Annie was found by one of our volunteers in a dumpster. Our volunteer saw someone putting what looked like a puppy in the dumpster, she went to see and it was Annie. Annie was immediately brought to the vet and given a check-up, vaccinations and spayed. She came through surgery and seemed perfectly healthy for a day. She then became very ill and had to be hospitalized for several days. The vet isn't completely sure what she had, but we do know it was a very bad infection. We almost lost her, but this little fighter pulled through!

After being cleared by the vet she was put up for adoption. She was immediately adopted by a wonderful family - we always love a happy ending!

One of our volunteers found Aurora wandering into a busy street. She was a little timid, but very sweet. We immediately checked for tags or a microchip and found neither. No one responded to our ad when we tried finding her family. We put her into our adoption program after no one came to claim her. When she had her first vet visit we learned that she is very high heartworm positive. She has started medication to prepare for heartworm treatment. Treatment is expensive and means she will be in a foster home for several months. If you would like to help with Aurora’s heartworm treatment please consider donating.

Aurora is doing very well in her foster home. She was thin at first, but is eating well and is not food aggressive. She is a little a jealous of her foster mom’s other dogs. We think she is jealous because she has not previously had much attention from humans and she does not understand that there is enough love for everyone.

One of our volunteers noticed a grey tabby in her neighborhood. He didn't come up to her and appeared well fed and healthy. Since most of her neighbors let their cats outside she figured he was an owned cat allowed to wander the neighborhood. After a year of seeing him on and off, he approached her one evening crying. His coat was rough and he had lost a lot of weight. She got him some food and he came right to her allowing her to pick him up. Many people leave their pets when they move to a new home assuming the pet will be able to 'fend for themself.' A statement that is very untrue for our domesticated animals. She brought him in and set him up in a crate, it is APAWS policy to separate new animals until vet care is received. She was able to secure the first available appointment for his checkup and neuter after the hold was up to make sure he didn't still have a family.

On the day of his appointment the vet called for authorization to perform further surgery. Caesar had been shot with a pellet gun in his side and the pellet needed to be removed. We can only speculate what this guy has been through, but it certainly wasn't good. He is a young cat, most likely around two years. In his short life he has been abandoned, shot and starved. He is now in the care of his foster mom as he gains weight and recovers from his surgery. He seems very happy to know that getting food is a daily occurance along with lots of cuddles and kisses. He is incredibly sweet and will make a great feline addition to any home.

Caesar looking for loves

After the surgery to remove the pellet

The pellet taken out of Caesar

Cocoa was found tied to a trailer with an inner tube. We aren't quite sure why they tied her up with an inner tube. They willingly gave her to our volunteer. She has cuts on her neck, we think from the inner tube, but they don't seem to bother her much. She is scared of new people and situations, but we're sure with lots of love her physical and emotional wounds will heal.

Kyra was rescued by one of our previous adopters. The adopter couldn't keep her, but got her to the vet immediately and then called us. We took Kyra in on May 21st.

Kyra was found in the middle of the road and looked like she had been hit by a car; luckily, this was not the case. Unfortunately, she wasn’t in the greatest shape. She was dehydrated, alnourished, and had an infection in her mouth. She is only four weeks old and very fragile. Her new foster parent brought her home and has been nursing her back to health. Kyra is now doing better and should be available for adoption in a few weeks!

A police officer found Missy on the Mississippi River Bridge and brought her to APAWS. We immediately noticed that something was wrong with her leg. It sticks out behind her and she does not seem to have any control over it. At first we thought it was a birth defect; however, her first vet visit proved this to be untrue. The toes of her paw had been amputated when she was younger. The vet commented that whoever did the amputation did a wonderful job. Her leg sticks out because her knee was broken in a previous accident and Missy did not receive any vet care to set it correctly. She will be taken to an orthopedic specialist to find out if the leg can be repaired or if amputation is necessary.

Missy is about two years old and we believe she is a beagle mix. She is a little timid, but very sweet. She is adjusting well to her foster home and does not seem to be bothered by her injury.

Roscoe and Rosie are young terrier mixes rescued by a kind lady who saw someone shooting at them. Apparently they appeared on a man's front porch and because there was no animal control in his area he was told to shoot them. They were rescued and brought to the vet. The vet contacted us to see if we would place them in our adoption program. We agreed and spay/neuter appointments were made. The pups seemed to be in good health and around 8 months old.

After their spay and neuter the vet realized they were free bleeders. The incisions would not stop bleeding. Bloodwork was done and everything looked ok except for the PCV levels. Basically the pups lacked the necessary coagulants in their blood to allow the blood to clot. The vet administered vitamin K and began researching what could cause this. After much research it was determined the new rat poison is the most likely cause. The old rat poison would cause kidney and/or liver failure and almost certain death. The new rat poison causes the animal's blood to lose its ability to clot. This isn't apparent through normal tests and the situation would most likely correct itself in one to three months.

Unfortunately these pups didn't have time for their heart to replenish their blood supply with healthy blood cells. Rosie's bleeding was much worse than Roscoe's, most likely due to the invasive nature of the spay. Although everything was tried including a blood transfusion Rosie passed away the evening of her spay. Roscoe remained under observation at the emergency clinic for several days. Roscoe has stopped actively bleeding and his PCV level is on its way up! He will be going home soon.

September 29 Update - Both Toby and Sassy had a full blood panel and exam. They are both very healthy! For their ages they are in amazing health. Two of our volunteers will be bringing Toby and Sassy to their new home October 8th. We can't wait to get them home!

Sassy and Toby are a mother and son pair of senior Birman cats - 15 and 13 years old. Their former owner passed away and a family friend took them in, but could not keep them. We recently received the perfect application for these wonderful cats. The lady is retiring this coming month, and already has a 13 year old Birman. She knows the breed and she wants to help these two babies stay together. 

