Transcripts
Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the
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:people and rescues making a
difference in the lives of animals.
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:Welcome back to the show, everybody.
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:Today we are diving into the heart
of animal advocacy here in Louisiana.
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:We've all seen them, the shadows
moving through our neighborhoods,
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:the forgotten faces of our community.
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:But today's guest didn't
look the other way.
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:She decided to build a lifeline.
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:I am joined by Hannah Louviere,
the force behind Forgotten
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:Felines rescue . of Louisiana.
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:Thank you for being here today, Hannah.
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:Hannah: Yeah, my pleasure.
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:Dixie: I wanna hear all about
forgotten felines rescue of Louisiana.
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:What is your mission and
how did you get started?
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:Hannah: So our main mission is to
pretty much take in cats that have.
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:Just no chance.
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:Same thing with dogs too, but
obviously our main focus is on cats.
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:We started off as a TNR
program as college students.
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:It was my sophomore year of college.
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:And we.
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:Actually had a feral cat colony on
campus and one of the cats actively gave
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:birth in front of us on a sidewalk while
we were walking in between classes.
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:And we started off as
a group of strangers.
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:We all just came together
in an alleyway and sat there
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:and watched this cat do this.
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:And from there, the very next
day we formed an organization
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:on campus that helped TNR Cats.
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:Obviously we would rehome kittens that
we trapped and we would socialize them.
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:And from there we formed into forgotten
Felines Rescue about two years later.
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:And so our, like I said, our main
goal was to start off with TNR
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:Cats, cats that people overlooked.
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:Your feral cats, your street cats.
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:And we started taking them
in and realizing that it was
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:pretty easy to socialize.
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:Our young guys.
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:, And if they weren't socialable,
we could always release them.
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:We did every medical care that you
could think of for them and release
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:them back into a colony that was
monitored and fed and sheltered.
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:Dixie: Did you go to college
expecting for it to turn into this
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:were you an animal lover before this?
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:Hannah: I absolutely was.
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:At the time I was
pre-vet, so loved animals.
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:I was a biology student, and it was a
group of bio students who did all of this.
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:Did I think that it would.
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:Changed my life 10 years later.
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:Absolutely not.
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:I did not think that it
would've engrossed me so much.
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:I knew that my goal was to
always help animals in some form.
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:I do remember one of my questions for
one of our pre-professional groups
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:was like, what kind of deems you as
successful in your job or in life?
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:And one of my statements was to be
able to help any animal that I see.
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:And, 10 years later here I am and I am
reached out with all kinds of cases.
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:Our main focus as of right
now is our shelter cases.
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:So we do have a lot of shelter people
who reach out to us about medical cases
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:that basically exceeds their medical
knowledge and or their financial
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:possibilities for these animals.
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:And for me, because at this point , I'm
a surgical technician for, a vet and
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:at multiple animal hospitals right now.
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:And so I have the means and I have the
knowledge and I have the people around
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:to help take on these special cases.
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:So we do get a lot of.
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:Cats who need amputations, cats who
have weird skin issues eye problems.
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:Ch right now has pretty
much taken us over.
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:A lot of people have been reaching out
to us about taking in our little ch guys.
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:And and so that's pretty much where
we've landed and where we are now.
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:Dixie: Yeah, I definitely would like
to talk more about that, but I would
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:also like to backtrack a little bit
to your beginnings of getting started.
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:Because I'm in a different generation
from you and so I'm older than you are.
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:And of course, like we are seeing
now, , my generation is almost
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:considered the younger generation
in rescue because there's very few
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:people that are your age in rescue.
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:And it seems to be like a big problem
right now because all these other rescues
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:that are established, they don't know what
they're gonna do because they're having a
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:difficult time recruiting younger people.
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:So since you started at such a
young age, I would like to get
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:like more insight to that too.
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:Like when you first got started doing
the TNR and y'all saw these stray cats on
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:campus, was this something that you were
already aware of, that this was a problem?
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:Did you already know about TNR or
did you like look for a mentor?
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:Hannah: I had absolutely no
idea this that was a problem.
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:I didn't even hear of TNR when we formed.
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:I had no idea what that term even meant.
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:And the fun fact, I had
little cat knowledge on top
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:of that when I first started.
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:We formed the rescue
when I was 19 years old.
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:I was very young and had no
idea what I was doing, if we're
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:gonna be so completely honest.
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:But yeah, I had absolutely no idea.
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:So when I found out that basically
feral cats and colony cats were a
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:thing, it just hit me and I was like,
oh, I'm gonna do research on that.
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:And I started researching it
and then I learned about TNR.
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:And then Angela with Purrs of
Hope, actually is the one that
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:taught us everything that we know.
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:She really took us under our wing,
and was like, this is what you do.
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:This is how you set a trap.
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:This is where you take them.
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:This is what they need in
the care, blah, blah, blah.
