Potter County Animal
Assistance Project (PCAAP)

This is a story about a cat named Bennie. The caller said that he was a feral and was taking shelter under their house with a couple of other cats. It was March. A heavy, wet spring snowstorm had shut down the schools and made the roads a sloppy mess. It took only a day for them to be trapped so a volunteer headed back out to pick them up and get them out of the cold and wet. One look at this big, black cat in his trap made it clear that this cat was way more afraid than feral. He was terrified and crouched tight into one end of the trap, ready to protect himself. He had good reason to be. Someone had burned a cross into his face.

On seeing the big scar on his face, his new foster mom right then and there promised him she would make sure no one would ever hurt him again. Over the course of a year, she patiently worked to gain his trust. As she was able to get closer, even more scars were visible.

The patience and gentleness of his foster mom paid off and, "Bennie Bear" allowed her to touch him, and he, in turn, became the biggest, loving, mama's boy of a cat, as well as a big buddy to other cats and his foster mama's little daughter.  Bennie Bear had no good reason to trust again. But given a chance, he became a loving and happy pet.

Bennie's story is just one of too many encountered in the process of dealing with the results of people not spaying or neutering their cats and ending up with unwanted cats. In too many cases, the "excess" cats are discarded in some out of the way place where their chances of survival are less than half of a cat kept inside and cared for as a pet. Against all odds, Bennie survived and found a home.

We could tell you so many more stories like Bennie's. They deserve so much better from us. Please spay and neuter. Don't tolerate cruelty. Don't get any pet unless it's for their lifetime. Please support our efforts to break this cycle of neglect and carelessness.