A disabled Veteran and his wife decided they wanted to move to Arizona. The couple have a 5 member fur family. They set off on a journey from Washington to Arizona. They had all of their belongings packed in to a moving truck. Included was a large crate filled with their three cats, Taro, Magellan and Jiro. The three cats rode with their grandpa in the moving truck and the couples two dogs rode with their owners in the car.
When they arrived in Arizona the bad luck seemed to be sort of a snow ball effect. The house they thought they were moving in to had fell through. Not knowing Arizona very well, they only knew they needed to find a place close to Luke AFB as the wife had planned to find employment on the base. At this point they were running low on money and still had all of their belongings in a rental truck which was racking up cost.
After countless tries to find a temporary place to stay that would accept all 5 pets, the couple reached out to Surprise Police Department. It was determined that they were able to gather camping gear for the couple and secure a nice camping spot. This would be a temporary fix for the owners and the dogs, but was surely not ideal for the three cats.
The Surprise Police department contacted Chance Shelter and asked if we could take the three cats in to our care until the couple could have a few days to try to find a permanent home. The trip appeared to be very stressful for the cats. Originally the owners believed that Taro had developed a skin condition due to the stress. Taro had a large open wound on his tail and had been scratching and pulling his hair out in other areas. We took the cats in to our Neighbor to Neighbor foster care program. They were quarantined into a room where they could settle in and feel a little more stability.
Our board decided that it would be best to help the couple and Taro and have him seen by the veterinarian while they were trying to get their housing situation in order. At Taro’s appointment the veterinarian had determined that Taro had a flea infestation and that he was allergic. Taro was treated and given antibiotics. Then his other fur family members were treated along with the room they had been quarantined in.
At first it took some time for these three beautiful boys to trust the foster. After a few days, they would cuddle and accept all the attention they could get. Jiro was not quite sure about his surroundings so he remained cautious but still friendly. After a couple of days Taro began to look better and was not scratching. His tail is healing but we were told it would take some time.
After seven days, the couple realized it was going to take a longer period of time then originally thought to find a permanent residence . They reached out to his Veteran’s resources. The couple had received new assistance for the cats from another facility. The facility would be helping them with the ability for the cats to stay longer until the couple can find a home.
Chance Shelter was happy we could assist during a very crucial time for the three cats and their owners. Taro, Magellan and Jiro, thank you for blessing us with your presence and love, even if only for a short period of time. It was our pleasure to have you visit.
