Joan: I will sit and comfort this scared little girl we gave a real name to as she takes her last breath….

by Susan Schreck
President and Founder of Saving Southern Kitties
June 8, 2018

Rest in Peace Joan
Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats

Reality of my life today..and the rant I need to make or else I will end up quitting. I need to say it.

Today I am so so sad, angry, hurt, disgusted, devastated, disappointed in so many people, resentful, feeling forgotten, not valued, used…I could go on with all of the emotions I’m feeling.

You see today I will do the only merciful thing that has been done for this girl. I will sit and comfort this scared little girl we gave a real name to as she takes her last breath….

The one YOU dumped (owner #1) at a shelter where they obviously didn’t give two F&*’ks about her being sick or who they gave her to because less than five months later YOU (owner #2) dumped her at a rural high kill animal control where the people couldn’t even see She was ill.

Then, you see we were asked to save her and we scrambled to do so and do the right thing and seek immediate medical care, practically having to beg to get any testing done for her.

After two weeks sitting there (and a good amount of money spent) she was pretty much ignored from all I can figure and sent to us labeled “ready for adoption” in a horrible state. She was covered in fleas, very anemic, skin and bones, lethargic, vomiting petrified, and barely five lbs. Failed yet again.

You see, all I can figure is she was considered “just a cat,” “just a number,” “disposable.” You see she was shy, scared, so unsure about humans…WHO COULD BLAME HER?? She has been failed over and over in her short five years of life.

We’ve hospitalized for weeks, run every test, multiple blood panels, hoping we could FIX this broken little girl. We saw the specialist and did the expensive ultrasound; a couple thousand already spent trying to make her well. But you see she’s had a big tumor growing in her stomach for some time and she’s suffered for a long time because of it. She has cancer. She is slowly dying.

So today I will comfort this forgotten failed girl  and show her nothing but Love as my (also broken hearted) vet and friend has to inject the medicine that will finally free her from her pain and end her life.

We will cry our eyes out for the life she never knew. We will cry because we love every animal and believe they deserve real love, real care and a real home. We will cry because we KNOW her story and it hurts us that much more. We will lose part of ourselves just a little more and become just a little more hardened and jaded. We will show her the only Mercy she’s likely ever been given.

Why post such sadness and heartache? Because I really feel she deserves to be known. You see JOAN is every cat, every animal who’s been failed. She matters. She deserved better.

If you’re a rescue, if you’re a pledger or crossposter, EVERY SINGLE animal you want to see pulled day in and day out NEEDS to be followed up on.

We know what IS and ISN’T possible. We know had Joan gone anywhere else she would likely have just been adopted out AS IS or given to some random foster or worse-dumped again. She wouldn’t have gotten all of this care and testing so that once and for all she received a diagnosis that explains all she’s endured; all of her pain.

It takes a LOT of money to give every cat the care they should be receiving. It isn’t enough that they just leave animal control. It isn’t possible to pull day in and day out. Every rescue needs to be the BEST they can be for EVERY animal they take on. We need to stop accepting and Enabling this dumbing down that is occurring everywhere in rescue.

All of YOU are responsible for the “JOANS” you work so hard to advocate for. Please don’t be another link in the chain of failing them the way Joan was failed. Know WHERE these animals are going. BE THEIR VOICE!!!

Today I will hold YOUR CAT as she takes her last breath as I lose part of my soul. Today in death Joan will KNOW love. I will make certain of that.

I don’t need your sympathies. What I want is to know I MADE you THINK about how we are doing as a human race for the animals we claim to love.

Be that person every JOAN wishes for.

Susan Schreck
Founder and President

Note from Elisa. This article written June 7 by Susan really hit home because it describes so many cats who are dumped at the local kill shelter. Susan is well known in the Carolinas for saving death row cats. I received her permission to post and the only editing done is spacing the paragraphs and spelling out numbers.

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7 thoughts on “Joan: I will sit and comfort this scared little girl we gave a real name to as she takes her last breath….”

  1. Dearest Susan Schreck,

    My tears join yours in grief for all of the unwanted, abandoned, and pushed-aside Creatures of God. The human race has traveled far away from the task that God gave us: taking care of all of His creatures. Just because He gave us dominion over them does NOT mean that we should treat them so horrendously. Several passages in the. Bible mention the ill-treatment people are giving animals.

    My head hangs in shame for the actions of mankind towards animals. May God take all the Joans and give them the love they never had on Earth. And may God bless and comfort all of those people who do their best to help and comfort the many Joans.

    Reply
  2. Reading Joan’s story broke my heart, as so many stories of forgotten animals only can. You are more than “just a cat, “Joan. You are a most precious soul. You deserve love, compassion, kindness, and freedom from pain. You deserve a happy life which eluded you on earth. Thank you Susan Schreck and Saving Southern Kitties for allowing Joan to cross the Rainbow Bridge with dignity, knowing that she is valued. May you run free in the next realm Joan, feeling peace and love in your heart. Zen and karma are abundant in the universe. Every life matters…every soul counts. 😭💜💜☮️☯️🗝️

    Reply
  3. Susan is remarkable, as are all the Susans.The world needs more Susans.

    The world needs fewer humans who, through selfish disregard create the endless stream of Joans.

    Humans took desert cats into the human world to exploit some of their natural behaviours for human benefit. Too many humans have forgotten what a huge debt we owe to cats.

    Sweet, beautiful Joan, run free of earthly pain sweetheart, run free.

    Reply

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