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:And we went with it and ran with it.
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:Once again at this point I
was a teenager and had just
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:little, very little knowledge.
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:It was very interesting to me.
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:So I guess more from like my
scientific background of like
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:where I was headed in school I saw
it as a science thing to look at.
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:So at the end of the day, they were
just animals and how we could fix them.
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:And so I guess that gained more of
my interest from that aspect of what
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:difference could we actually make?
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:And if you wanna quote unquote call
it a science experiment our first
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:true colony that we were able to.
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:Pretty much contain
was the cats on campus.
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:And so that was our main focus.
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:And so once we saw.
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:It kind of dwindling down.
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:So the amount of cats having
kittens the amount of cats basically
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:showing up, injured, hurt all of
that started dwindling down within
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:a year of us just trapping, spay,
neutering, and taking in kittens.
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:And so we saw the difference and so we're
like, oh, we can do this in other places.
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:And more people reached out to us we would
see a cat and we would go to these random
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:areas and we would just start trapping
neutering and repeating the same process
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:and seeing a difference there as well.
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:And so once again, being so young,
it was easy in the sense of we
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:just had to worry about school.
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:So we didn't really we all had jobs at
the time, but it really was something
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:that could put all of our focus in on.
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:We've also tried to recruit people and try
to get people more closer to like our age.
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:I feel like now now that all of us are
30 in the group that we have reached
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:more people to assist us and to spread
that knowledge of TNR and taken in
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:cats and not to look over anything
and to basically be able to rescue.
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:Of course once again, I am under the full
agreement that there are fewer and fewer
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:people going into rescue at our ages.
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:Most of the people that we obviously
work around and, have partnership
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:with are a lot older than us still.
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:And so you know, it, there is like
that generational break, but we all
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:work together and they've taught us
so much and so I get to see what.
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:Other rescues have done who have been
in it in year for, decades and take that
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:knowledge and put it under our rescue.
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:And we have a lot of partnerships.
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:One of our good partners is with St.
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:Mary's.
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:Area.
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:So the parish and the Aviary
project she is the closest one to
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:our age that we've actually had who
started up her own rescue as well.
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:And she does everything.
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:A lot of her focus is basically like
getting animals that are in need
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:and she transports them to other
rescues as being her main resource.
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:So we actually have a direct
pipeline for a lot of neglect
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:cases, hoarding cases animals.
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:With severe medical conditions that are
outside the the prospects of other places
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:that would be willing to take them in.
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:And so she reaches out to us and she
knows that I'm a sucker and I'll never
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:say no, especially to a medical case.
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:Even when we have no room, no space, we
have, little limited amount of funds.
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:If it's an animal in need, like
she knows that I'll take it.
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:And so we've worked together
and so far she's pretty much
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:the only other person that.
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:Together we have formed our own separate
rescues and have watched them grow.
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:And one of the things that I never
thought being 19-year-old, me starting
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:this up and doing this in between
classes and meeting with people
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:and trapping cats and running cats.
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:To the vet before class and stuff was that
we would ever own like an actual facility
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:or a building because I never thought
that we would get as big or that any
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:of us would still be in, in the rescue.
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:'cause it was started
off as a school project.
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:And here we are in 2026 and we just
basically bought her own building.
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:And so we were working on having an actual
facility instead of being foster based
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:right now, which once again, and never in
my brain when I first started this rescue,
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:that I think that's where we would end up.
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:Dixie: Congratulations on that.
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:That's quite an accomplishment.
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:Thank So is it all
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:Hannah: Thank you.
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:It's
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:Dixie: still all the same people that
are in the rescue as everybody who
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:was originally there still involved.
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:Hannah: Unfortunately no.
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:So when we first formed it was four
core members and two have obviously,
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:we were so young when we were in
college already, so they all had future
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:prospects and what they were going into.
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:So two of the members have
stopped and or, doing their own
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:thing and doing their own future.
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:And then there is still the two core
members, which is me and Kaitlyn who.
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:Has pretty much.
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:Downsized on what she's done in the
rescue, but she's always there, she's
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:always a part of the rescue with
decision making and stuff like that.
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:So the newest member of the group
would be Alyssa, who I've pretty much
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:suckered into being part of the rescue.
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:She can't say no, and . She started
off as just a little foster and
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:now she is also one of she's not a
founding member, but she has become
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:an actual core member of our rescue.
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:So it really is just the three of us
still running this me of course taking
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:in the most and dealing with the most.
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:Helping with like outreach
in communities right now.
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:And it's a lot, but we all have
each other at the end of the day,
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:whenever it comes down to, I'm
too stressed, can you do this?
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:And they're like, absolutely.
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:And they're, on it.
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:So yeah, , I miss what we were
when we were in college, but
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:I like where we are right now.
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:Dixie: Tell me a little bit
about the building that you have.
