Felix Is Safe!
Felix
"You're here for the cat dog?" The animal control officer asked as she stuck her head out the dog.
"Excuse me?" was my reply.
Hot and sweaty, I had pressed the call button a few minutes earlier to announce my arrival after driving just over an hour and a half to arrive at the animal shelter.
Three days earlier, we received an email informing us that a stray German Shorthaired Pointer had been picked up and taken to this animal shelter. Knowing the animal shelters were still dealing with the 4th of July stray dog influx and kennels would be needed, we contacted the shelter immediately after receiving the email. Later we would receive a reply thanking us and letting us know the animal shelter would keep us informed.
Two days earlier, we were messaged by the adoption coordinator, sent a video of the same GSP, and asked, were we interested in him? The request was confusing because it hadn't been the required five-day holding period, but we would help when he became available and let the adoption coordinator know. The adoption coordinator replied, "he's available now." "Now??" The GSP had come in as a stray with a microchip, and after contacting the owner, the owner surrendered his dog.
The animal shelter was short on space and needed the kennel. We would be there on Monday, less than 48 hours after being asked to help.
Back at the animal shelter, with the temperature and humidity high, my first thoughts of a cat "GSP" dog were not pretty, and I only imagined something unpleasant had happened. The animal control officer answered my question, "I call him the cat-dog because the microchip was registered to a cat in Illinois”. It took a little investigating, but I was able to track down the correct chip and registered owner, and the owner surrendered him.
A cat-dog. The new GSP deserved a memorable name. A cool cat. A cat that would bounce back after being surrendered, or not even acknowledge the absurd fact he had been abandoned. The first name that came to mind stuck. Felix "the cat-dog" was safe.
A week after the Fourth of July, California GSP Rescue took in another GSP that had been found as a stray. Felix would probably not be the last of the stray GSP’s from the Fourth of July. If you can, please consider helping California GSP Rescue help these dogs by donating or becoming a Rescue Hero. With your help, we can make a significant difference.
