Immigration: Introduction to a New Homeland! Nov 29, 2008 In the words of Republi-cats, we support introduction of rescued cats to a new homeland—a new household. In the US alone, 8-12 million companion animals enter animal shelters every year and approximately 5-9 million are euthanized (60% of dogs and 70% of cats). We also support borders and guidelines within the new household, thus introduction to a new homeland can be achieved in the following ways:
Economy: Furry Friend Funding! Nov 29, 2008 We believe in governmental funding for the care of our furry friends who cannot speak or act for themselves. Animals and animal rescue groups have been severally impacted by our current economic crisis which has caused a decrease in support for nonprofits. In addition, we have seen a huge increase in surrendered animals due to foreclosures and layoffs. With recession fears dampening consumer confidence, animals across the country are feeling the impact too with loss of their homes and sometimes with their lives! Marley Fund receives dozens of requests for help every day due to this economic crisis. In these tough economic times, please remember just a buck can change their luck! Visit MarleyFund.com and make your donation today! comments(0) | leave a comment
Environment: Save Our Purr-Fect Planet! Nov 29, 2008
This Bi-Partisan effort supports used cat litter as an alternative bio-fuel! We propose the use of this litter as an alternative fuel. In addition, having a feline as a family member would allow you to have a constant source of fuel as well as a furry companion. With all the rescue organizations in our great country, if we recycled just half of their used litter utilizing it as a bio-fuel, then nonprofit animal rescue funding would no longer being issue as the animals would be millionaires. The other half of used litter could be put back into the environment via composting and therefore make our world more eco-friendly! We will also propose to send a bill to Congress to make it a law that all pet food cans and litter bags must be recycled!
Discrimination: Why Buy When Shelter Pets Die! Nov 29, 2008 There's a place in your community where the hungry are fed, the homeless are sheltered, and the abandoned are comforted. It's your local animal shelter and rescue organization, where care is provided for your area's homeless animals. As a nation, we must take a hard, sobering look at the statistics. There are millions of dogs and cats given up to shelters or left to die on the streets. It doesn’t matter if your pet is of pure breed or mixed breed heritage, each animal has a right to live and have a family. Your next best friend is waiting at a shelter or rescue group near you. Don’t discriminate against shelter animals! Please visit MarleyFund.com to see our list of adoptable pets. comments(0) | leave a comment
Education: No Cat Left Behind! Nov 29, 2008 In the words of the Republi-cats, for our benefit, we believe that all pet owners and future pet owners should be educated on basic care for felines and be required to take Kitten 101 classes. There is a lack of understanding of the importance of testing and testing protocols with regard to FeLV and FIV. There is no reason that any cat should fail nor should any pet owner fail to be educated when given the chance. Please visit MarleyFund.com to better serve your feline and prevent unnecessary grief of pet loss. Vote for your animal! comments(0) | leave a comment
Free Speech: Speak Out For The Voiceless! Nov 29, 2008 On July 4, 1776, we claimed our independence from England and Democracy was born. Every day thousands leave their homeland to come to the "land of the free and the home of the brave" so they can begin their American Dream. The United States is truly a diverse nation made up of dynamic people and pets. Each year on July 4, Americans celebrate their freedom and independence with barbecues, picnics, and family gatherings.
As we look up in the sky this Fourth of July we see many things such as fireworks to celebrate our great nations anniversary, sparklers lighting the night sky with their beautiful illumination, and but most importantly we see ourselves, the most vibrant, beautiful firecrackers of all, in the arms of a new family. What an explosive day this will be for us! From the day of our adoption, we will see fireworks everyday and celebrate the love of our lifetime—our new family!
Just as our country gained its independence in 1776, we want to speak out for victims of retroviruses. Our dream is that one day felines across the world will be independent from this disease. With the right to free speech honored by our constitution, all things are possible. Only in the land of the free could this dream become a reality for so many kitties. Please help support those who support education and awareness to strike back at the number one killer of our feline friends—FeLV and FIV. Visit MarleyFund.com to learn how you can speak out for us. ~Sincerely, The Marley Cats
Bail Out Plan: Our Purr-fect Bi-Partisan Plan! Nov 29, 2008
Equal Opportunity: Cats Deserve More! Nov 29, 2008
Cats deserve equality! They are treated with less respect than any other domestic animal. As witnessed by the following facts:
Health Care: Universal Veterinary Care! Nov 29, 2008 In the words of Demo-cats, Marley kitties agree that all felines deserve proper veterinary care to include spay and neuter, vaccinations, dental care, testing for FeLV and FIV, and receiving flea preventative. All kitties should have this right! All pet owners should be required to obtain veterinary care for their felines! Did you know veterinary visits for cats have dropped 11% since 2001, with more than a third of all cats never seeing a veterinarian? Veterinarians can’t treat cats they don’t see! Pet insurance is available; please contact your local veterinarian for more information. comments(0) | leave a comment
The Right to Bare Arms: No Declawing! Nov 29, 2008 In the words of Republi-cats, we believe in the right to bare arms and will not stand for declawing! This procedure is by definition a digital amputation. Our reasons are as follows:
Family Values: Spay and Neuter! Nov 29, 2008 In the words of Independi-cats, we believe in spaying and neutering your felines to help stop pet overpopulation! In the US, 27,473 dogs and cats are euthanized every 24 hours, every day of the year! Millions of pets are euthanized needlessly because humans have not accepted the responsibility to spay and neuter their pets. Along with helping the over population problem, there are many benefits to altering your pet:
Foreign Policy: World Peace! Nov 29, 2008 All Republi-cats and Demo-cats hereby agree to uphold a friendly approach and treat all breeds with respect to further relations with other feline nations such as with Russian Blues, Egyptian Maus, Persians, Siamese, Turkish Angoras, Javanese, and British Shorthairs, among all other furry foreigners. On a partisan note, we the Marley cats would like to give thanks to our care givers for supporting all of God’s creatures all over the world. Besides, “we are all over the world…we are the kitties…we are the ones who make a brighter day for you and me…so let’s start giving” to all our feline friends. comments(0) | leave a comment
2009 Election Calendar Theme Nov 29, 2008 Please let us know your thoughts on this one. This took a great deal of time to research facts, to be creative and for the animals to share their opinions and speak out for the first time. We are excited to see what you have to say about this twist with all the election hype. We only wish that this edition could have come out sooner. But with your help we will have a landslide of orders. A limited edition with only 2,000 printed. comments(0) | leave a comment
Who's out there? Oct 01, 2008
I'm curious to know who out there is reading this blog, so I'd appreciate it if those of you who are would leave me a comment letting me know you're out there, as well as giving me some ideas about what you would like to see on this blog page. You can also get in touch with me at brian@marleyfund.com
Thanks!