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:So are your hopes is to go fully
like foster free with this building?
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:Hannah: Yeah, actually I'm sure you
know how it is in animal rescue.
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:Finding fosters is not always an option.
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:Some people like to foster for a week or a
weekend, and we have animals in our rescue
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:that are here for months, especially
our medical cases where they have to be.
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:They have to have surgery,
they have to heal and recover.
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:And that takes a long time.
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:And what we have found to be the
easiest thing was that one of we
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:have actually managed to be working
out of a single building right
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:now that it's not ours at all.
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:But we were kind enough by a couple
of people to donate the space to us.
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:And so it is just.
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:Fully under my care with animals.
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:And so it has become very overwhelming.
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:And of course the more social media,
interests that we get, the more
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:people that wanna reach out and
help, we aren't able to actually
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:allow them to help just because of
the circumstances of where we are.
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:And once again, we have a handful of
fosters, but they can't always foster.
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:Always taken.
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:We had reached out to a few people
and we have very kind, generous
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:people who have said, whatever
you need, we'll help you with.
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:And the new building that we have,
it is actually two separate buildings
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:right now that we are going to be
combining with . One single door.
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:But we will have a medical side, so
that will be our side for all of our
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:new intakes who are under quarantine.
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:We do a two week quarantine on
everybody who comes through to
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:limit any outbreaks or risk of
anything going under, outta control.
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:And, any medical cases that
we have will be on that side.
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:And of course in rescue, the main
things that we see are ringworm, URI.
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:Things like that.
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:So they'll all have their own
separate, rooms that they'll be
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:in, and so they can be there.
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:And then our quarantine space will be in
a different area, in the same building.
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:And then for all of our healthy cats who
have not, been diagnosed with anything or.
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:I have just pretty much recovered fully
from whatever they had previously.
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:We'll go on the adoption side and
so we will have the adoption side
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:for baby kittens and basically
juveniles and adults and they can
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:just free roam and, be happy and not
left in cages or anything like that.
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:And of course if fosters come up,
then yeah, absolutely, we would
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:welcome fosters and to help out
and take home a kitty for a while.
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:But yeah, our goal is to not no longer
be foster based, but to have a physical
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:facility where these animals can room
free and have as much freedom as they can
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:without any timeframe, without any time
limits of us having to be like, okay,
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:they have to be out by this time because.
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:This foster can no longer foster them.
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:So it's reduces the stress on us as
well as for them, because they don't
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:have to get moved around back and forth.
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:And which does unfortunately happen a lot
when your foster base is, when one foster
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:is out, another foster might step in and
then they go to a different house and
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:they have to re acclimate all over again.
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:And us being, a cat rescue, we all
know how stressful that can be on cats.
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:Some cats are.
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:Perfect, and they don't
care about anything.
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:And then there are other cats where
it's the most jarring, life altering
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:thing that they've ever experienced
with going into a new environment.
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:In an effort to reduce their stress
is give them one space they can be in
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:and, have all of the amenities that
they could have , for a cat that they
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:could enjoy and have people come by.
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:Play with them and see them anytime
they want it and, hopefully get adopted.
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:Fingers crossed.
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:But yeah, I'm very excited for this new
space that we're getting not only for
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:obviously for our sake, but definitely
for the cats because they do deserve to be
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:in that type of setting instead of being
tossed from foster home to foster home.
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:And I know that's a bad word to use,
but tossed, but you understand what
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:I mean by just going in between homes
until they go into their permanent home.
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:Dixie: Yeah, absolutely.
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:How many animals are you gonna be
able to house in your facility?
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:Hannah: Actually, it's a very
large facility now with it
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:being a two, combined buildings.
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:So we don't really have a limit as long as
we have space or if somebody reaches out
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:to us, we'll always make space for them.
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:So it's not saying that we're open
intake, but we will always make
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:space for any animals in need.
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:So there is truly like no limit.
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:So I do think that based on what
we are now, which is limited, that.
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:We could expand a lot more with
what we intake and how we intake
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:them and everything like that.
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:So that's also really exciting.
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:'cause once again, our main focus is St.
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:Mary's Parish right now,
because I, we live in St.
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:Tammany and there's rescues and, there's
people on every corner that help animals.
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:And not to say St.
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:Tammany does not have any issues
with strays or animals in need, but.
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:St.
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:Mary's Parish has been one that we've
been working with for almost five years
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:now, and almost every single animal
that's in our care comes directly from
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:there because they just have, they have
no resources at all, and they don't have.
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:They have very little veterinarian
help where they help out rescues.
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:They don't offer discounts a whole lot.
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:And it was one of the discussions that
I had with one of my members and I was
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:like, what if we just focus on them and
stop taking, from our community, which
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:doesn't necessarily make a hit because
there are so many rescues in our area.