The only problem is that this wonderful new forever home is in Decatur, Alabama. APAWS usually does not do adoptions that are farther away than we would normally be willing to drive ourselves, but how often do you get a great applicant for 13 and 15 year old cats to stay together?  We will not put cats on a transport - they will travel in our cars sitting right beside us so we can ensure that they arrive safely and that their new homes are good homes.

Sassy and Toby's foster mom needs help with the travel costs for this trip (gas and an overnight stay). She will drive straight there, meet the lady at her home and then return.  Any money raised beyond the cost of the travel and lodging will go directly toward Sassy and Toby's veterinary bills. They recently had a checkup and blood work done to make sure they are healthy before taking such a long trip. Please consider donating to Sassy and Toby's travel fund!

As a reminder all donations are tax-deductible! Donors will be listed on our Supporters page and in our newsletter. Thank you so much for helping these two senior cats get to their forever home! If you have any questions, please contact us at info@apawspets.org.

We were approached in PetSmart by a woman with a cat in a carrier. We don't usually accept animals in PetSmart because we can't accept an animal without knowing which foster home they are going to. Our volunteers tried explaining this to the woman, but she didn't care. She made comments saying she would either bring him to animal control or just dump him outside. He is approximately 6 years old and a four paw declaw. Our volunteers told her what his chances would be in our already overflowing animal control and asked for a little time to try to work him into our program. She never showed any emotion and seemed like she would just dump him in the parking lot. Fearing for his safety our cat foster chair took him from her. The plan was to get his vet records and put him into the adoption center at PetSmart within the week. As usual, the plan had to be changed after observing him.

After getting him to his foster home it was clear this poor little guy has suffered some abuse. He growled and hissed for two days straight. He showed aggression towards his foster mom's legs, it seems he had been kicked. Towards the end of the second day of fostering he jumped across the room towards his foster mom while hissing and growling. She just knew he was about to attack, instead he gave her a head bonk and rubbed against her. As soon as she petted him the hisses and growls were replaced with purrs. He really is a sweet boy, he just wasn't sure how to ask for attention. We have no way of knowing what this big boy has been through, but he has quickly won our hearts. His foster mom is currently working with him to get him ready for adoption and we hope he can go to the adoption center soon. We are giving him as much time and attention as he needs and can't wait for him to find the loving home he deserves.

These precious pups were rescued from a woman who had many more animals than she could possible care for. APAWS and several local rescue groups agreed to help when contacted by one of the reality Hoarding shows. The show and all rescues involved did an excellent job getting everyone to safety!

These pups are about four and a half months old and spent those months in a closet. They experienced their first steps on grass and walking on a leash for the first time with our volunteers. They are still a little timid, but seem to be adjusting quickly to their new lives. They are currently available for adoption and are sure to make excellent additions to their new families.

Animal hoarding is a topic that has gathered a lot of attention in recent years. It is easy to place blame on the individuals keeping more animals than they can handle, but it is a mental disorder. Most people who end up hoarding animals start out with the best intentions. They start by picking up strays on the side of the road, always being the person to take unwanted animals from friends/family or have strays dumped in their yard by strangers. The number of animals quickly become more than they can handle physically, emotionally or financially. They can't afford getting them spayed/neutered so they end up with an unending supply of new animals. Everyone can help prevent future cases like this. Spread the word about low-cost and free spay/neuter programs. Educate others on the hazards of puppy mills and how awesome rescue animals are! Tell your friends and family that it isn't necessary for a cat or dog to have even one litter! If you feel a friend or family member may have a problem saying no to just one more cat or dog please assist them in finding psychological help.

October 15, 2009 Update - His cast has been removed! He is having trouble walking on his rear leg because he is so used to walking with a cast. He may never be able to fully use his rear leg, but he is very sweet and loving!

September 24, 2009 Update - Timmy had his splint changed today. He only has two more splint changes and is doing extremely well. He is ready for the splint to be removed! He is extremely active and the splint is interfering with climbing the curtains.

Timmy was brought to a vet office after being hit by a car. Unfortunately the vet office didn't have the available room to house Timmy until his injuries would heal. They contact APAWS to see if we could help, if we couldn't take Timmy in they were going to call animal control. Approximately 98% of all cats going into the East Baton Rouge Parish animal control are euthanised. Sick and injured animals are euthanised as soon as the stray hold is over (or immediately if they are an owner surrender). Knowing the fate that awaited him at animal control we decided to take him into our group. His leg is severely broken, but he doesn't appear to have any other injuries. He is in a foster home and receiving splint changes weekly. He is a very sweet boy who only wants to give loves and play.

Yada was brought to APAWS infested with fleas. Her previous owner could not afford to treat her for the fleas and did not seek help until she was completely infested. Unfortunately her flea infestation not only caused her to lose most of her fur, but also made her very anemic. In addition to the flea infestation she was also infested with several types of intestinal worms. She also has demodex and yeast and bacterial infections of her skin. In addition to all of her medical problems she is also undernourished. It appears she was not fed regularly and ate several servings of food her first night. She is finally learning that a shortage of food will never be a problem again and now takes her time when eating.

Although she has gone severe abuse and neglect she is learning to trust humans. In the two weeks she has been with us she has grown a little fur, she no longer has any intestinal worms and is not anemic! Treating her severe skin infections will take a long time. We aren't sure of her breed so we must be very cautious when using medications. We fear she may be a breed that is intolerant to Ivermectin so her demodex must be treated with regular dips at the vet instead of the faster Ivermectin treatment. We are certain this young puppy would have died if she would have stayed in her former home another week.