. Sonia: I guess it goes back to

how did I get into rescue, period.

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And that would go back to my cat

Moco, and he's the whole reason why

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I ended up back in the rescue because

we crossed paths back in New Orleans

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and that was the first time I had

ever worked with a actual rescue.

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But before I was in New Iberia,

where I am now, and I found

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Moco on the side of the road.

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Somebody dumped him, typical.

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And I took him in, and he

was with me for 14 years.

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He slipped out on my mom that

th of: 2023

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night , and I've never found him.

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But he was the whole reason why I

ended up getting back into it, because

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whenever I moved back into New Iberia,

I did not wanna go back into rescue.

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But c'est la vie, here I am.

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Dixie: Why you didn't

wanna go back into rescue?

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Sonia: Ugh.

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I don't wanna sound like an angry person,

but the community here, They don't wanna

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be part of the solution very often.

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So that kind of deters people from

wanting to be involved in this,

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which I completely understand

whenever you're passionate about it.

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So it's a headache, but, once you're

in it, it's very difficult to leave.

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You love cats, so You can't really turn

your back on them once you see how badly

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the problem has progressed, especially

since I had left, it really got bad.

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And I didn't notice until I started

searching for my cat and going

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to places where it was reported

that there was a large group

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of cats, uncontrolled colonies.

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And what did I do?

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I dropped the trap down and started

TNR-ing, and, it just, it kept going.

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And I'm glad I didn't stop now,

but, it can be hard sometimes.

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Dixie: Yeah, definitely it can.

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Now, in New Iberia, would you

consider that a more rural area?

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Sonia: I would definitely.

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I'm more of a city girl, I would

definitely say this is more rural.

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I'm from Morgan City, which is not a

big town, but we're right there, in

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Morgan City, you're right there between

Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans,

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so you go to cities pretty often.

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You don't spend a lot of

time in the country whenever

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you're surrounded by bayous.

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But here it's definitely a lot of

sugarcane fields and rural area.

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A lot of, low-income people.

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So they have a lot of difficulties

taking care of cats, so they call

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a lot more often than in more

metropolitan areas, if that makes sense.

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Dixie: Sure.

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I was asking because it seems to be a

problem with a lot of the rural areas

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where they're just kinda underserved.

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They just don't have the

access to spay and neuter.

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Sonia: Yes, ma'am.

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I think that it really does boil

down to elected officials not really

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wanting to invest much in working

with rescue groups and TNR groups.

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They don't wanna make

the investment in it.

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They don't wanna help any type of

investment or even allowance for

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low-income spay and neuter clinics.

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I think we recently got one here,

it's called Acadiana Spay and Neuter,

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which is closer to New Iberia than,

what I'm sure a lot of people have

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heard of, Spay Nation in Lafayette,

which is oftentimes where I go.

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But I'm not sure when exactly we got

the Acadiana, and I haven't gone yet.

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But it's just difficult to get

anybody to really care, and I

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don't know how to make anyone care.

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We have a lot more rescues

here since the time that I had

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moved away, which was 2013.

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I came back in 2020 But we have

a larger overpopulation problem.

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So I kinda feel like the community

treats these rescues as if they're just

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another shelter, and they want, and they

call you wanting you to fix problems.

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They don't wanna be part of the

solution, like I said before.

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They just want you to come in

and take the cats away and,

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none of us can really do that.

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So it's a brick wall everywhere you look.

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Dixie: Do you think it's more that

they just don't care, or does it have

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to do with the fact that they're low

income and they don't have the access

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to spay/neuter like they should?

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Sonia: Both.

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It, you're, you'll find

both type of people here.

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, Some people just aren't animal people.

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Some people have a true

despise for cats in particular.

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But then every once in a while,

right now I'm working on a colony

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in Erath, and I was contacted by

a lady that lives in this trailer

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park, and she really cares about 'em.

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And she's investing her own personal

money in getting them fixed and

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vaccinated and, taken care of.

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And she's continuing to feed.

