Patches found herself in a predicament. She had become the causality of an economic crisis. Her home was being foreclosed on, her owner was facing homelessness and Patches had nowhere to go. With the Covid crisis shelters and municipal pounds were ordered to shut down, remove all animals from the shelters, and close doors to incoming animals. This left many people in very difficult positions. Foster based rescue groups across Minnesota were suddenly overwhelmed with requests for help and quickly reaching capacity. Patches got caught in the crossfire.

13 years old, alone and scared.

Patches was left behind. 

We received a call. A plea from one of our Veterinary Clinic Partners. A senior cat in bad shape had been brought into the clinic. It was estimated she had been alone in an abandoned house for 2-3 months. The home had gone into foreclosure and sold in auction sight unseen. The purchasers had no idea poor dear Patches was there. As they entered the home and started to look around, they heard a faint cry that became louder as they searched for the source.

Patches was found hiding behind a bookcase scared but also obviously relieved someone had come.

A large bag of cat food had been left open for her but she had finished it and was on to a box of cornflakes. She was in rough shape. The kind people that found her rushed her to Fort Road Animal Hospital where the technicians and Doctor evaluated Patch's condition. She had the start of fatty liver disease from being without proper food. This would require special care to make sure she would recover. She was also dehydrated and had a mild upper respiratory infection. Despite these medical challenges it was quickly determined Patches was a feline with the will to survive and the loudest purr of gratitude for being rescued.

Pet Haven was contacted and we immediately said YES to Patches and brought her into the loving arms of our Foster Program. There she received the medical attention she needed, a warm home, soft bed, all the food she could ever want just no corn flakes, and time to heal. Emotionally and physically. It took Patches a while to trust but once she opened up and realized she was safe and with kind hands she blossomed!

After a month under the care of her foster, Patches was placed up for adoption and in just a few days found her forever family. Reports on Patches consist of naps in the sunspots on the carpet, cuddles on the couch, and lots of purrs of gratitude. She knows how lucky she is to find home and so do we.

With the economic downturn, homelessness is a quickly rising problem in our communities. Pets often fall victim to nowhere to go. Few homeless shelters allow pets and those that do are few and far between. In the state of Minnesota, we only have three that allow pets and only for victims of domestic violence. When faced with a crisis such as homelessness or illness or needing treatment for addiction, what would you do? It's easy to say "I would never leave my pet behind, pets are family" but with limited resources and economic hardships, options can be almost nonexistent.

We at Pet Haven see these challenges firsthand every day in our Crisis Owner Surrender Program and it is heartbreaking. We have seen a 200% increase in requests for help over last year.

We work hard to say yes providing peace of mind to pet owners who can no longer care for their pets but we would like to see alternative options to surrender. As part of our strategic plan for 2021, we are looking into creating a Temporary Foster Program that will give owners the time they need to get back on their feet and ultimately keep families together.

This is the Pet Haven Promise, keeping pets and people together. At Pet Haven, Pets are Family!

If you are interested in learning more about a Temporary Foster Program or would like to support the program please contact our Executive Director at director@pethavenmn.org