GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — This week, the team at Michele’s Rescue says they had to jump into action to prevent one of their recently adopted cats from being euthanized.
A woman is accused of violating the adoption contract she signed with the nonprofit organization.
A sweet ball of fur named Anna came into the animal rescue in March, pregnant with five babies.
Staff went through the process of making sure she was happy, healthy and well adjusted to being around people. That includes placing the cats into foster homes.
“The foster home, they get to assess her personality, understand what type of home she would do really well in, where she would thrive,” explained Theresa Ockaskis with Michele's Rescue. “It's really the bridge to finding her forever family.”
Eventually 2-year-old Anna was ready to start meeting potential adopters.
An older woman contacted the rescue looking for a kitty to keep her company at home.
“We actually brought Anna to her,” Ockaskis said.
They had to make sure her house met a series of qualifications and determine if she would be a good fit for Anna in the long run.
"She got to meet Anna, and it seemed like it was a good fit,” Ockaskis said. “As part of that, we review all of the expectations to be an adoptive parent.”
It seemed to be a moment to celebrate. Anna now had a beautiful home to look forward to.
But, as Ockaskis would soon come to learn, that would not be the case.
On Monday, Ockaskis would receive a panicked call from a friend at Family Friends Veterinary Hospital in Grand Rapids.
"And she said, 'Hey, we got a call about your cat, that the adopter wants to have her killed,’” she recalled.
The woman who had adopted Anna just three or four weeks prior was trying to have the cat euthanized.
“We got lucky; they knew Anna,” she said. “We got lucky that they associated Anna with Michele's Rescue."
It's not just a sad situation but the woman was also violating the adoption contract she signed when she took Anna home.
"It's not long in nature, but the content that's in there is extremely important,” Ockaskis explained.
Before giving away your rescue cat, or putting them down, adopters agree to first contact Michele’s Rescue.
“We would absolutely take any of our animals back, and we would have loved to have the opportunity to have done that with Anna,” she said. “It was a very cowardly action that this adopter did, to take the animal to a vet.”
Immediately, the folks at Michele’s Rescue began making moves to get Anna to safety.
“Our hearts dropped. ... It was going into immediate crisis mode,” she said.
They were able to get to the woman’s house and take Anna before she could be put down.
"I don't understand what could go through somebody's mind, to have them resort to that decision when there were so many other options that were available,” Ockaskis stressed.
The woman claimed that Anna was not acting the way she hoped.
"She was frustrated that the cat was climbing on her counter and table,” Ockaskis said. “Animals are animals; you're going to have a cat that's going to want to climb. That's what they do.”
Anna is now at the PetSmart on 28th Street in Grand Rapids looking for someone who truly wants her around.
If you or someone you know is interested in adding the little cuddle muffin to your family, you can check her out online.
Once you are ready to adopt, you can visit Michele’s Rescue to begin the process.
“They say cats have nine lives,” Ockaskis said Tuesday. "She used up one of them for sure."
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