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So I'm bringing her food but then

you have the real hateful people

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that live right next to them.

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There's a police officer that lives

in the same trailer park, has a

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drop trap, refused for me to borrow

it, and told me he was gonna start

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trapping them and drowning them.

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You know just okay sorry I even

spoke to you to begin with.

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But like I said you find them on

both sides of the spectrum here.

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, Dixie: you go out to go look for Moco,

and what did you start seeing that you

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said, "Okay, I've gotta do something.

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I've gotta get involved"?

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Sonia: I made social media posts

just asking if anybody had seen him.

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He was 14 years old, so , I

gave a lot of detail.

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Not just marking as most people do,

but, he was microchipped, he's neutered.

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And also the fact that he was

getting older and, a broken tooth.

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And, just stuff like that.

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And I got a lot of calls back of

people saying that there was a large

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group of cats in locations, and

they thought they saw a cat that

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looked kinda like Moco compared

to the pictures, blah, blah, blah.

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Went to go check it out and, it was

a group of homes in , a rural area.

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And you could just look around and

find, a lot of injured ones, which means

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fighting and young ones, so there's

no females there that are spayed.

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Just , like a lot of cats in a

grouped up area, and as we know they

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find their easiest source of food

and, mating, and they stick around

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as far as, as long as the food's

there, they're gonna stick around.

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So they just gather up and , I found

five different locations just in

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the city limits of New Iberia within

the first three months, I believe.

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Somewhere, two, three months, and

I started working on all of them.

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Dixie: Are you doing this

out of your own pocket?

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Sonia: Yes, ma'am.

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Every once in a while

I'll get on Nextdoor.

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I find I get more feedback on Nextdoor

and ask for donations if, I'm just

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kinda running low every once in a

while, but I hate to ask for donations

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without actually being a rescue.

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As an individual, I I don't know, like

I feel kinda guilty for doing that.

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Maybe I shouldn't.

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But I do get more feedback on

Nextdoor than, say, Facebook or

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Instagram or something like that.

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Maybe it's because it's more

of a personal local type app.

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But most of the time, 95% I'd say

it's definitely out of my pocket.

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Dixie: Have you reached out to any rescues

in the area that may offer you assistance?

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Sonia: I have reached out to

some smaller ones newly opened.

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And they've been very helpful,

especially this kitten season.

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I actually have three, a litter

of three in my care right now.

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But before those got handed to me

I had two other, groups of two.

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So just reaching out to them.

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I'm not gonna say the name because

I don't have permission, one rescue

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reached out three different times

and had a foster to take them in,

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so I was very grateful for that.

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The rescues are very much involved

as much as they possibly can be.

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I couldn't ask for anything

more from any of them.

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Dixie: And the current kittens that

you have, do they put them up for

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adoption through their adoption venues?

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Sonia: I haven't connected

these three with any rescues.

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The other ones I handed off and

they have a foster and they're

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taking great care of them.

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These,, I didn't have anybody to be

able to step up for these, so you

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know, I'm just gonna do my part and

raise them and get them spayed and

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neutered and put them up for adoption.

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I usually charge about 45 re-homing

fee, adoption fee, and I do like to

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do a home check just to make sure.

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And, as $45 does not even

come close to covering the

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expense of, getting them ready.

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But I do adopt them out myself,

but I do like to work with rescues

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because it's just more networking.

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You can reach a lot more people that way.

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I may reach out to a rescue and

see if I could get them to help

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me out with networking these.

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I'm not there yet with these and

I have a lot on my plate, so I

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just haven't thought that far,

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Dixie: I completely understand that.

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Have you ever thought about

trying to get a 501[3]?

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Sonia: Yes, ma'am.

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I actually have been looking into it.

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Because of the community using

rescues around here as it's just

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another shelter that they can go

and bring , a cat to, I don't know

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if I wanna go sanctuary, direction.

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I would like to do TNR.

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That desperately needs to be done.

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And we used to have a

TNR group called SNIP.

