2013-Fall Bloom:
10/16/2013
7:53 PM
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space in 2008, was founded in 1998. The nonprofit is currently caring for roughly 200 felines, about 25 of which live in the downtown building, while the others are fostered out to area individuals. This year alone, the organization has taken in more than 400 cats and placed more than 270 in forever homes. Each year, Cat’s Cradle adopts out roughly 400 felines and helps pay for anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 sterilizations, not including those performed on the organization’s own cats. “Cat’s Cradle is a very special place,” said Matt Chan, adoption and volunteer coordinator at the nonprofit, as well as its only full-time employee. “We are a very humane organization and we care passionately about the cats. … You know when you adopt a cat from us, it’s coming from an organization that’s very involved in the community.” Adopters also know that the new pet has been not only sterilized, but dewormed, microchipped and tested for common diseases. If potential cat parents are deadset on finding a specific variety, Chan recommends that they find a specialty rescue organization. But before that, he hopes they’ll consider looking past the breed. “There are so many other cats out there that are dying every single day in the community around you,” he said. Chan receives requests to take in about 50 cats each day. “There’s no way I can say ‘yes’ to all of them,” he said, adding that, with the help of social media, people can often re-home cats without help from the nonprofit. On the bully side Virginia Paws for Pits is a Staunton-based nonprofit specializing in re-homing pit bulls and pit bull mixes, as well as so-called “bully breeds.” Page Hearn officially
founded Virginia Paws for Pits in March 2012 after developing a love affair with the breed. When she was 17, Hearn was at a party in Crimora when a dog fighting ring developed. Someone suggested a litter of puppies be added to the mix. Hearn grabbed as many of the puppies as she could. She kept Stoli — now 13 — one of four dogs she currently has, all of which are rescues. That bright-eyed puppy grew into a gentle, familyfriend dog. “He’s perfect,” she said, adding that her 9-year-old son adores him. “He’s great with children. … Stoli loves everyone and everything.” This year alone, Virginia Paws For Pits has pulled more than 170 dogs. The group rescues animals on the brink of euthanasia from shelters’ “death rows.” About 2,600 pit bulls and pit bulls mixes are put to sleep in shelters across the nation everyday, according to Hearn. “I don’t think people are aware of the number of dogs in shelters,” she said. “There are purebreds, everything you can think of being put to sleep in shelters.” Most dogs in shelters across the U.S. are labeled as pit bulls or pit bulls mixes — about 58 percent. Of those, roughly 60 percent are mislabeled, she said. Hearn finds solace in her belief that the nationwide opinion on adopting as opposed to purchasing bred pets has changed. “I definitely think that in the last five to 10 years ... society in general has started to see that it’s a better idea to adopt and not shop, but it [has] a long way to go,” she said, adding that she hopes the government will focus more on regulating breeding instead of breeds.