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:And really focus on animals that like
truly need it, animals with a deadline.
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:Animals that if they do
not receive help, will die.
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:And and of course like once we started
doing it, we were like, wow, this is
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:great because it actually feels like
we're helping it doesn't always feel
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:that way in rescue, which once again, I'm
sure you understand, but doing the St.
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:Mary, I call the St.
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:Mary Parish pipeline has
really made a difference on
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:what I feel like we have done.
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:And like I said, for about
five years now, we have intake.
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:We have taken in probably over a
thousand, cats and dogs from them that
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:were either on the euthanasia list or
for space or they had they needed surgery
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:and they couldn't afford it, so they
were automatically gonna be euthanized.
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:And so we've made a major difference
and the lives of those animals for sure.
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:And so that's been very
rewarding in that aspect.
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:Yeah, it's all the
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:Dixie: rural parishes do need a lot
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:Hannah: of
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:Dixie: help.
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:Yes.
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:Hannah: How is it
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:Dixie: that you came to
get connected with St.
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:Mary Parish?
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:Hannah: That's so funny because
I actually don't quite remember.
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:I really feel like Carla Kutone,
who basically was working at the
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:shelter at the time, had just
sent us a message about a cat.
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:Like it was like.
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:A cat and some kittens who all had such
severe upper respiratory infections
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:that at some point they were gonna need.
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:Nucleation, whether it be
bilateral or unilateral, their
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:eyes were gonna have to come out.
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:And that is something that
it was completely out of.
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:Their financial, what they could
pay for these shelter animals
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:that may or may not get adopted.
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:And so of course they would move
on to something else that is more
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:adoptable and something they could
help with less amount of funds.
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:And so she had reached out.
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:And one thing about me is the highness.
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:sucker for an eyeball.
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:Cat eyeball.
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:Cats are my absolute favorite
things on the face of this planet.
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:And it just took one email and then
we met once and then once again,
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:it was like campus realizing, about
TNR and all of that stuff all over
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:again, where I was like, oh, y'all
actually have no help these animals,
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:if somebody doesn't say that,
they'll help them, they just die.
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:And she's yeah, pretty much.
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:And I was like, oh, I'll always help you.
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:No, no matter what, even if I can't,
like I will help you in some way.
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:And and like it's been a very.
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:Very rewarding partnership with them.
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:And they've always been so kind and they
honestly watching them do the hard work
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:of rescuing these animals and some of
the conditions that they send pictures in
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:and, I'm like, I'm just happy I can help.
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:I'm happy that I can
remove them from that.
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:And y'all have put in the, basically all
of the work of rearranging with, police
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:officers because they do a lot of they do
handle a lot of stuff with the court and
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:police handlings and all of that stuff.
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:And some animals are basically evidence
at some point, so they do have to go
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:into an evidence hold with their shelter
and then they can be released to us.
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:And but yeah it took one email
and it has pretty much trickled
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:into what we are now and.
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:They have done so much work and I'm always
happy to take in anything that they do.
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:And a lot of the,
they've gone independent.
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:They did leave the shelter.
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:They do have a good communication,
obviously with the shelter, but now
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:their main goal is to reduce animals
actually going into the shelter.
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:And so they, with their network, they
have managed to deviate animals from
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:even entering the shelter to begin
with and getting them straight to us
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:through, a lot of work on their part.
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:So yeah.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:And that's where the Aviary
Creature Rescue is too, right?
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:In St.
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:Mary?
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:Hannah: Yes.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:Yes, I did speak with Alyssa about
that, and just some of the things that
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:go on in that area, it is atrocious.
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:Yes.
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:And then it truly
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:Hannah: is,
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:Dixie: they have these weird laws too
that they're trying to come up with where
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:you can't feed cats or can't feed strays.
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:And it just, it's backwards to me.
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:Hannah: I could not agree more.
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:And those weird laws is actually
what led to us having to form
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:forgotten Felines Rescue.
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:When we were on campus, , like I
said, it was like a school project.
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:And so we were Campus Cat
Coalition for a while and.
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:The president of the campus
basically accused us of putting
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:cats on campus and we're like no.
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:We are putting the cats back, but they are
fixed and they are healthy, and so they
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:can stay on this campus and if we remove
them, you'll create a funnel effect.
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:And we had to, go into all of that.
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:And he basically, we think he'd
been it nice, he did threaten our
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:academic careers at the time, and
so we of course were scared little
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:college students who were like, if he
ruins us, like what's gonna happen?
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:And one of the loopholes that
we found was that he can't
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:touch a 5 0 1 C through rescue.
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:If a 5 0 1 C3 is on a public campus,
he cannot do anything about it.
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:And so that's what led
to us actually forming.
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:Forgotten feelings rescued from there.
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:And they still have a lot of laws
that we have had to like loop around.
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:But one of the main ones, and I will never
understand it, is not feeding colony cats.
