We love hearing stories of the pets people are dedicating lights to during our Lights of Hope campaign this season and the cats who traveled across the country are no exception! While the origins of this story happen prior to digital cameras, it’s where we meet Blue and Mambazo. “After I had lost my cat, Boudicca, a good friend brought me a tiny, frightened kitten that I named Mambazo. Later, a neighbor had to move and left me a very active, very cute young cat called “Blue”. Bazo and Blue got along well and moved with me from California to W-S in 2000. They are gone now, but I enjoyed both of them very much. Mambazo lived to be 16 and Blue, 14.” says Lights of Hope donor, Mary. Mary continues, After Blue and Mambazo came Meow Ming, April and Kato. Not long after, I got a cat named -I don’t know why- “Mouse” as a companion for Kato in 2016. Kato was 13 when he died this year. Mouse is still with me and has been, I think, comparable to a human brat! She and Kato got along fine, but she has never learned to socialize with people and may be the only cat I ever had who will not sit on my lap! Here at Forsyth Humane Society we absolutely love hearing all the stories about the varying personalities and adventures of the animals our community loves. This is just a simple example of a lifetime of love, thank you for sharing, Mary! If you would like to dedicate a light to a special pet in your life to be displayed throughout the month of December, check out our Lights of Hope page! Prepared by Kristen Williams
The Wellness of Companionship
As we move into a month of gratitude and thanks, we can’t let the wellness of companionship pass us by here at Forsyth Humane Society. Day after day we strive to create conditions where everyone in our community can benefit from the wellness of companionship – What does that mean? What does that look like? Well, it varies. Let’s explore some of the examples of this celebration. The wellness of companionship is the joy of a pet that has come into the care of Forsyth Humane Society, either off the street or turned in by a good Samaritan, and that pet being reunited with their family members after a short period of time. The wellness of companionship is the furry sidekick that is adopted by a senior who comes into Forsyth Humane Society, looking for a pet to provide a little love and care during the varying stages of life as an older adult and becoming a lifelong companion. The wellness of companionship is the dog that is your loyal running partner. Who’s up with you at 5am when your friends said no, to keep you on the move as a way to support your own mental health. The wellness of companionship is the cat that snuggles in your lap and knocks your glasses off the side table after a long day of work but gives that TLC paired with the laugh that you just needed. The wellness of companionship can be found in the families that foster dogs and cats to keep them out of the shelter until they can get adopted. These foster families can share behavior tendencies and give great insight to prospective adopters to make sure it’s a good fit and help reduce the risk of the animal being returned. The wellness of companionship can be found in our community pet food pantry that provides pet food to underserved communities so that they don’t have to give up their pet just to make ends meet. They can still receive that love from a furry friend regardless of their financial situation. The wellness of companionship can be found in the increased awareness of the decrease in the number of people experiencing mental illness in our country thanks in part to having a pet by their side that can ease the stress and anxiety of everyday life for both person and pet. At Forsyth Humane Society, we work diligently across Forsyth County to build awareness and programs that reduce shelter intake and provide for the compassionate care of pets and the people who love them in our community. This is the wellness of companionship and we are here for it! Thank you for your continued support on this journey whether volunteering, fostering, donating or adopting from us. Because of you we are able to continue sharing the wellness of companionship and you are able to receive it! Written by Kristen Williams
