NAMPA, Idaho (CBS2) — Rabbits, chickens, ducks but especially cats at Lake Lowell Animal Rescue have been left to fend for themselves. Dumped near Lake Lowell to fall victim to predators.
“Most of the animals that we find are either sick or injured. A lot of them are hungry.”
It all started with Melissa Blackmer who’s no stranger to animal care. She’s a Vet Tech at West Vet in Garden City.
A couple years ago she noticed many cats, not feral but clearly someone’s pet near Lake Lowell.
“Domestic animals aren’t really set up to live by the lake and the woods by themselves. So sometimes we do have to trap them or we find them injured so they need to be spayed and neutered, they have to go to the vet,” Blackmer said.
With help from the Charitable Giving Foundation, she now has a property in Nampa to provide a Non-profit rescue to animals.
The house is built with three cat rescue rooms, a back porch that is screened in and turned into a catio. Along with built-in walkways so the cats can move back and forth between the rooms and the outdoor patio.
It’s more than a one-person job, but Blackmer says she is determined to treat each animal with the right level of care so they can go to loving homes.
“If you’re struggling with especially a cat or another animal try to find help for it that doesn’t involve letting it go in the wild because they definitely don’t fare well there,” Blackmer said.
Several different clinics lend a helping hand. But things like food, litter and cleaning supplies come at a cost.
Blackmer says it's been three years and nearly 400 rescues. Most of them have been adopted out but others often go to a hospice program.
“The suffering that we see on a daily basis is something that is totally preventable, and I think there are enough options,” Blackmer said.
The rescue is actively looking for volunteers. The funds they raise helps get these animals taken care of.
“A lot of people that think oh you know maybe someday I’ll go volunteer or help out. Now’s the time,” said Vanessa Russell, volunteer coordinator with Lake Lowell Animal Rescue.
To become a volunteer or if you’re interested in adopting, click here.
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