For Margaret who lives in Indiana, cats have long been a source of comfort and companionship. “I have six,” she said, naming them one by one: Mindy, Peanut, Faith, Sunshine, Midnight and Pandora. Asked if she has a favorite, like any parent Margaret was firm: “Nope.”
With an endless supply of compassion for felines in need, Margaret has also fostered many cats over the years, often the ones who needed the most help. “In fact, all of the animals that I’ve had as an adult probably were due to fostering issues,” she explained. “I frequently kept the ones that struggled to get adopted.”
Her awareness of Animal League America began decades ago with the unforgettable story of Scarlett. In 1996, firefighters in Brooklyn watched as the stray mother cat ran into a burning building again and again, carrying her kittens out one by one. By the time she finished, Scarlett had suffered severe burns, but all her babies were safe. “When I heard the story about Scarlett rescuing her kittens from a fire,” Margaret recalled, “it really just stuck in my mind.”
Years later, as Margaret began thinking about the future and the pets who depend on her, that memory led her back to Animal League America and our Safe Haven Surviving Pet Care Program®. Safe Haven enables supporters to make arrangements through their estate plans so their pets will always have a place to go. If a participant passes away or becomes unable to care for their animals, Animal League America arranges transportation from anywhere in the country to our Port Washington campus, and the pets are cared for until a responsible, loving home is found.
“As I get older, there’s got to be somebody to take care of them if I can’t,” Margaret said. She ultimately made her decision based on one important reason. “There are a lot of shelters,” she said, “but I wanted someplace I knew would be around in the future.” Founded in 1944, the longevity of Animal League America gave Margaret confidence that her cats will always have somewhere to turn. While she hopes her pets won’t need Safe Haven for a very long time, she finds comfort knowing a plan is in place. “Of course I’m hoping they never have to go there,” she added, “but it’s good to know they’ll be taken care of when the time comes.”