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:I don't understand how that can ever
be illegal to feed a street animal
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:or any animal in need in general.
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:If you feed them, they
don't become a nuisance.
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:If you starve them, they
will become a nuisance.
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:And then that is how sick
animals spread disease.
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:If they're not taken care of, if they're
not sheltered, if they're not cared for
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:in any capacity, that is more detrimental
to the environment and the community.
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:Not everyone sees it that way.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:That's the same thing that I said
when Alyssa told me that, I was
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:like, they're creating a nuisance.
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:Like they're trying to say yes.
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:Oh we're gonna get rid of the nuisance.
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:We're not gonna feed them.
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:And it's no, you're creating the
nuisance by not feeding them.
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:It makes no sense.
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:Hannah: It truly makes zero sense
because if you keep an animal fed.
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:Yes, they will quote unquote,
be more familiar with people.
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:And I guess they'll be more likely
to come in people's public spaces.
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:But the animals are already there.
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:We didn't put the animals there.
415
:At the end of the day, the animals are
already there because of an ongoing
416
:system that is all over the world of not
spaying and neutering your pets, of just
417
:abandoning your pets outside because
they just think that they're animals.
418
:And I don't think that people understand
that our pets have been domesticated to.
419
:Pets not to be wild animals.
420
:And so they cannot take
care of themselves.
421
:Feral cats are a completely different
aspect of that because cats are
422
:incredible in the aspect of how they
can navigate within, on their own.
423
:But but yeah, just if you leave
them alone, then , you create
424
:an entire different problem of
animals that are desperate and
425
:desperate animals are never good.
426
:And you, like I said, you just, you
make animals sick by doing that.
427
:And the sicker the animal, the weaker
immune system, the more likely for
428
:disease and viruses to spread among
other animals within the community.
429
:And once again, people that have higher
status don't really see it in that way,
430
:which is very frustrating at times.
431
:You
432
:Dixie: did say that you are
a surgical vet technician.
433
:Hannah: Yes, ma'am.
434
:Okay.
435
:I've been doing it since 2015,
so a little over 10 years now.
436
:So tell me
437
:Dixie: about some of the special
medical cases that you take care of.
438
:Hannah: Yeah, absolutely.
439
:The current ones that we have it always
comes in waves, which we all find funny.
440
:Like it's not funny, but it is funny.
441
:But , we'll be contacted about a cat
that needs nucleation or a cat with a,
442
:eyelight, a genesis where they don't
have an eyelid and which would obviously
443
:have to be led to an enucleation.
444
:And most of our cases are eyes.
445
:So we get a lot of cases where just if
you don't treat a cat's eye infection,
446
:, their body will take care of it in
the sense of it will cut off any.
447
:Healthy tissue it can, or blood supply
to that eye and make it unusable and it
448
:can cause a problem later on to them.
449
:And so it always comes in waves
where we'll get one cat with an eye
450
:infection that needs an nucleation,
and then we ended up with, 10 cats
451
:that are getting eye nucleation.
452
:This current go that we have right
now was like leg amputations.
453
:And so we were contacted by Carla who
works with Alyssa and, and she was
454
:like, we have this one little mama
cat that she got pulled underneath the
455
:fence by a dog and her leg is broken
and it was such a severe break and
456
:this cat was left alone on this porch
with her baby kittens that she was
457
:trying so hard to take care of with a.
458
:Basically a compound
fracture in her upper femur.
459
:Something that is very difficult to heal.
460
:And because she was left alone
with it for about a week and a half
461
:surgically repairing, it becomes
less and less likely to sustain.
462
:In the long run.
463
:And so obviously when you get a case
like that, then a leg amputation occurs.
464
:So we had her come in as just a
leg amputation and we actually
465
:still have her in the rescue.
466
:Her name is IHOP and she's amazing.
467
:And then the second cat that
we were contacted was actually
468
:a cat that they've been trying
to trap for about eight months.
469
:She had been roaming around a neighborhood
with a embedded collar that was around
470
:her neck and through her arm went over
it, so it was also underneath her.
471
:Armpit.
472
:And it caused such severe tissue damage
underneath her armpit area that we tried.
473
:It was about three months of us
trying to get her arm to heal, but.
474
:Just because of the position of, her
movements constant, everyday walking
475
:and where it was purely positional, we
ended up having to amputate her leg as
476
:well just because it was not healing
the way that we had wanted to heal.
477
:It just could not fully heal in itself.
478
:And so a lot of leg amputations, a lot
of eye nucleation, a lot of ch cases
479
:with cats, with cerebellar hyperplasia.
480
:We do get those a lot because I think
once people understand what they're
481
:dealing with when it comes down
to CH Cat, then they can then it's
482
:oh yeah, we can take care of them.
