Together We Can Ensure a Bright Future for Leilnai, Tunia and our incoming feral cats

Dear Reader,

We are so grateful for your support in 2024, and as the year draws to a close, we wanted to share an important update with you. With the help of donors like you, we’ve been able to provide vital care to our formerly feral cats Leilani and Tunia.

On December 21st Tunia celebrated 1 year as a well cared for indoor cat. He’s learned the joys of being well fed, safe and warm and dry, basking comfortably in sun of a south facing window. Never to become owl or eagle bait. Yes, we have a healthy Great Horned owl population here and eagles soar in the nearby Sierra Mountains.

And guess who has learned the joy of snuggling under a warm comforter?

New Incoming Feral Cats

One huge concern with trapping and bring new feral cats into our FFURRR (Feral Feline Ultimate Rescue, Rehab, Re-home) program is the cost of their initial medical care.

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Previous Feral Medical Expenses

When Leilani was trapped her medical expenses were $12,000 because her mouth was a mess. She had to have almost half of her teeth removed and her gums had become infected. Now Leilani is happy and comfortable as a well cared for indoor cat.

When Tunia was trapped last year many of you helped pay for his medical care through the fundraiser on Go Fund Me. Tunia had been coming to drink at the birdbath in the front yard all summer long in 2023. Then, on the Tuesday before Christmas last year he showed up with a broken glass ball canning jar stuck around his head and neck. He had broken off part of the end so he could breathe.

When I saw him a panic rushed through me and I sprung into action. Coordinating with our local Humane Society and our county Animal Control Office it took me 2.5 days to trap him. Once caught, I saw that in an effort to free the broken jar from his head, his front right leg was also crammed through the neck of the jar. He was really in trouble and needed immediate help.

I started calling local vet clinics to get him the medical care he needed right away. One clinic I called explained that they had already use all of their urgent care appointments for the day. I stopped any further explanation with, “Let me tell you what’s going on.” The woman on the other end of the phone listened and then said, “Wait a minute, I’ll be right back.” The kitty angels were smiling on Tunia that day as when she came back on the phone she instructed me to bring him in as soon as possible.

His medical care that day, sedating him so they could remove the jar, cleaning him up and treat his ear mite infected ears was $700. Fortunately I had room on a Care Credit card to cover this unexpected expense.

New Incoming Feral Cats

We have a new tiger-striped brown-beige and white kitty outside petitioning to be brought indoors and helped. However, we need a cash reserve already in place to cover medical expenses before we can trap her. Both Leilani and Tunia had already been spayed and neutered though the local TNR (trap and release) feral cat program. With new incoming feral cats any required spay and neuter cost will fall to us, Emerald Ark, to cover.

How Your Support Helps:

Presently, we are still working to meet our end-of-year fundraising goal to cover:

• Our facility's ongoing operating expenses $3,000 per month.

• Needed followup annual checkups for Leilani and Tunia, $200 to $300 each. • Cover for Altin’s Holistic Avian Veterinary consultation $80 raised, $220 needed. • And ensure we can continue to provide the best care possible.

We Need Your Help Today!

We’ve set an ambitious goal, but and we need your help to meet it. With today being New Year’s eve day, your donation can help us close out the year strong and start 2025 with the resources we need to care for the animals who rely on us.

Donate Now: Help Us Reach Our Goals

Remember, every donation—no matter the size—makes a difference. Whether it’s a chiropractic session or a full month of operational support, your contribution brings us closer to a thriving future for all animals.

​DONATE FOR ALTIN ON GO FUND ME

​DONATE TO EMERALD ARK

HELP SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMS

Thank you again for being part of this journey. We value and appreciate you and share our appreciation in a spirit of gratitude, acceptance, and peace. Thank you for being our inspiration, for supporting our mission and programs and for your contributions.

Our Year-End Goal

We’re aiming to raise as much as possible to meet our operational and care expenses. Will you join our current donors and help us finish the year strong?

​DONATE TO EMERALD ARK​

Contact Us:

For questions or more information, please reach out to Leslie at lesliebbfe@gmail.com .

We share our appreciation in a spirit of gratitude, acceptance, and peace. Thank you for being our inspiration, and for your contributions. We can only fund our programs with your help and support.

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P.S.: Donations made by December 31 are tax-deductible for your 2024 taxes. Don’t miss your chance to make a difference today!
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Thank you for being part of our mission to “Become a Part of Something Greater than Yourself!”