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I believe the founder, she retired

and then had to go back to work, so

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it's just been a lot of load on her.

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I don't know if it's still open,

but I know it's not very active.

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So I think it would be a good thing

for me to kinda kick in and see if

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I can open something like that here.

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It's desperately needed.

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Dixie: Yeah, definitely.

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, When you say people are abusing

the rescues and using the rescues

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as a shelter what do you mean?

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Do you mean if they find a pet, they

bring it there, or do you think it's

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just abandoning their responsibilities?

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Sonia: A lot of times it's

abandoning their responsibilities.

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Even local Facebook groups and

stuff, if you go in there, they're

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always looking for a free kitten.

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And I try to explain,

there, there is no free.

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If you're gonna be a responsible owner

and you're gonna bring them and get them

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vetted and vaccinated and, so on and so

forth, you're gonna invest a lot of money.

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It's gonna be hundreds of dollars.

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Whenever you can go to the local shelter

or, get in touch with some of these

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rescue groups and adopt from them, it may

be $150, but everything's done for you.

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You don't have to even bring them

to the vet, and it's a lot cheaper,

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but they don't really wanna hear it.

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They take on these free animals,

and they either, start spraying

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in the house, or they get pregnant

because they let them out.

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And then once that happens, they don't

want anything to do with it anymore.

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They see it as a problem, so they want

somebody to come and take their problem

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away, and that's oftentimes what they're

what rescues are called for, and it...

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I don't know how much more

people can do to educate.

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I think the information's pretty

far out there, but I am in rescue.

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Maybe it's just a skewed perspective.

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I don't know.

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But I really don't have the answers.

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I'm just, I'm beating the ground

just trying to fix the problem,

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and there, there doesn't seem

to be an answer right now.

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Dixie: Yeah, I definitely know what

you mean about the whole thing with the

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people posting in the groups though,

'cause I've been seeing it a lot.

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And it seems that they'll try to rehome

a cat that isn't spayed or neutered

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yet, and then it seems that- ... they

do it in the middle of kitten

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season, which even makes it worse.

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It's- ... they decide now, or then you'll

get the excuse the cat's pregnant, so I've

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gotta find a place for the cat to go."

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And it's why didn't you spay or neuter?

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And I think, like what you said, when

people take a free kitten, They might

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have all intentions of going to get it

done, but- ... if something happens, it

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might just get delayed, and then once that

kitten reaches maturity at pretty much

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four months old, they're gonna try- to

find a way to get out the house to either

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go find a boyfriend or a girlfriend.

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And if you have a female cat,

she's gonna come back pregnant.

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And that's something that I always

say too, 'cause I know it happened to

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it was a relative of mine a couple of

years ago, and he ended up having some

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kittens, a whole litter of kittens.

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So he asked me to help him

with the kittens, and I'm like,

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why didn't you spay the mom?"

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And the excuse was that he didn't

have the money to spay the mom, and

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we have very low-cost programs here,

so there's really no excuse for it.

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And I'm like, "You didn't have money

to spay the mom, but now you're feeding

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six kittens and the mom until those

kittens are big enough to rehome."

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And so I'm like- ... that right

there, that makes no sense

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Sonia: Especially if they know somebody

in rescue, they can contact us.

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I have a couple family members

that recently did that, and

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I just about lost it on them.

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And I didn't mean to, but it's

just you know that I'm here You

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know, you could easily give me a

call and I could make it happen.

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. And I understand, if you have family

and kids and work and, economy's getting

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worse and everybody has other concerns,

you tend to procrastinate about things.

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I get it.

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But just stop looking for free kittens.

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To me that's the answer is

stop looking for free kittens

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Dixie: Yeah

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... Sonia: I don't think a lot of

people understand that they can

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get pregnant at four months old.

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I don't know.

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But it doesn't matter how many times I

tell people, it doesn't seem to really

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stick in, in the memory or something.

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Dixie: Yeah and another thing that I've

been seeing a lot lately that gets to

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me too is either a 501[3] rescue or an

independent rescuer will often make an

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offer to people, "Look, I have room.

