"Giving to those who give so freely, ask for nothing, and teach us so much!"

"Freddie is saved - he goes to his new home on Sunday" "A big thank you to all Freddie's supporters out there who contacted Four Paws Trail to help save Freddie's life and to those of you who then gave Four Paws Trail YOUR support by helping to spread Freddie's story and by contacting the media. Many, many sincere thanks!" You see, if each of us gives a little, we CAN do so much!! To read his almost fatel story continue below --
Freddie Source - Four Paws Trail posted 10/3/2003
A couple of days ago I was approached by an on-line "animal participant" by the name of Pam to save the life of a young tabby called Freddie who is in the Windsor-Essex Humane Society in Windsor, Ontario (contact information follows): Windsor/Essex County Humane Society 1375 Provincial Road Windsor Ontario N8W 5V8 Phone: (519)966-5751 Fax: (519)966-1848 Email: info@windsorhumane.org General Manager: John Roushorne (was Leona McIntyre until October 2) Freddie was surrendered to the humane society on September 18 because he bit the woman who took him off the streets - Susan. Pam contacted me because she believed Freddie, as a young stray, was traumatized and terrified and just needed love, patience and time, and had been unfairly and prematurely taken to the humane society for sacrificing.
After researching various messages Pam put out on the Internet it was obvious that Freddie should not have been surrendered, an unfortunate decision by Susan, and a decision was made to proceed to save his life - in the same way we have saved many other animals. Initially, I contacted the Jazzpurr Protection Agency in Windsor for help, however, shortly after that I realized the contact was emailing me saying they could help while at the same time emailing Pam telling her there was little they could do. Pam also said she had phoned them numerous times to help with this and not one of her calls was returned.	Freddie only has today, please help me save him! Freddie
I later received an email message from an animal rights person indirectly linked to Jazzpurr. She told me initially they could try to help but as the messages went back and forth, the tone became more pessimistic. (She is linked with Jazzpurr and I believe Jazzpurr works in some context with the Windsor HS). I contacted Leona McIntyre, the general manager of the humane society earlier this week and was assured that nothing would happen to Freddie until his quarantine was up. He was quarantined because he bit Susan and a two-week quarantine period for rabies is standard in Ontario. Leona also assured me that after his quarantine period was up - yesterday, October 2 - someone would contact me before any action was taken. She told me she put a note on his cage with her signature authorizing him to be held. I asked Leona to contact Susan (she said she knew her) to ask if she would sign a release for Freddie. (In Canada an animal is apparently considered "property" which gives the human owner full right of control over his life - right or wrong. Leona assured me that Susan would not decline signing the release - she knew her, she said. Leona sounded fairly reasonable to deal with and I believed her. I then asked Leona if Freddie had bitten anyone in the two weeks he was in the humane society and she said that he was difficult to handle at times but had not bitten anyone. I think "difficult to handle" is understandable for a cat that has been through so much. Even one's pets can be "difficult to handle" on a normal trip to the vet! I then set about finding a home or fosterer for Freddie and found one - a very good one! After finding someone to take Freddie, I began working on the logistics of getting him out of the humane society after his quarantine was up. I worked out those details, too. As plans proceeded Pam decided to inform me - after I had contacted the humane society and made a decision to save Freddie's life - that Freddie is anemic. Cats that are anemic require treatment and could possibly die if they do not get it. Knowing that he is anemic did not change my decision to save him - after all, a young cat that doesn't feel well might be more inclined to bite than another. Who is at their best when they don't feel well - you? me? In the meantime, I received an email message from Pam "demanding" details of who would take Freddie - name, address and phone number. I replied that I would ask the person who was to take Freddie if I could release that information. The next day I received confirmation that I could. I planned to send it when I arrived home that evening. However, yesterday afternoon I decided to check on Freddie and called the humane society - the day before when I called Leona told me he had a URI and I told her that if he needed treatment he should get it and I would pay the bill. When I called and asked for Leona I was told she no longer worked there and had been replaced by John Roushorne, the new General Manager. Leona had told me she was leaving but didn't mention any dates and did not imply it was any time soon. I asked for John Roushorne and he said Freddie's time is up today (10/2/2003) and he is to be put to sleep. He was very awkward to deal with and all he could say was "we put thousands to sleep every year". I immediately told him my immediate concern was only Freddie, not the rest of the thousands. Eventually, I persuaded him to give Freddie some more time but he only agreed to hold him until today (10/3/2003). YES, WE ONLY HAVE A FEW HOURS TO SAVE LITTLE FREDDIE'S LIFE! HE DIES TODAY (10/3/2003)! We have someone to take Freddie, someone who will work with him (f he needs it, although I truly think Freddie is not the cause of all this) - yet, it appears Susan wants him to die! Yes, she wants him to die!!! Leona told John Roushorne (according to John) that she, Susan, refused to sign a release. Yet, I found a message on the Feral Cats Yahoo groups list - from Pam - saying that Susan told her that it is the humane society who will not release him, not Susan. (Also note that originally Susan and Freddie were posted on the Internet as "Jane and Sammie" but Pam has confirmed they are the same. It has appeared throughout the string of email messages that, for some reason, Pam might be protecting Susan. At the very least, Freddie is a victim of a nasty situation and at the very least deserves a chance at life. Unfortunately, according to John Roushorne, in Canada a pet is considered "property" and as such the owner can dictate the animal's very life, even on a whim! I IMPLORE you to do the right and moral thing and help save Freddie! We don't have time to take our time here - he dies today! This is a plea for help - for little Freddie!
YOU WOULD TAKE MY LIFE? On what grounds am I doomed to die? Because I was terrified and a prisoner? Who are you to say I should die? Do you know all about me there is to know? By what rights do you claim to be master Of my life and my death? Are you so perfect that you dare not question A single move you made? Do you really think you did everything perfectly? Did you not stop to think I might have been afraid? All I had known was the streets and a life of survival. You took me in and assumed I would be normal. You didn't give me enough time to adjust I bit you out of fear and you turned me over To the very place that would assure I had no chance at life! Babies have mothers to show them the ropes. I had none. You did! YOU should have known better. On what grounds do "authorities" decide on the word of ONE person! One person turned me in and they immediately scheduled me for death! Is this fair? Is it just? Is this the world you wanted me to be a part of? I would rather live homeless on the streets than be part of such pathetic reality. You keep your world and leave me to mine, but do NOT determine my fate! Yes, YOU out there, you know who you are! We have the same Maker and he knows what you did. Perhaps one day someone will turn you in Because you make a mistake that horrifies the wrong person And then they schedule YOU to die, too! If they take my life before I can be saved Let it be on YOUR conscience for every second left Of your insignificant life!
	© Four Paws Trail October 3, 2003
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