483
:But with you having these overrun
rural shelters who just cannot put
484
:all of their effort into a single
animal they become a case where
485
:that's not worth their time right now.
486
:And so they end up in our care as well.
487
:Especially when they have a lot
more case like, severities than
488
:some other cases that you'll
see with ch And we'll get those.
489
:So we currently have two CH
cats in their rescue as well.
490
:We just had a ch puppy, which I
have never seen in my entire life.
491
:And she did get adopted
and she was really fun.
492
:'cause I've never seen a dog
with a neurological problem.
493
:Some of the more.
494
:Weirder cases that we've had that
once again, that most people would
495
:just, wouldn't even think , oh,
that's a thing that can happen.
496
:Are liver shunts.
497
:We've had a lot of cases where we've
received cats with liver shunts
498
:because they couldn't understand
what was wrong with this animal.
499
:It just was off.
500
:They had seizures and they
couldn't really pinpoint it.
501
:With them.
502
:Once again, having limited funds
is just we can't afford these
503
:diagnostics and so we get them in
our care and we've had a lot of cases
504
:of liver shun and with that we have
a a soft tissue surgeon over in St.
505
:Tammany.
506
:And she's repaired all of them,
which has been incredible 'cause
507
:it is a very invasive procedure.
508
:And she's saved every single one of them.
509
:We've had, cases where it gets
a little bit more obscure.
510
:So we had a case with a kitten,
with with an intestinal stricture.
511
:And the stricture basically was
512
:her body creating a foreign
body and within herself.
513
:And we actually had to
dilate her colon every week.
514
:We had to bring her in for her colon
to be dilated to the same soft tissue
515
:surgeon that did the liver shunts.
516
:And and once again, that cat was fine.
517
:We get a lot.
518
:It's very weird cases sometimes.
519
:And so we had one that actually came
straight from Alyssa and this one was.
520
:This one's not a success story, but it
is one of the cases that I've never seen.
521
:I've read about it and I've
never seen one in real life.
522
:And that is one where she had actually
had a puppy come into her care
523
:and she messaged me freaking out.
524
:Of course, because.
525
:What do you do?
526
:But this puppy was actually born without
an anus, which sounds really weird.
527
:But there was no way for an
output of stool to come out.
528
:And so it was basically using the puppies
like vulva in order to push that out.
529
:And so that was a really.
530
:Really weird case that we went
with the soft tissue surgeon and
531
:she went under a couple surgeries.
532
:Unfortunately for her, none of them
were successful and we did end up
533
:having to humanely euthanize this puppy.
534
:But yeah, those are a lot
of the cases that we see.
535
:We either see something that's super
common, like high nucleation and leg
536
:amputations, or it's so obscure that
you're like, this doesn't actually happen.
537
:And then you get a case and
you're like, oh, it does happen.
538
:And we also find cases of obviously
with our dogs and you're pulling them
539
:from rural areas is embedded collars.
540
:We've had three cases just last year of
dogs with little dogs or puppies with 12
541
:pound chains wrapped around their neck.
542
:Dixie: Wow.
543
:Hannah: And of course with it weighing
them down and them being so weak
544
:'cause they're little it just starts.
545
:Just precedent and precedent and their
body trying to recover the damage.
546
:And it obviously ends up
growing over the chain.
547
:And so we've had a lot of cases
where we've had to remove chains.
548
:One of the most, I say
aggressive, one that we've seen
549
:was a little dog named Destiny.
550
:She went through the absolute
ringer through everything.
551
:And incredible dog, the
sweetest little baby.
552
:But her chain was so embedded into
her neck that she actually had
553
:to have basically a tracheotomy.
554
:'cause it was.
555
:Into her trachea at that point.
556
:And so she had to undergo a lot
of surgeries and within her neck
557
:and her throat it caused some
cervical damage to her neck as well.
558
:And that's very limited on what
we can do even with our surgeons
559
:that we, that have graciously
helped us throughout all of this.
560
:And yeah, we, we will.
561
:There's a lot of the cases that I've
seen within their, within our rescue over
562
:the last, I would say like year or so.
563
:Dixie: The cases that you're mentioning,
they are truly animals in need.
564
:Definitely.
565
:There's been a New trend with
people just like all of a sudden,
566
:oh, okay, I gotta get rid of my
10-year-old cat, my 11-year-old cat.
567
:And I know like sometimes there's
situations that do come up, if somebody's
568
:going as hospice or something like that.
569
:And I'm not talking about those
cases, but I'm just talking about
570
:Like I'm moving tomorrow.
571
:I need to get rid of my 10-year-old cat.
572
:So do you ever see any kind of those, or
do people contact you about those as well?
573
:Hannah: Every single day.
574
:Every single day someone
contacts us about an animal that.
575
:We don't want this animal anymore.
576
:We've had them for 12 years and now we
can't provide them a nice, rest of their
577
:life with our, with us in our home.
