Sorry, this is a long one…

Recently, I ran into an elderly gentleman at an animal fundraiser who just had to tell me, with tears in his eyes, about his cat Jingles after he’d learned where I worked.

As he told me about how he and his wife adopted Jingles in 1988, he shared photos from their long life together: Jingles tangled in the wrappings of their grandson’s first Christmas; family parties with the cat center stage; his wife in a hospital bed– her hand on Jingles snuggling beside her. The final photo showed a young man sitting cross-legged beside a Christmas tree with a thinner, frailer Jingles in his lap. “My grandson,” he said. “He’s in his second year of college now.”

Jingles had the kind of life that PETCO associates wish for every animal. Jingles’ guardian’s tears bore witness to his irreplaceable status with the family that loved him dearly and would never forget him.

Communities across the country are now in the middle of the annual tide known as “kitten season” that besieges shelters from mid-spring to late summer. Kittens pour into shelters daily. The litters, many of them feral and much too young to be motherless, overflow cat holding facilities, foster homes, and every unused inch of space in most shelters.

I was visiting one of our charitable partners recently when a determined, passionate young girl brought in five 4-week-old kittens. She had no idea what had happened to the mother cat. “You will take care of them and find them homes, won’t you?” she asked.

After telling us the names she had given them, she solemnly kissed each one and wished them luck. Before turning to go, she swept the room with a long, piercing look and decided that this group was up to the task she had presented to them.

I was sorely tempted to foster them myself, but knew with my upcoming travel schedule it would be impossible, but I kept in touch with the organization. Within days, the kittens were with one of the group’s foster families and thriving. It was heartening to know that the young girl who rescued them and their foster family did not see them as part of the flood of feline fertility that overwhelms shelters each year.

There is still a long “kitten season” ahead of us. Round Up/Spay Today 2007 will provide the formula, medical care, food, litter and the spaying and neutering that can transform the nameless multitude of felines into individual, cherished family companions like Jingles.

The Round Up/Spay Today Campaign ends this Sunday. For more information visit a PETCO near you or click here to donate online.

Thanks for making a difference!

PETCO Foundation Vice President and Director
Paul Jolly