In mid-January, a homeowner in the Philadelphia area was taking out his garbage and saw movement in a nearby trash bag. At first, he thought it was mice. But after a closer inspection, he found two tiny kittens, only one of which was still living. He contacted the Spayed Club, based in Sharon Hill, which in turn reached out for help from Lucky Dawg Animal Rescue (LDAR), a Chester County-based nonprofit organization that rescues homeless, abused and unwanted dogs and cats and finds them permanent homes.
"The kitten had come to them at 6 p.m. on a weeknight and Donna, the manager of the Spayed Club, called to ask me if I could take (him)," recalled Lisa Newton, LDAR board member and cat/kitten rescue volunteer. "She knew I had a nursing mama (cat) who also came from the Spayed Club."
The rescued cat was Stormie, and her kittens were named Blizzard, Rain, Sky, Misty and Sunny. The new baby that was found in the trash was named Drizzle.
Luckily, Stormie was able to nurse Drizzle, even though she was not his biological mother. "They found Stormie on the street, and she is so friendly," Newton said. "They don't always (take to the) babies you give them if they are not their own."
In addition, Newton had to provide supplemental feedings for Drizzle with kitten formula. "(Feeding) usually takes place every two hours, but since there was a nursing mama it was every four hours," she said, noting the feeding schedule continued around the clock.
Today, Drizzle is thriving. "Jan. 12 is when (he came to LDAR). He was hours old," said Newton. "He was 2.5 ounces and now is up to 12.9 ounces." And, happily, the little cat already has an approved adopter.
Newton reported that while Stormie still nurses Drizzle occasionally, he has begun to eat more on his own. "None of our kittens leave (for adoption) until they are 8 weeks old and weigh two pounds because we vaccinate them before they leave," Newton pointed out. "I just got him to start eating some gruel - it's formula and kitten food together."
To date, Stormie has not been adopted. Those interested in her may fill out an application at http://www.luckydawganimalrescue.com. "Stormie is incredible. She is such a sweet cat, under a year old and was someone's house cat," Newton said.
Newton's sister, Mary Bauer, founded LDAR in January of 2018. Newton and Bauer, as well as all of the LDAR volunteers, have dedicated their lives to the rescue of animals in need. Having a success story like Drizzle's makes all the effort worthwhile.
"Having lost so many little ones that age, I never count on them making it," Newton shared. "I do whatever I can, but I don't get my hopes up. (Drizzle) was a fighter from the beginning."
LDAR, a foster-based rescue, is currently seeking financial donations, as well as pet foster families. For more information about the rescue, including how to foster, volunteer or adopt, email LuckyDawgAR@gmail.com, visit http://www.luckydawganimalrescue.com or search for "Lucky Dawg Animal Rescue" on Facebook.
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