We love sharing stories with a happy ending. And while this story is sure to warm your heart, it began on a bitterly cold morning on November 23rd last year.
Ryan, a staff member at the Nova Scotia SPCA Yarmouth Shelter arrived to work that day and was unsettled and saddened to find a box on the doorstep. The temperature was a piercing minus 10 degrees. It had snowed the night before and there was an inch of snow on top of the box. There were no visible footsteps or tire tracks so the box had clearly been there for some time. Ryan says “I approached the box with a sense of dread. When I opened it my heart sank. There were four helpless kittens huddled inside.”
The kittens were only 2 to 3 weeks old. Kittens orphaned this young cannot regulate their own body temperature, so they were lucky to still be alive. The kittens were clearly distressed and were struggling to survive. Staff rushed them into the shelter where they were examined by the SPCA veterinary team and received the immediate medical care they desperately needed. The kittens were placed in incubators to keep them warm and were bottle-fed around-the-clock by a care team of dedicated staff and volunteers.
After they had gained strength and were medically cleared, the next step in the kittens’ journey was to stay with a foster family for several weeks, where they received lots of care, love, attention and the socialization they need to ensure success in a fur-ever home.
Once they were healthy and old enough, the kittens were put up for adoption. Like all SPCA adoptable animals, the kittens were spayed and neutered so they will not reproduce babies that could potentially suffer as they did. It didn’t take long for these cuties to melt hearts and be scooped by loving families.
One of the four kittens was named Gumdrop and she’s as sweet as her name. Like all our shelter pets, we are thrilled to hear how they are doing in their new homes and Gumdrop is no exception.
Malorie, Gumdrop’s fur-mama, told us she quickly fell head-over-heels for Gumdrop as soon as she saw her photo on the Yarmouth Shelter’s adoption page. “I just knew I had to come and get her and I’m so glad that I did,” says Malorie.
Malorie relates “Everyone that meets her just falls in love with the big personality that she has, probably due to how spoiled she is! She’s a little ball of energy who keeps us on our toes and shaking our heads at all the funny things that she does. We are so happy that she’s part of our family and so thankful for all the hard work that you do.”
As for Ryan, he says “These kittens were very special to me because they embody the reason why I do what I do – giving them a second chance to find loving homes. Being able to turn such a heart-wrenching experience into four success stories is what makes me proud to work for the Nova Scotia SPCA.”
While there is a happy ending to the story of Gumdrop and her littermates, their tale could easily have ended in senseless and avoidable tragedy. There is never an excuse or a need to abandon helpless animals. The Nova Scotia SPCA never judges and doesn’t need an explanation if you can no longer look after a pet. You simply have to take them to one of the SPCA shelters where they can be properly surrendered, no questions asked. Please help us share this important message.
Caring for kittens always brings puts additional pressure on the SPCA’s already limited resources. It’s thanks to your generous support and donations that Gumdrop and her littermates were rescued, received needed medical attention and rehomed. But they are just four of more than 6,000 animals that the SPCA will help this year. You can help other innocent pets in need, like Gumdrop, receive their happily-ever-after. Please donate today!