578
:We have to completely uproot
them and change their whole life.
579
:Which is, those are the most frustrating.
580
:They actually make me so incredibly
angry because I can't imagine, and
581
:of course when it comes down to
certain circumstances of, this person
582
:has a medical ailment, they can no
longer physically care for this pet.
583
:We were always open to them.
584
:When it comes down to people who quite
literally have done nothing for this
585
:animal and have not gone the bounds
to find an actual home, that instead
586
:of just going straight to a shelter or
straight to a rescue those are the ones
587
:that we put them on more of a wait list.
588
:We ask them to foster, we ask
them to send us pictures we'll up.
589
:We are more than happy to update
their medical care at the time.
590
:But physically intaking them is
never truly an option just because
591
:you don't want your pet anymore.
592
:And so it hurts us knowing that we have
to allot our time space to, animals.
593
:, I'm not gonna say more in need
because there's no other animals
594
:that are gonna be like, oh, this
animal's worth more than that animal.
595
:But animals that like truly need us
in this moment, in this timeframe,
596
:and we need to have space for them.
597
:But that's why.
598
:Always give them resources.
599
:One of the things that we always
allot within our finances within
600
:our budgeting is community care.
601
:People that are willing to
accept what we give them.
602
:So if somebody has, an 8-year-old dog
that they can no longer take care.
603
:We can't always take in dogs.
604
:But the dog has never seen a vet,
has never been spayed, has never
605
:been vaccinated, all this stuff.
606
:And they're gonna try to find
this animal home independently.
607
:We always tell them, bring them to us.
608
:We'll fully vet them and we'll post
them on our adoption sites where
609
:we cannot physically intake them.
610
:So that's usually what we do with.
611
:Those type of public cases
where if they're able to at
612
:least find a home for them.
613
:I've had some cases where they're
like, we have a home for this, pet.
614
:But we can't afford to spay them.
615
:Great.
616
:Bring them to me.
617
:I'll have them spayed for you and
they'll be microchipped and vaccinated.
618
:And if you wanna a heartworm test,
if you want a combo test, we can
619
:do all of that for you before
they go into their new home.
620
:But.
621
:We try to reward the people who do
take the extra steps to find a safe
622
:place for their pet without it having
to go to a shelter or a rescue.
623
:And not everyone can do
that within their means.
624
:And another thing that we do is that
we'll provide food if they need the food.
625
:If it comes down to I can no longer afford
my pet, I'll help you afford your pet.
626
:If that means it keeps them
out of a shelter or, it
627
:keeps them out of the system.
628
:And so we do have a few people that will
message us every month, and it's the same
629
:group of people and we will have food sent
to them, or we will tell them, oh, food
630
:just came in, or food was just donated.
631
:You can come pick it up.
632
:And we do that a lot as well.
633
:And once again, if you show the effort
that you are trying everything in your.
634
:Possibly within your parameter of what you
can do, we will help you no matter what.
635
:And that is one of the ways that
has come to limited our burnout
636
:when it comes down to owner
surrenders, is finding those people.
637
:'cause if you're not willing to
take up somebody who's offering
638
:you medical care and food, then you
actually don't care about the pet.
639
:It was never about.
640
:Oh, I just can't take
care of them anymore.
641
:It was never about that.
642
:And that's one of the things that,
like I said, we do see those every day.
643
:We do get a lot of cases,
and I'm a, once again, I'm a
644
:sucker for a little old animal.
645
:And when people reach out to us and
like my mom, I'm a grandmother is going
646
:into a nursing home and they can't keep
their pet and no one in the family can
647
:take in this pet, that's when I'm like,
I'll go ahead and I'll take that because
648
:those aren't circumstances that
you endure every single day.
649
:That's not something that somebody
can be necessarily prepared for.
650
:Like obviously we all know
it's coming to some extent, but
651
:sometimes when somebody ends up in
the hospital it's pretty drastic.
652
:It's like right then and there.
653
:And so we will always
take in those pets that.
654
:That their owners physically can
no longer take care of them, but
655
:they love them, to the very end.
656
:We had one this past, like probably
about three months ago, and it
657
:absolutely was one of the funniest
stories that we've ever received.
658
:But, an older woman as sweet as can
be when she got put in her nursing
659
:home, snuck her little puppy in.
660
:She snuck in a 2-year-old little
Yorkie dog and it was not a facility
661
:where you could hold animals.
662
:And so she snuck her in and, one of the
workers ended up conducting us within a
663
:month of her entering into their care,
and they were helping hide the puppy.
664
:They were calling her
contraband for a little bit.
665
:But of course, once one of the
directors found out, they were like.
666
:Either the woman who lives
here and we take care of has
667
:to go, or the puppy has to go.
668
:And so of course they didn't wanna
reach out to their shelter because it
669
:would've been like a whole case and
they wanted to keep it under wraps.
