Dorothy has been at the shelter where I volunteer for about three weeks now. The first day she was on the floor, a woman wanted to adopt her. and they put her name and number on Dorothy's paperwork -- but they wouldn't let her have Dorothy until they spayed her (she was found to be already spayed), and by the time she'd been kept in for that, she'd caught a URI, so then they said they had to keep her until she finished her medicine. Okay -- the lady said she'd wait, because she really wanted Dorothy.
Then someone said they thought Dorothy had a leg injury, so they sent her to be X-rayed last week. I was there the next day and was told by a senior vet tech that no injury had been found. (I'd never seen any problem, either -- when she was living in my neighborhood, she ran, she jumped, she climbed all over the roofs... she seemed fine.)
Today, I had a nice conversation by phone with S.F., the woman who wants to adopt Dorothy, who said she'd been at the shelter to visit her earlier today and was told that E.M., a volunteer and former member of the board of directors of the shelter, had taken Dorothy home to foster until she finished her medicine. This made some sense -- she's more likely to shake the URI if she's outside the shelter environment, where it runs rampant. (However, I had put a note on her paperwork that if she needed to be fostered, I would be happy to do it.) Anyway, S.F. and I agreed that when they give her the call to come get Dorothy, she'll call me and I'll meet her there and bring some toys and a brush that are Dorothy's, and also some of the food Dorothy is used to (which I've been smuggling in to her every other day).
An hour later, S.F. calls to say that someone from the shelter called her and said that they'd discovered an old injury that was going to require surgery, Dorothy was going to stay in foster for now, and S.F. should just look for another cat!
She was very upset, because she's very committed to Dorothy... and we're both mystified, because I had been told there was no injury -- certainly not one requiring surgery!
So I have a couple of theories:
1. E.M. may have decided that she, or someone she knows, wants Dorothy, and they're putting off S.F. to get her to relinquish her claim. E.M. is a very powerful figure at the shelter, and what she wants, she gets. Dorothy is a very desirable cat -- part Siamese, blue-eyed, declawed, very sweet and loving... E.M. may just be manipulating the situation.
2. Someone may simply have told me wrong the other day, and the injury may be real. In that case, though, why would they tell S.F. to look for another cat? She's perfectly willing to wait for Dorothy! The only reason I can think of that they would not be delighted for her to simply wait and adopt Dorothy after her surgery is if there isn't going to be any surgery -- if they don't intend to spend the money and plan to just put her to sleep instead!
This terrifies me. I'm going to be over there first thing in the morning to get to the bottom of this, but I'm really scared, since Dorothy isn't on the premises anymore -- I can't just grab her and run, y'know?
If it's a matter of money for the surgery, S.F. may even be willing to pay for that -- she's an attorney and money doesn't seem to be an issue. But she said she's had a very hard time getting anyone to talk to her, to give her any answers... which is everyone's experience at the shelter, including my own. The place is chaotic and the people are rushed and evasive.
Is there something I'm missing here, some other idea you can suggest? I'm scared to death that they may be about to euthanize this wonderful cat, and I may not be able to stop them! Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm paranoid... but severe illness and extreme aggression are the only reasons why they will occasionally euthanize there.
As much as I don't like E.M., I would far rather she be "stealing" Dorothy for herself or some friend, of course, rather than my other theory. But... is there any other possibility that comes to mind? Please help me think this through if you can... I'm just lost here.
Then someone said they thought Dorothy had a leg injury, so they sent her to be X-rayed last week. I was there the next day and was told by a senior vet tech that no injury had been found. (I'd never seen any problem, either -- when she was living in my neighborhood, she ran, she jumped, she climbed all over the roofs... she seemed fine.)
Today, I had a nice conversation by phone with S.F., the woman who wants to adopt Dorothy, who said she'd been at the shelter to visit her earlier today and was told that E.M., a volunteer and former member of the board of directors of the shelter, had taken Dorothy home to foster until she finished her medicine. This made some sense -- she's more likely to shake the URI if she's outside the shelter environment, where it runs rampant. (However, I had put a note on her paperwork that if she needed to be fostered, I would be happy to do it.) Anyway, S.F. and I agreed that when they give her the call to come get Dorothy, she'll call me and I'll meet her there and bring some toys and a brush that are Dorothy's, and also some of the food Dorothy is used to (which I've been smuggling in to her every other day).
An hour later, S.F. calls to say that someone from the shelter called her and said that they'd discovered an old injury that was going to require surgery, Dorothy was going to stay in foster for now, and S.F. should just look for another cat!
She was very upset, because she's very committed to Dorothy... and we're both mystified, because I had been told there was no injury -- certainly not one requiring surgery!
So I have a couple of theories:
1. E.M. may have decided that she, or someone she knows, wants Dorothy, and they're putting off S.F. to get her to relinquish her claim. E.M. is a very powerful figure at the shelter, and what she wants, she gets. Dorothy is a very desirable cat -- part Siamese, blue-eyed, declawed, very sweet and loving... E.M. may just be manipulating the situation.
2. Someone may simply have told me wrong the other day, and the injury may be real. In that case, though, why would they tell S.F. to look for another cat? She's perfectly willing to wait for Dorothy! The only reason I can think of that they would not be delighted for her to simply wait and adopt Dorothy after her surgery is if there isn't going to be any surgery -- if they don't intend to spend the money and plan to just put her to sleep instead!
This terrifies me. I'm going to be over there first thing in the morning to get to the bottom of this, but I'm really scared, since Dorothy isn't on the premises anymore -- I can't just grab her and run, y'know?
If it's a matter of money for the surgery, S.F. may even be willing to pay for that -- she's an attorney and money doesn't seem to be an issue. But she said she's had a very hard time getting anyone to talk to her, to give her any answers... which is everyone's experience at the shelter, including my own. The place is chaotic and the people are rushed and evasive.
Is there something I'm missing here, some other idea you can suggest? I'm scared to death that they may be about to euthanize this wonderful cat, and I may not be able to stop them! Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm paranoid... but severe illness and extreme aggression are the only reasons why they will occasionally euthanize there.
As much as I don't like E.M., I would far rather she be "stealing" Dorothy for herself or some friend, of course, rather than my other theory. But... is there any other possibility that comes to mind? Please help me think this through if you can... I'm just lost here.