As many of you may know, I was the president of the Humane Society of Harlingen until recently.
With the cancellation of Operation Panda I needed to move on.
In the past two and a half years we have managed to put a small dent in the stray cat problem; that plagues so many neighborhoods. There is a huge stray cat crisis everywhere in the country; but none as tragic as right here in the Valley.
I feel that with the momentum that we had going it is my calling to continue down that path.
There is so much more help for dogs; than there is for cats.
In fact there are no cat sanctuaries in Cameron County. There are a few people that do rescue cats, but then have difficulty finding placement for those cats. Many of the cats that we trap are not feral cats and cannot be left on the streets to fend for themselves.
I had always planned that after my time was done at the shelter I would form Kitties of the Valley.
So now it begins.
We have secured seven acres out in the county on the San Benito side of 509. The quote for materials to fence the entire seven acres the way we need it done is $30,000 and that is without the labor.
So as you can imagine there is a huge amount of money that we will need to raise over the next few years. Our plan now is to one acre at a time. Then we will need to build housing for the cats and kittens to live in.
In light of all of the natural disasters of late; acquiring any grant funds will be extremely difficult for now. In order to continue our mission of trap, neuter, release, or relocate; we need help. I turn to you as an animal lover who understands the importance of what we are doing. If you can help please send donations to: Kitties of the Valley PO Box 2745 Harlingen, TX 78551. Volunteers also needed, please contact me directly at 956-2456523.
Thank you, Pat Turman-White, President Kitties of the Valley