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Let me take your kittens," i'll be able

to get the kitten spayed or neutered and

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then I'll go find a home for the kitten."

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And most of the time they're told,

"Oh we have somebody else that's

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interested in them before you."

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And it's really?

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Sonia: Ag- yeah, I usually

don't get that answer.

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They are handing it over.

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But I don't make that offer too often

either, at least lately, because , I have

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fosters that are in my care right now.

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Two of them have been waiting two years,

and nobody has even put in an adoption

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attempt, so , I know my limitations.

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I can't take on that many cats.

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I'm only one person.

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But also I don't wanna give them an idea

that they can just keep getting cats and

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coming to me and I'm just gonna take them.

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Yeah.

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It's a catch-22.

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Dixie: Yeah, it really is, and

I think that's the thing too

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is how do you reach people?

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Because I've had this discussion before,

like I can preach spay and neuter all

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I want on my social media, and I'm only

reaching people who are exactly like me.

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So it's like how do you

reach these other people?

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, Sonia: Unless they're coming onto

pages that we're often on I don't

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believe it does reach a lot of people.

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But it, if you go on adoption pages

and we do give that message out, I

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don't think it's well received either.

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It's, they look at it,

it's just an animal.

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It's just an animal, like we were

talking about, they find themself in

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this situation and they want, you asked

me about them calling rescues a lot.

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If they can't find another home or a

rescue group or somebody to take them

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in, a lot of times they go and dump

them on the side of the road too, which

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leads to these uncontrolled colonies.

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So it's just, I don't think that they

really see these little creatures

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as, living beings like a human being.

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They just see them as something they can

dispose of, and that's the problem I think

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, we all have even in metropolitan areas.

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We have individuals that they want pets,

but it's more to serve them than it

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is for them just to have a companion.

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So it ends up, a detrimental

outcome for the pet unfortunately.

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They're often dumped at shelters

whenever they get too old or something.

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Or they start having health conditions.

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We're talking about kittens, but we have

a big problem with the older cats too.

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I'm sure you do too.

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It's like they just give up on their pets

whenever they become a certain age and

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they, gonna cost a couple extra dollars.

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Oh, yeah.

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It's all the time.

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But they don't seem to learn their lesson.

297

: 00:17:26

They don't seem to learn

the lesson of that, though.

298

: 00:17:28

They get rid of the animal, and

then they want to adopt another.

299

: 00:17:32

This shelter over here one of the

biggest complaints I have about

300

: 00:17:35

them is if they get an elderly

dog or cat in, they will let these

301

: 00:17:39

people go adopt out a younger pet.

302

: 00:17:43

What are you talking about?

303

: 00:17:45

They just dumped a dog or a cat.

304

: 00:17:49

Why are you gonna let

them adopt another one?

305

: 00:17:52

Dixie: Yeah, definitely.

306

: 00:17:53

I have one.

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: 00:17:54

He's sitting on my lap right now.

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: 00:17:56

. He's a beautiful longhair cat.

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: 00:18:00

He's sweet as could be now, but I got

a lie before he came to me, and it was

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: 00:18:07

basically- ... that he was dumped at

his home where he was, and these people

311

: 00:18:12

took him in, and they had him for three

weeks, and they couldn't keep him.

312

: 00:18:16

So when you hear a story like

that's "Oh, that's wonderful.

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: 00:18:18

They took in this cat

that was dumped outside.

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: 00:18:21

Their owners moved.

315

: 00:18:22

They left the cat outside.

316

: 00:18:24

These people took the cat in."

317

: 00:18:27

So I end up with the cat-

Yeah ... 'cause I'm like, "Okay.

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: 00:18:31

In the photos, he looks very sweet."

319

: 00:18:33

And so they bring me the cat, and

The poor cat had to end up going

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: 00:18:38

on a transport too 'cause the cat

was, like, 10 hours from here.-

321

: 00:18:42

Sonia: Oh, goodness

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: 00:18:42

... Dixie: the poor guy has to

go- Yeah ... through all this.