670
:And I was like, that's fine.
671
:They sent me one email and I was like,
that's the funniest thing ever heard.
672
:Please bring it to me right now.
673
:And and they did.
674
:And she was the sweetest little puppy.
675
:And we always joke that she was,
contraband for just a little old lady who
676
:was just trying to find, like some solace
in knowing that she had her pet with her.
677
:She does stay in contact with us,
which I find to be the cutest thing.
678
:And she's in direct contact with
the people who adopted that dog.
679
:That was one of my
favorite cases last year.
680
:And like they, we all have a little group
chat and we get to update each other
681
:with everything and it's quite adorable.
682
:And from what I understand, the
new adopters for that puppy.
683
:Are able to actually visit with the dog
'cause they do live in the same area.
684
:And so the the little old
lady has actually seen her
685
:dog since it's been adopted.
686
:So sometimes you find like really amazing
adopters who will, love a story, love
687
:anything like that, and will do anything
to help keep that connection with an owner
688
:who also love their animal at the time.
689
:And so that's been really incredible.
690
:Yeah, so we do see a lot of those owners
surrender cases and whenever we can't help
691
:physically intake, we will always help in
some other type of way, whether it just be
692
:resources of, food or just medical care.
693
:Dixie: Yeah, that's an amazing story.
694
:And I can't believe they were able
to hide that puppy for a month
695
:Hannah: Yes.
696
:It's the funniest thing ever.
697
:And I was like, and she was little.
698
:She was like.
699
:Five pounds.
700
:And I was like, I guess I
can see it, and she's quiet.
701
:The dog was very quiet and I was
like, I think this dog knew that
702
:she was not supposed to be there.
703
:Yeah that one, like the moment I
heard it on the phone, I was like,
704
:yeah, I will help out with that.
705
:That is the funniest
thing I've ever heard of.
706
:Mine's higher life, please bring to me.
707
:And that was great case.
708
:And it was right before Thanksgiving.
709
:It was a very fun little
thing to navigate around.
710
:Yeah.
711
:Dixie: Did she get adopted right away too?
712
:Hannah: She did.
713
:Being a little toy breed obviously
is a little bit more ideal, if you
714
:will, quote unquote when it comes
down to like people wanting an animal.
715
:But people also really love the story.
716
:'Cause of course we.
717
:Her little contraband story and her
bio, and we had a lot of people reach
718
:out and was like, I would love nothing
more to have a puppy that was smuggled.
719
:And I was like, absolutely.
720
:Here you go.
721
:Yeah, she got adopted pretty quickly
and the home that she went into, like I
722
:said, amazing, the fact that they stay
in communications with her previous
723
:owner who tried so hard to, keep her
basically without having to give her up
724
:is one of my, is also just like icing on
the cake of what we've managed to help.
725
:Both her and the course the animal.
726
:Dixie: Yeah.
727
:That is a wonderful story.
728
:That's really good.
729
:I was gonna say that you put that in
the adoption bio and that kind of almost
730
:had to seal the deal because it's a
great story Oh to go along with that.
731
:So when is your new
facility gonna open up?
732
:Hannah: We're hoping that the
adoption side our grand scheme of
733
:things is that by March 1st we'll
actually be open to the public.
734
:It will still be
appointment only, of course.
735
:But with everything going under
the works now with our contractors
736
:everything looks like it's gonna
be ready in the next couple weeks.
737
:Dixie: That's great.
738
:It was great speaking with you and
learning all about what you did.
739
:The story of how you got
started was really interesting.
740
:It's really amazing.
741
:Yes.
742
:And it's truly an inspiration.
743
:So I do hope it inspires other
young people to get started
744
:with doing this as well.
745
:Hannah: I hope so too.
746
:And once again, for any young people
who are interested in something like
747
:that, but don't think that they have the
means, just know that I did not at all.
748
:I was still a broke college student
who had no idea what she was doing.
749
:And now here we are.
750
:Actually having, a 5 0 1 C3 that
I'm in charge of and being quote
751
:unquote an adult with running it
and taking care of so many animals.
752
:Once again, I never thought that this is
where we would be the 10 years that I've
753
:been doing this, which is crazy to say
that I've been doing this for 10 years.
754
:Dixie: Thank you for coming on the show.
755
:I appreciate it.
756
:Hannah: Absolutely.
757
:Thank you so much for having me,
and thank you so much for wanting
758
:talk about forgotten felines rescue.
759
:Dixie: That's it for today's episode.
760
:I wanna thank everybody for
listening and supporting us.
761
:If you wanna take that an extra
step, consider becoming a member.
762
:We just added this to our
website, animalposse.com,
763
:scroll down, look for the support tab.
764
:Our membership program is going to
help us directly support animals
765
:in need, whether that be through
vaccinations, food or spay neuter efforts.