Brian
Introduction to the new blog administrator Sep 23, 2008
Hello all,
My name is Brian Goss and I am the new blog administrator. I would like to give everyone a brief (well, I'll try to be brief anyway) introduction as to who I am and how I am connected with Joy and the Marley Fund.
Five years ago, I began feeding a feral colony that lives in and around my house. Before I knew it, all of the cats started getting healthier and began reproducing in startling numbers. Mainly, this all happened because I was too ignorant in the beginning and didn't take appropriate measures of getting all of the cats fixed. By the time it was all said and done, I had close to 30 kittens born into the colony.
Realizing that this was all my fault, I made the decision to bring all of the kittens inside to foster while I searched for homes for them all. I also started taking measures to have all of the adults outside fixed.
After bringing all of the kittens in, I made the horrible discovery that one of the female mothers outside was infected with leukemia, and thus, her two kittens inside also had the disease (once again, I was too ignorant in the beginning to have all of the kittens tested before they came inside).
Before I could do anything about it, the disease had also spread to 7 of the other kittens inside. This was devastating news, to say the least, and though I'm a man, I'm not embarrassed to admit that I cried like a baby when I found out. Never before have I had such an intense feeling of guilt and hopelessness. Because once again, this was all my fault and though I knew that there's nothing I could've done about the original two kittens infected, I still knew that I had terribly affected the 7 other kittens lives.
I had too many people telling me that I needed to just have the 9 kittens put to sleep, but that was an option that I knew I would never be able to live with if I had gone down that road. Those kittens deserved a chance to have as good a life as they could for the brief time they were going to be here.
I started contacting rescues who specialized in FeLV to see what I needed to do. Only one organization, one person, contacted me back. That's when I was lucky enough to befriend one of the most amazing individuals that I have ever known, Joy Eubanks. She had such a calming effect on me when I was to the brink of 'going over the edge'. As well, she took the time to talk to me, educate me, and really be a huge shoulder of support for me. That, more than anything, meant the world to me. I think it means even more to me now, knowing how busy she always is, that she made time for me.
But as much love and support as she gave me (and continues to give me), I was still here and 9 lives that I loved so dearly, hung in the balance. I did everything that I could for them all, but I knew that eventually, they were going to leave me and there was nothing I could do about it.
A little over a year later, the first one, Deena (one of the original two carriers) succumbed to the disease and passed away in my arms. The doctor gave me the option of being in or out of the room when they gave her 'the shot'. To me, there was no option, I was going to be in there with her and I asked the doctor to let me hold her while they gave her both the anesthetic and 'the shot'. At the very least, I owed it to Deena to be in there with her, so she could at least feel me and hear me before she passed. That was the hardest thing that I've ever gone through in my entire life.
Over time, one by one left me. There was Johnny, then Sid, then Baby Dee, then Pepper, then LV (a sad irony to his name, he was named after my grandmother Elvie, before I found out he was infected), and then Jack. Each time was the same, me holding them as they took their last breath, my tears soaking their innocent little bodies, and it never got any easier to say goodbye.
Fortunately, two are still remaining. There is Blondie, who still lives with me in my bedroom, and then there is Cosmo (who is one that I had a very deep emotional experience with when he was only a couple of weeks old, but I'll save that for another time), who was adopted early on and is still very healthy from what I hear, though I'm not allowed to see him anymore (another story I'll save for some other time).
I'm still very active when it comes to rescue. I have 5 healthy cats that I'm trying to find homes for (I was successful in finding homes for all the others) and I still have a feral colony (numbering around 30) that I still manage (and have most of them all fixed by now). I've also done transport rescues in the past, but the lack of A/C in my truck and lack of gas money has forced me to halt that, hopefully only temporarily. As well, I have my own cat, a 20 lb Siamese named Sigmond. It takes a lot to care for them all properly, but I'm fully committed to doing everything possible to give all of them a good life, even if it means sacrificing things in my own life. They are what is most important, not me.
And I do it all in memory of the lives of the little ones that were here all too briefly.
1510-208 WIMBLEDON WAY :: GREENVILLE, NC 27858 :: 252-215-0925