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: 00:18:44

He gets here, and he's exhibiting

this the classic behavior of

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: 00:18:49

a cat that has been dumped.

325

: 00:18:51

And I'm like, "There's no way they

only had this cat for three weeks

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: 00:18:54

there's absolutely no way this

cat would be acting like this.

327

: 00:18:57

So the person wanted me to give updates,

so I have their, the number, so I call

328

: 00:19:03

'em and I'm like, "Hey," I'm like, "Did

you have this cat for only three weeks?"

329

: 00:19:08

"Oh yeah, only three weeks."

330

: 00:19:11

And I was like- ... "Okay, he's

just he's just not settling in.

331

: 00:19:14

It's like typical dumped

cat, adult cat behavior."

332

: 00:19:19

, He's exhibiting that depressed, angry

behavior that they have when they get

333

: 00:19:24

dumped and their owner abandons them.

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: 00:19:25

Like they're shut down.

335

: 00:19:26

Yes, exactly.

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: 00:19:27

I'm just like, "There,

there's just no way."

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: 00:19:29

So I ended up looking up this person and

I found a post on social media from two

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: 00:19:37

months ago, and I learned all about the

cat because- ... it was their cat and they

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: 00:19:44

just didn't have time- You got a whole

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: 00:19:44

Sonia: background story.

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: 00:19:45

Dixie: Yes.

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: 00:19:46

Yeah.

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: 00:19:46

And I'm like, "Did you not

think I would find this?"

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: 00:19:48

Like why lie?

345

: 00:19:50

Why not just be truthful

346

: 00:19:51

Sonia: about it?

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: 00:19:51

They don't think that we're gonna look.

348

: 00:19:53

I don't think anybody understands

that we know how to read

349

: 00:19:56

their body language either.

350

: 00:19:57

You spend a lot of time with these

little animals, they all have different

351

: 00:20:01

personalities and, you can't even

say that they're gonna react to a

352

: 00:20:04

situation all the same because they do

have those individual personalities.

353

: 00:20:09

But they can all basically, be set

off by triggers and they all show

354

: 00:20:15

the same type of personalities.

355

: 00:20:17

They can shut down in different

ways, but they're all shutting down

356

: 00:20:21

if they're dumped and stuff like...

357

: 00:20:22

I don't think people understand

that we can figure that out.

358

: 00:20:25

We know what this is.

359

: 00:20:27

And I'd have to say it, the

people who contact me, most

360

: 00:20:31

of them, most, at least 99.9%,

361

: 00:20:35

tell me some kind of lie to, as

how they came about the cat, how

362

: 00:20:39

the cat came into their care.

363

: 00:20:42

I hate to say it like that.

364

: 00:20:43

I don't wanna be that person,

but I can't really believe

365

: 00:20:47

what I'm told most of the time.

366

: 00:20:50

And it's sad, but I don't

know why people lie about it.

367

: 00:20:54

It doesn't do the cat any good.

368

: 00:20:56

It doesn't do anyone any good because

it leads me into a situation like

369

: 00:21:01

you found yourself in a situation

of trying to figure out the

370

: 00:21:04

backstory so you can help the cat.

371

: 00:21:08

. Dixie: And this particular

cat, it was a a dog rescue that

372

: 00:21:11

they contacted a dog rescue.

373

: 00:21:14

So they tell the dog

rescue this whole story.

374

: 00:21:16

So, that rescue ended up making all the

arrangements to transport this cat here,

375

: 00:21:21

and they were gonna just worry about

finding a place for him once he got here.

376

: 00:21:25

And I Wow ... I had an adopter for

him, but, and I was just hoping,

377

: 00:21:30

okay he's gonna come in and I'll be

able to adopt him out right away.

378

: 00:21:34

And we've been working with

him for a couple of weeks.

379

: 00:21:36

He's a sweetheart now, so it's almost

time for him to go to his new home

380

: 00:21:41

Sonia: and they all have different lengths

of time that they need to decompress.

