Many ways to help SARA help animals in need

By Cindy Kugel

Meet Maddy - a sweet medium-sized tan seven-year-old shepherd-cross who is being given medical treatment by a local private shelter for a serious skin infection which may require lifelong treatment.
Due to poor diet and lack of exercise, this sweet dog is weak and thin yet responding well to medication, nutrition and being able to move freely.
The saddest part of Maddy's story is that she has spent her life on a very short chain and is just one of many dogs who people forget about in the backyard. Her owner has not agreed to sign her over to the shelter so she could find a new home where she could live inside as a companion for someone who could manage the ongoing costs of her rehabilitation.
Rather, he has allowed the shelter to keep her long enough to make her well, at their cost.
Not fair? This is just one case of many where owners are unwilling or unable to care for their pets once neglect brings sickness and expense.
But Maddy doesn't know what is fair and who should pay. She is a gentle spirit who greeted me hoping for kindness and welcomed me into SARA (Surrey Animal Rescue and Adoption Society). This was the private shelter I had come to explore and after falling in love with Maddy, my adventure began.
The bright front room was dedicated to older cats who were lazing in front of the window. As I walked carefully among other cats I saw four-week-old and abandoned three-day-old kittens in the office lucky enough to be nursed by a foster mom cat.
Next, I made my way past more cats in the clean kitchen and rec room and outside into the spacious back yard which I noted had an eight-foot-high fence so the cats wouldn't roam. After looking at the bunnies and pet carrier pigeons I was shown the huge cat "barn" where cats, many feral and hiding from me, can go for refuge or to play and climb.
It was then I was introduced to Bruce, a stunning three-year-old white Persian who is in need of a very special home with no other cats. This fellow is loving towards people, but has difficulty being adopted because he is so aggressive towards other cats.
I also found out about Royce, a two-year-old creamy Himalayan-cross who came in timid and matted and almost unable to trust people. He is making good progress and with work should be able to bond with people again.
I was told that Surrey is very strict with this shelter in enforcing a two-dog limit, however, there are two spacious kennels and the front yard available to dogs such as Maddy, who are in urgent need of rehabilitation.
As I took one final look around me at the cats basking freely in the sun and noticed several of them playfully following me, I had an experience I'll never forget. With one word from Donna, the founder of SARA, 20 or 30 cats came from out of nowhere affectionately rubbing up against me and purring as if to say goodbye and thank me for coming. Never in my wildest dreams, especially having only owned dogs, had I imagined cats could be so ingratiating and personable. I was truly amazed that these cats of so many different types and backgrounds, almost all abandoned, could be so incredibly friendly and content.
Imagine though, how overwhelming it must be to care for all these "castaways" and how much it must cost. In fact, Donna cares for about 130 cats on her property and in her home which, by the way, is spotless. She has dedicated the last 20 years of her life to the rescue, rehabilitation and adoption of unwanted animals, but has operated SARA since 1998.
She has a strict "no kill" policy and allows animals to age gracefully and die naturally in her shelter if they are too old to be adopted.
She spends about $2,500 a month on food and $2,000 a month on veterinary costs such as vaccines, spay and neuter, preventative medications and emergency medicine. How can she possibly manage? I am honestly baffled, but aside from tremendous personal debt and sacrifice, I imagine she depends heavily on community involvement and donations. This is your chance to make a difference. Here's how you can help.
n Adopt. Volunteers arrange all viewing and adoptions in space donated to her by Petsmart ( 72 Ave. at Scott Rd. in Surrey). Cats are there every day, dogs on weekends, and there is always a photo album to show other available animals. Go to www.adopt@sarasociety.org for more info. Adoption costs start at about $80, which is just a fraction of the costs incurred.
n Volunteer. Help at the Petsmart shelter or offer to transport animals to and from Petsmart. Consider providing a foster home for animals in need of special care or dogs waiting to be adopted. Help with fundraisers or out building improvements. Offer to be on the SARA Board.
n Donate. No amount is too small. Choose to donate to Maddy for ongoing treatment of her skin infection or to a special spay and neuter fund to help with low cost spay and neuters for people who cannot afford it . Donations can be made to the SARA, earmarked for Royal City Animal Clinic or the Maddy account, or made to the shelter itself. Receipts are issued and donations are tax deductible. Reach SARA at 604-580-8254 or e-mail sarasociety@hotmail.com.
When I think of all the unwanted, neglected and abused animals I have seen in my years working with animal welfare organizations it is surprising I still believe in a human-animal bond. But I do. When I meet people like Donna and dogs like Maddy I know people and animals are meant to care for each other and I am sad for people who chain their dogs and lose track of their (unspayed/unneutered) cats.
Why do Donna and her volunteers do what they do? I guess it's because they too know how remarkable a friendship we are meant to have with animals.
Note: Boarding for cats and dogs will be available starting in June at SARA to help with costs. An open house will be held in July. I encourage readers to drop by the shelter at that time (address will be provided) for their own adventure in kindness.