Operation Catification

By DAN KROSSE

— Chief Lifesaving Officer Pearl Sutton

The cats at Charleston Animal Society weren’t quite sure what was happening. All they could see were a team of people in bright orange shirts adding shelves and cool looking cubbies to the shelter’s cat adoption area. Little did the cats know, they were at ground zero for “Operation Catification.” After hosting a training at the shelter in March, The Jackson Galaxy Project, a program of Greater Good Charities, designed renovation plans for the cat spaces in Charleston Animal Society using its Operation Catification design principles. The renovation at Charleston Animal Society is made possible by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA, Inc. and is being completed by Greater Good Charities’ Rescue Rebuild team. “Operation Catification is an initiative of The Jackson Galaxy Project that incorporates design principles to help achieve the ultimate in feline and human mojo, to help increase shelter visits and cat adoptions, but more importantly, it is part of a holistic approach to caring for cats in shelters,” said TV’s Cat Daddy Jackson Galaxy, who visited Charleston Animal Society while the project was underway. According to Galaxy’s website, “Catification” is the art of making aesthetic and spatial changes and adjustments to a shelter (or your home) that meet the needs of both you and your cat.

Galaxy encourages people to create spaces that really satisfy your cat’s primal instincts and challenge them the way being outdoors does. Your cat’s instincts propel them to jump, perch, climb, play, sleep, eat, hunt, and ultimately, provide a complete feeling of confidence that comes with a sense of territorial ownership. Now cats at Charleston Animal Society have new shelves to jump on, cubbies to climb in, frosted glass for privacy and even shades that can be drawn when a cat is overstimulated in the shelter environment.

“Many adopters have told us how warm and friendly the catification has made them feel, as they’re visiting with our cats,” said Charleston Animal Society Chief Lifesaving Officer Pearl Sutton. “It’s been a joy to watch the cats play on the catwalk and snuggle in their new beds.”

The Jackson Galaxy Project is a program of Greater Good Charities that seeks to improve the lives of cats at risk and help the people who care for them through innovative initiatives that educate, inspire and empower staff, rescuers and adopters. Operation Catification took about 10 days to complete and was led by the Rescue Rebuild team and local volunteers from the North Charleston area.

DAN KROSSE

TOP LEFT: The Rescue Rebuild team spent 10 days on “Operation Catification” at Charleston Animal Society. ABOVE: “Cat Daddy” Jackson Galaxy says everyone can “catify” their home by creatively using spaces that appeal to cats’ natural climbing and hiding instincts.

IN LATE SEPTEMBER, a joint team of more than 60 federal and state law enforcement officers executed nearly two dozen warrants for various properties in the Midlands area in what is believed to be the biggest takedown of a dogfighting operation in South Carolina history. On day one of the raid, officers with the operation interrupted a scheduled dogfighting match in Richland County. The following morning, the officers executed 23 search warrants at various residences and properties in Richland, York, Orangeburg, Clarendon, Lee, and Sumter Counties that were known dogfighting kennels or associated with dogfighting. In total 305 dogs were rescued over that weekend, with 275 believed to be associated with dogfighting. The Humane Society of the United States and Bark Nation supported the operation by assisting with animal handling and are currently assisting with the care of the animals. During the weekend operation, officers seized approximately 30 firearms, $40,000 in cash, and various evidence related to dogfighting. More than 20 individuals were arrested for state charges relating to animal cruelty and dogfighting. “To force dogs to fight, often to the death, for the enjoyment of others is not only a federal crime, it is also cruel, sadistic, and can create a haven for other illicit activities involving drugs and firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “This joint operation, which has been months in the making, makes clear that dogfighting operations will find no refuge here in South Carolina.” The Animal Welfare Act makes it a felony punishable by up to five years in federal prison to fight dogs or to possess, train, sell, buy, deliver, receive, or transport dogs intended for use in dogfighting. “Even after the many years we have worked to protect dogs from the calculated brutality that dogfighting perpetuates, our responders are still struck by the resilience of these dogs who have suffered unthinkable cruelty,” said Kitty Block, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. “We are grateful to the federal and state officials for intervening on behalf of these dogs and for the opportunity to work together to get them the care they deserve.” Authorities say the investigation into dogfighting in South Carolina continues.