Johnston County Animal Protection League of North Carolina
Rescuing and Loving Animals in Need since 2001
We adopted a cat you named Henley on 05/07/16, and I wanted to tell you that he is an amazing member of our family. Especially during the COVID pandemic he has been a source of happiness and calm for us. He is the best therapist, and we love him very much. We renamed him Ivan because my youngest could not say Henley, LOL. He is healthy, happy and beautiful. Thank you for doing such a great job of fostering him. We are eternally grateful!
From Penelope’s New Family:
We took Penelope home just a few months ago, she is still a bit shy but she is the sweetest little girl. We don’t see her as having a disability because she is just like any other cat, she just needs eye drops is all. She is just so sweet I can’t take it! She’s a little sassy and bossy, and knows what she wants. She bumps into things here and there but she’s not bothered. She loves her crunchy toys, snuggling, and loves to climb her cat tree, literally. I love when she gets excited she opens her eyes as much as she can and even though they may look funny to others, I always tell her she’s beautiful. We couldn’t have made a better choice to have Penelope with us.
From Penelope’s Foster Mom:
In 2019, JCAPL took in 3 kittens found under a house. All 3 had eyelid agenesis and eye infections. Since they could not see well and were in cramped conditions, they also walked in a hunched over manner and were not very social. Archie, Penelope, and Marco have each undergone two cryotherapy surgeries. They will all need lubricating ointment in their eyes daily, but they are pretty normal cats otherwise. Archie is still in foster care. Marco is currently available for adoption; he is still skittish and will need a quiet home with a patient and loving family. Penelope has been adopted, and her adopter has shared pictures of her and tells us how Penelope is adjusting to her new home. We love it when adopters consider animals that are different, and may need a little extra care. And we are so happy Penelope is home!
Background:
Eyelid agenesis is a congenital defect of the eyelid where typically the upper lateral eyelid is not formed. Eyelid agenesis is most common in cats, but rare in dogs. Multiple kittens from a single litter are commonly affected. Eyelid agenesis commonly results in irritation from contact of hairs with the cornea, and over time vision can be affected. The most common treatment for the condition is removal of the hairs above the eye by liquid nitrogen cryotherapy. More than one surgery cycle is commonly required.
Mylo came to us right after Christmas – a scared little puppy that clearly had a disability. He walked using his front forearms, not his paws. He was diagnosed with luxating elbows, and surgery was not indicated.
Mylo immediately came out of his shell and bonded with his foster family, never letting his disability bother him. He played hard, loved hard, was always happy, and there was never a tail that wagged more.
LaJuan saw him at an adoption event and was immediately touched, not knowing what to expect with his disability. She just knew she had the love to give him. Her husband, Walter, was fully on board, and when they met him in his foster home, they saw an excited, happy puppy. They were not deterred by all of the unknowns ahead of them, they just knew they would love Mylo and provide him whatever he needed. In the nine months since they adopted him, he has flourished.
He has adapted to using his front paws, and gets around quite well – there’s really isn’t much he can’t do. He is still the same happy puppy whose tail never stops, and is living his best life with LaJuan, Walter and two fur siblings, as well as lots of neighborhood friends. We had the pleasure of spending time with Mylo again recently, and he is the same happy boy whose tail never stops wagging. He is clearly very loved.
We will always be grateful to adopters like LaJuan and Walter who are willing to open their hearts and homes, especially for a special needs baby, not knowing what the future holds. I can say with certainty that LaJuan and Walter feel like the lucky ones to have Mylo in their lives, but the truth is, we are all very grateful for special adopters.
My daughter and I adopted a cat from JCAPL. Her name is Amelia, and she was about two years old when we saw her at an event in Clayton. We didn’t adopt her that day, but a few weeks later we saw her again in Garner, and we figured it was meant to be and brought her home. She has been very spoiled since then and is the love of our whole family. She is a tortoiseshell, and the tortitude comes out sometimes but it’s all part of her awesome personality. We love her to death and can’t imagine life without her. She’s about nine years old now and still going strong. Just wanted to thank you guys for all you do and share a success story.
– Alan W.
Fall of 2016 I decided I was ready for another “big girl” to join our family. The previous fall we had lost our beautiful 15 year old shepherd/Rottie mix to cancer. I came across a picture on PetFinder of a sweet 10 year old black lab named Madison, whose quirky ears and gray muzzle grabbed my heart. She was being fostered by a wonderful woman, Mary Giordano-Grant, who works with Johnston County Animal Protection League. Within a week of filling out the application Madison was coming home! She was the sweetest, most mellow, most well behaved girl ever. With the exception of some initial dental concerns her health was great.
As she aged there were some normal concerns with her joints but she was able to get around well. On December 26, 2019 she suffered a stroke during the night. The next morning a caring vet helped me say goodbye. Though she only shared a few short years as part of our family I feel very strongly that she gave us the best years of her life and was appreciative of all the belly rubs & loving she received from all who knew her.
Too often older dogs are overlooked by someone who thinks they only want a cute puppy. Providing a responsible, loving home to a dog in their golden years is such a rewarding experience. JCAPL was so incredible to work with. Please consider adopting an older animal through their program.
After being cat-less for several months, I opted for double the trouble and double the love by adopting 2 young cats through JCAPL.
In the 4+ years of our togetherness, their personalities continue to evolve and they always keep me on my toes. Silo started out being either 100% troublemaker or 100% sweet and cuddly. Fortunately, his trouble-making days seemed to have decreased but he still manages to remind me of that potential on occasion. His sister Nixx has undergone the biggest transformation. For a long time I needed to convince her on a daily basis that I was not the Boogeyman. She has now trained me on how, when and where and she wants her belly rubs and behind the ear scratches – I am almost ready to finally call her a cuddly cat!
If anyone wants to know how much I love my cats, just take a look at my camera roll. I am always on the quest for the perfect shot for the JCAPL annual pet calendar!!
Sarah N.
Katy is absolutely wonderful, it is amazing how far she has come.
Just wanted to let you know how Goose is doing. She is a very sweet and loving girl. We let our granddaughter rename her . Bob and I chose Gracie and Sophie. She said she doesn’t have feathers or quack ☺️ so she picked Gracie as her name.
I cut up a hotdog in small pieces and every time Gracie gently took one Haley called her by her new name. So sweet! Gracie ignores our cat…. which Dorie isn’t quite understanding that phenomena:) she has started to give a cross of loud whimper and very tiny bark to let us know when she needs to go outside……of course treats are used for rewards. She is super smart and a very quick learner.
The grandchildren love her however we are minimizing the contact and will grad build up. Younger two are 4 @ 2. Still a little loud and jumpy. With Gracie still acting like she’s been shot at when she hears airplanes, truck horns, sirens we felt slow intro is best. We have taken her shopping with us to help with her lease training and socialization skills:) doing very well!! She started playing with her toys we throw she fetches. And then entertained us while she played with her toys by herself. I am sending you a pic from this morning where she appears to be smiling:)
She is so loved…..thank you for seeing and feeling the love she has inside of her that she unselfishly shares with us and others.
I wanted to give you a quick update on Spencer. Omg, do we love him to death! His nickname is “Cat-Dog” because he does think he’s a dog. He follows me around the house “helping” with everything. He’s great with our dog & our other cat…she has diabetes now & Spence must know cause he’s so good with her. He’s my snuggle bug too. We couldn’t be happier! And someone did a great job with him early on because he’s never once picked at the furniture.