381

: 00:21:45

, You find yourself in a situation,

you can't even determine how long it

382

: 00:21:48

will take until they're ready to go

to their new home because you have to

383

: 00:21:52

let them decompress on their own time.

384

: 00:21:54

You can't force it.

385

: 00:21:55

So yeah, it really puts us in a bad

place as far as, what we had planned

386

: 00:22:01

in the future because it's just

an unforeseen situation, and you

387

: 00:22:06

have to go by what the cat needs.

388

: 00:22:08

You can't force anything

and you know that.

389

: 00:22:10

Nobody really understands that.

390

: 00:22:11

They just, they expect us to have

this little ball of fur that we can

391

: 00:22:15

pass along, and it's just not that

simple, especially with adult cats.

392

: 00:22:20

Dixie: With this one,, the

excuse was they don't have time.

393

: 00:22:25

Yeah ... I

394

: 00:22:25

Sonia: hear that one often.

395

: 00:22:26

Dixie: And it's like for a cat

doesn't need a lot of time.

396

: 00:22:29

It's not like a dog.

397

: 00:22:30

A dog does need a lot of time 'cause

you gotta go walk your dog every day.

398

: 00:22:33

But with a cat's fine if they see

you a couple hours during the day

399

: 00:22:36

Sonia: and some are more clingy,

but most of them, they're just

400

: 00:22:39

happy to be in your presence, you

watch some TV and they're there.

401

: 00:22:43

They're just happy-go-lucky

individuals just to be with you.

402

: 00:22:47

But I, yeah I'm not quite sure what

the I don't have the time thing is.

403

: 00:22:51

The way I see it though is if you take

in a pet that's supposed to be a family

404

: 00:22:56

member, I know not everybody's gonna be

like me, but I can wish, I try to wish.

405

: 00:23:01

Dixie: Hopefully one day it'll get better,

406

: 00:23:03

Sonia: hopefully, but until we have

more elected officials that try to

407

: 00:23:08

put the word out and try to help us

to help the community, I don't see

408

: 00:23:12

it getting any better, unfortunately.

409

: 00:23:15

And I hate to be that Negative Nelly,

it's just, you see it for so long.

410

: 00:23:21

It's been.

411

: 00:23:22

17 years in total that I was

somewhat involved, 14 years

412

: 00:23:27

that I was really involved and

then the four years I took off.

413

: 00:23:30

But 17 years is a long time to see

some pretty horrific situations

414

: 00:23:36

you find some of these cats in.

415

: 00:23:38

So it's hard to stay

positive, it really is.

416

: 00:23:42

, Dixie: It definitely is.

417

: 00:23:44

How much time , do you devote to doing

TNR and taking care of community cats?

418

: 00:23:51

Sonia: Oh, I do it daily.

419

: 00:23:54

This one colony I'm working on it's

been three weeks, and that's Sunday,

420

: 00:23:59

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night.

421

: 00:24:03

That way I can get them to Spay

Nation by morning, and I go

422

: 00:24:07

pick them up the next morning.

423

: 00:24:08

So I, 30-plus hours I'd have to say.

424

: 00:24:14

Dixie: And now New Iberia is a bit

of a drive to Lafayette, so how

425

: 00:24:18

much time do you spend driving?

426

: 00:24:20

Sonia: Yes, ma'am.

427

: 00:24:21

It takes about 40 minutes for

me to get from my home to Spay

428

: 00:24:26

Nation, the actual location.

429

: 00:24:28

40 minutes there, 40

minutes back each day.

430

: 00:24:30

So yeah, it's a decent amount of time,

but it- you get so used to driving when

431

: 00:24:37

out in more rural areas, 40 minutes

doesn't seem like a lot anymore.

432

: 00:24:43

Dixie: Before we end the call,

what final message would you have

433

: 00:24:47

for people who, say, see a problem

but are hesitant to get involved?

434

: 00:24:55

Sonia: Sometimes it's hard

to find people like me.

