Hudson County Animal League (HCAL)

Sweet Darla Has Recovered!

After two surgeries to remove both of her eyes, our Sweet Darla, now five months old, is doing great! She's fully recovered thanks to the incredible generosity of all her pals (some as far away as Turkey!) who donated to her IndieGoGo campaign, which raised $980 ($105 MORE than our intended goal) for her first eye surgery and spaying. Her second surgery was paid with a grant from Companion Animal Placement, funded by the John and Wendy Neu Foundation.

Darla first came to the attention of HCAL after being abandoned by her mom on the streets when she was just a few weeks old. Her upper respiratory infection was so bad that she had already lost her sight, so she basically spent the first three months of her life in hospital cages as her virus was so virulent. Initially, it appeared that her right eye had already ruptured and healed, and it was just the left eye that needed treatment. But after its removal, the right eye began to infect as well, so our poor baby had to endure another eye removal surgery.

Darla is now living with her foster mom, Mary Ann, where she's been for the past two months while she's endured these painful procedures. Not once, though, has Darla lost her love of life, or her passion for her toys! And it's astounding just how easily Darla now navigates Mary Ann's apartment! She's become a skilled ping pong player, chasing her balls all throughout the house at lightning speed, as well as a jumper, leaping on and off both the couch and bed with complete ease. To watch her, one would swear she's a sighted cat.

Her most recent accomplishment? Her discovery of the windowsill! With just a little coaching and coaxing, Darla learned not only how to climb onto the windowsill, but also how to push the curtain aside to create access to it. Every day, it seems, Darla's world gets just a bit bigger, and she has all of her loving donors to thank.

Her IndieGoGo site is still active, even though fundraising has closed. Feel free to check out her photos and videos! http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sweet-darla-blind-kitten-needs-surgery/x/201418?c=home

Summer in the City Gift Auction

What better way to beat the summer heat than by attending HCAL's Summer in the City Gift Auction, which is being held on Saturday, July 13 at 7 p.m. at St. Michael's Community Center in Bayonne. Visit our News and Events page for more information.

HCAL welcomes PetValu to Bayonne!

HCAL would like to welcome PetValu, a new supporter to our efforts to help the community's homeless animals. Located at 307 Bayonne Crossing Way, PetValu will be hosting HCAL adoption days each Saturday from 12:00-4:00. Stop in, shop their wonderful store, and perhaps find the furry love of your life!

Congratulations to Charlene Devaney!

Pet News and Views and World's Best Cat Litter recently ran a contest looking for adoption center and rescue group volunteers who go above and beyond to aid homeless and abused animals. We are proud to announce that HCAL's Vice President, Charlene Devaney, came in second place in the contest - although she'll always be a first place winner in the hearts of the animals she's helped throughout the years! Along with the recognition Charlene received, HCAL also received 250 pounds of World's Best litter. Our thanks to Pet News and Views and World's Best Cat Litter for recognizing what a truly amazing person Charlene is, and for your generous litter donation.

HCAL Needs You for the City of Bayonne's TNR Pilot Program

HCAL is honored to project-manage the City of Bayonne's Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Pilot Program Phase One, which will spay/neuter about 250 feral cats in the Downtown section between September 2012-September 2013. It promises to improve quality of life for both cats and people in that part of Bayonne. The City has obtained a generous grant from PetSmart Charities, but this only pays for spay/neuter of cats and very limited supplies.

Can you help us make this project a success? We need volunteers and donations:

Trappers - You don't need to be TNR certified to do this, but it is a plus. Also, having a car is a plus. This activity includes some or all of the following: setting traps, watching traps, carrying traps with cats in them, transporting trapped cats to the holding area, returning cats to their habitat after surgery. Surgery days are Mondays, so trapping is usually done Thursday-Sunday. Time of day depends on when the cats are used to eating - usually early morning or in the evening. Cats are released on Tuesdays (males), Wednesdays (females), or Thursdays (pregnant females).

Feeders/Cleaners - This activity includes feeding about 15 cats and cleaning cat traps before and after surgery in the holding area. The cats need to be done twice a day - morning and evening - and, of course, this duty can and should be split up between several people. The days needed will vary, but it will all center around surgery day, which will be Mondays.

Donations - The grant doesn't pay for food, and we will have to feed 250 cats for about 5 days apiece. That is 1,250 cans (5.5 oz) of cat food! We also need rubber gloves, paper towels, spray bleach, a ton of clean newspapers, and 4 mil plastic sheeting.

If you can help, please email Kathleen at kitty.omalley@gmail.com or call HCAL at 201 200-1008.

Give Me a Home of My Own!

Give yourself the gift of love! HCAL's adoption team will be at PetSmart in Secaucus every Sunday with fabulous felines looking for a home of their own and someone to love - could that someone be you? For more information, please contact Charlene at 201 598-0952

Keep in Touch with HCAL Happenings!

Would you like to receive HCAL's monthly "Here's the Scoop"
e-newsletter? Just send an email message to subscribe@hcalnj.org and we'll add you to the distribution list. You can also send us your info directly from our Contact page - just choose "E-Newsletter" from the drop-down menu.

And don't forget to become a fan of the Hudson County Animal League on Facebook!

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