During April’s pet appreciation month, KAWS, a local organization for animal rescue, is reaching out to the community for support and interest for the roughly 30 cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies currently under their care.
“We always have cats and kittens in our care, but the number of puppies we have right now isn’t exactly normal,” says Delee Decap, one of the volunteers for KAWS. The non-profit, volunteer-led organization has no less than ten puppies right now, three of which were still available for adoption on Saturday.
One of the pups is from a litter known among volunteers as the “Frozen Litter.” This name has a double meaning as a pregnant dog was rescued by the joint efforts of rig workers and KAWS volunteers in the -40 temperatures of early February. The litter was born into a warm foster home on Valentine’s Day and were all promptly given names from Disney’s Frozen movie by one of the household’s young members.
The two other pups up for adoption on Saturday were found on the doorstep of a KAWS volunteer. Now happy, healthy and rolly-polly with puppy cuteness, they are awaiting forever homes. Anyone interested in adopting an animal through KAWS, should contact them through their Facebook page KAWS Animal Rescue.
Caring for animals, then matching them to new homes isn’t easy for the KAWS volunteers, but many of them said it was a richly rewarding experience. “It’s definitely very busy and keeps me on my toes,” said volunteer and foster mom Jaisee Miller. Miller currently has the mother and eight pups from the Frozen Litter, as well as two cats, one with a new batch of five tiny kittens.
“I have to be organized, or I literally wouldn’t get anything done. I get up, care for the kids, then its two solid hours of puppy care.” Miller says that even though caring for the young animals is time and energy consuming; she finds it worthwhile. “It’s rewarding because I know I’m meeting a very real need, those pups would have died out there in the snow. It’s also a little sad because you grow to love them so much.”
“It becomes a great big mix of feeling to see them go to their Forever Homes,” agreed another foster parent, Danae Roberts. Roberts currently doesn’t have foster animals, but she expects to be busy soon as kittens are usually born and abandoned during this time of year.
While raising pups and kittens is satisfying, it also comes with a huge price tag. Delee Decap noted that vet bills and other resources needed to make an animal ready for adoption is a significant drain on the organization’s resources. “If we guess roughly $200 per animal just for vet fees, multiply that by 30, and you have an easy $6,000—before food and supplies.”
Decap stressed the need for community support in the form of cash donations or food and supply donations for the upcoming weeks. “PetValu has already been incredible for us in the form of kitty litter and food, and they currently have a donation drive going on—the whole proceeds will come directly to KAWS.”
Even after PetValu’s drive ends in April, they always have a donation box on hand for folks to purchase supplies and food and place it in the box. Second-hand, gently/new items could also be dropped off at 21 O’Connor Crescent and 339 2nd Avenue East, both addresses in Kindersley.
KAWS is also doing a bottle drive, where recyclables may be dropped off at each of the above-mentioned addresses or at Sarcan and mention that you are donating all proceeds to KAWS. KAWS is also planning a fundraising garage sale later in the spring, so folks that are doing spring cleaning and have items to donate can clearly mark the boxes/bags and drop the items off at the Kindersley addresses.
For more information on KAWS, please see their Facebook Page KAWS Animal Rescue.
Feature Image Sources: A KAWS foster mom and volunteer holds Wesley, a 11 week old pup that was up for adoption last Saturday at the Kindersley Mall trade show – Mallorie Rast/Kindersley Social
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