435

: 00:24:57

It's not like we're advertising,

so unless you know somebody that's

436

: 00:25:01

heard of me or someone like me,

you don't know to reach out.

437

: 00:25:06

But reach out to rescues, and some of them

are in touch with people like, independent

438

: 00:25:11

rescuers that can get you in contact

with us that, we could help you out.

439

: 00:25:16

But just try to talk to somebody.

440

: 00:25:18

Just don't leave them there to suffer.

441

: 00:25:20

The more you leave them out

there unneutered and unspayed and

442

: 00:25:24

unvaccinated, the, and the more lives

are gonna be out there suffering.

443

: 00:25:28

Just try to reach out to somebody.

444

: 00:25:31

Dixie: Yeah, I think that's a good

message too, and that's something that

445

: 00:25:34

I always say too, even with people

that are trying to rehome their pets.

446

: 00:25:38

I understand there are situations when

people have no choice but to rehome their

447

: 00:25:43

pets, but there's- Correct ... other

situations where people have to rehome

448

: 00:25:49

their pets 'cause maybe they can't

afford food that month, maybe they

449

: 00:25:52

can't afford litter, maybe their pet

is sick and needs to go to the vet.

450

: 00:25:56

And any rescue, I think, would rather

work with you on that than trying to

451

: 00:26:02

rehome your pet, 'cause that's a lot

452

: 00:26:04

Sonia: easier to do.

453

: 00:26:04

I

454

: 00:26:04

Dixie: mean,

455

: 00:26:06

Sonia: even independent rescuers,

we'd much rather help you,

456

: 00:26:09

fundraise and get you some food

or, fundraise for a vet visit or...

457

: 00:26:14

We want them to stay with their families.

458

: 00:26:16

We don't want to rehome them.

459

: 00:26:17

It's stressful on the pet, and it's

stressful on everybody involved.

460

: 00:26:22

So if there's any way, shape, or form

that we can keep you with your pet, that's

461

: 00:26:28

where, that's the direction we wanna go.

462

: 00:26:30

Definitely.

463

: 00:26:33

Dixie: Thank you so much for

coming on the show with me today.

464

: 00:26:37

Sonia: Thank you so much for having me.

465

: 00:26:38

I greatly appreciate it.

466

: 00:26:40

Dixie: Yeah.

467

: 00:26:40

I loved hearing about the great work

that you're doing, and please keep it

468

: 00:26:44

up because the cats definitely need you.

469

: 00:26:47

Sonia: Thank you so much, and

thank you for what you do.

470

: 00:26:49

I'll be in touch though.

471

: 00:26:50

I would like to question you a little

bit on how you got your rescue started.

472

: 00:26:53

I would like to start something here.

473

: 00:26:55

Dixie: Yeah, absolutely.

474

: 00:26:56

I'm happy to help.

475

: 00:26:57

And actually on the show, we've

had a couple of people that

476

: 00:27:00

have also made that offer.

477

: 00:27:02

So if you go listen to some of our

other episodes, there's a bunch

478

: 00:27:05

of people that would be willing

to share information with you.

479

: 00:27:07

But if you have any questions, yeah,

please reach out to me because, it's

480

: 00:27:10

something that is definitely needed,

. Any questions that you have, shoot 'em

481

: 00:27:14

over and I'll answer 'em the best I can.

482

: 00:27:18

That's it for today's

episode of Animal Posse.

483

: 00:27:20

If you love what we're doing,

please consider becoming a member.

484

: 00:27:23

Your support directly helps us continue

highlighting the people and stories

485

: 00:27:28

that save lives across the country.

486

: 00:27:30

Just a quick reminder, the views

and opinions expressed by our

487

: 00:27:33

guests are theirs alone and are

provided for entertainment purposes.

488

: 00:27:37

They don't necessarily.

489

: 00:27:38

reflect the official position of the show,

and this information should never replace

490

: 00:27:43

the advice of your own veterinarian.

491

: 00:27:46

Thanks for listening, and

we'll see you next time.