90 Seconds of Your Time Equals Many Lives Saved

If you do nothing, we will lose this battle

After years of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) making a significant difference in reducing the number of cats and kittens euthanized in Hillsborough County (reduced from 18, 213 cats euthanized in 2005 to 9, 222 cats euthanized in 2011), we are in serious danger of witnessing TNR being outlawed in Hillsborough County This movement is due to the fanatical behavior of a few vets, who appear to be motivated by financial interests. There is no other basis for their attack on TNR up until now. We are asking that you visit our website (http://www.tampacatcrusaders.org), and link to the on-line petition to keep TNR legal. If you can follow the other steps, like using our template, to email the Hillsborough County Commissioners, that is even better. Liking the Facebook page devoted to Saving TNR and spreading the word will help us immensely also.

There is a lot of information available to you on our website and the other websites we link to about this issue, but we don’t want to clog your email or overload you with all the facts. We could write pages!!!The bottom line is the facts are on our website and on the other rescue’s websites for you.

As many of you know, TNR has been actively effective in our community for years. The two main low cost spay/neuter clinics, Animal Coalition of Tampa (ACT) and Humane Society of Tampa Bay have TNR’d an estimated 30,000 cats since 2006. To outlaw TNR so cats and kittens continue to multiply at alarming rates, and instead taking cats and kittens to Hillsborough County Animal Services to be euthanized the only solution available to the public, is not just completely senseless, but needless-to-say, cruel and inhumane.

PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.

Genie the Sandcat gets her nails clipped while in the Cat Hospital

Today Tonga (age 15) went to Blue Pearl’s Oncology Department and had a CT done to see if his squamous cell carcinoma on his nose can be removed.

He has some kidney problems and his urine is very cloudy, so they are sending those tests out to see if there is anything life threatening in them. He had a sonogram and x-rays to try and make sure the cancer has not spread and they are pretty sure it hasn’t, but are awaiting those urine tests.

Part of the issue in deciding how his surgery should be done, will be determined by experts who will decide if it can be cut out or frozen out and still leave enough healthy tissue to heal over so he can live outside.

Bailey Bobcat and Pharaoh Serval watch Anasazie Bobcat get vaccinated

This cute little lion statue was at Blue Pearl

Tonga the white serval gets a sonogram at Blue Pearl

Sonogram w/ Dr Wendy Gwin shows that his liver is “bright” but not much else

Tonga the white serval gets an X-ray looking for spread of cancer

Big Cat Rescue President, Jamie Veronica, watches Tonga in X-ray

A CT is done on Tonga to see how deeply cancer has spread in nose

Jamie Veronica, James Judge, Dr Jen Coyle, Blue Pearl Dr Wendy Gwin and Tech Jaime

Dr Jen Coyle, Blue Pearl Dr Wendy Gwin and Tech Jaime

The following photos were provided to the media by James Judge the Media Manager at Blue Pearl

Tonga the White Serval at Blue Pearl Photo by James Judge

Tonga the White Serval at Blue Pearl Photo by James Judge

Tonga the White Serval at Blue Pearl Photo by James Judge

Tonga the White Serval at Blue Pearl Photo by James Judge

Tommie Girl the Blind Bobcat

Meanwhile, back at the sanctuary, Tommie Girl watches Gale and the interns cleaning out Canyon Sandcat’s third section to prepare it for a tunnel, all of the weeds out of Nirvana Ocelot’s enclosure and many more landscaping projects.