Fundraiser Tomorrow Canceled.

Just a quit update to say that due to the weather we are, sadly, canceling the fundraiser tomorrow at Bill's Wonderland of Pets.

Hope you're all safe and warm! Tweet This

Introducing Tilly

Meet Tilly! Tilly is for Otilie which is German for "fortunate heroine" and I'm not sure there's a better name for this little girl! Let me start from the beginning though...

An old friend of mine called me Saturday afternoon to tell me that she has been noticing some ferals not far from the high school we went to together. She wanted information on who to contact about getting them fixed. Relating more to Joa’s Arc though, my friend was calling because not too long before calling me, my friend had seen a smaller, dilute calico dragging her back end (born that way? Hit by car?).

I made arrangements with my friend to meet her near by the next morning so she could show me to the place and we could look for the injured cat. We saw cats, lots of them - but not the one we were looking for. I helped my friend leave food for the cats (who looked to be living off the restaurant left overs and "slop" being fed to the pigs there). You can see in the photo that the orange kitty is eating slop and the little brown tabby with white is eating the dry food we put down. I was surprised they let us get as close as they did before running off - some would let us get within just a couple feet!

I returned for a second visit later Sunday evening and saw even fewer cats and still no signs of the cat with the injured back legs...

With the encouragement of all the other Joa’s Arc members and our supporters, I continued to look for this elusive, injured kitty. I went back Monday morning to feed the kitties and there were a few around, but not our girl. I gotta admit, I was a bit scared because no one was there this morning and there were like 75 vultures picking at the trash and eating along with the cats.

I left, but returned about an hour later. I pulled up where I had been parking for each visit and right in my line of view, sitting in the brush, was a dilute girl. Too good to be true, I thought! But as I approached her (these cats let you get pretty close before running), she got up to run and was dragging her back end! I'd like to brag, but she was pretty slow and didn't put up much of a fight. I went back to my car, got a big comforter and followed her little drag marks in the snow. She was just starting to go under the boat behind the abandoned house when I tossed the comforter over her. She hissed a little, but that was about it.

Medically, Tilly is in rough shape. She suffers from some sort of trauma to her back, though what caused it exactly, we may never know. She has sores on her feet from dragging her feet like the one pictured here. She got her vaccinations and when her sores heal, she can be spayed. Her paralysis in her back end makes her different, but she can still lead a wonderful life now that she's safe and warm inside.

Socially, Tilly seems very, very scared. We're hoping she's not feral and can eventually come around since she obviously cannot go back outside in her condition. Cross your fingers she comes around and learns to trust as her wounds heal.

So far, living outside as she was, she proven she's obviously a survivor. Tweet This

Personal Post

JoyceM is currently away in the Pocanos and Smithy is watching her house and feeding her kitties...

Smithy: I had a blonde moment tonight - lol!! I pull up at JoyceM's to go feed the kitties. I see a cat along front of the house and start calling it and approaching real slow. It was a tin cat decoration - LMAO!!!
JenW: LOL ~ oh my god, I love you
Smithy: I didn't have my glasses on and it was getting dark - LOL! From a distance, it looked like a real cat!
JenW: suuuuuuuuuure Tweet This

Bake Sale Success! (and Introducing Nero)

What a great morning Joa’s Arc had at Bill's Wonderland of Pets!!!

After setting up our tables of information, scarves & baked goods and saying hello to the various kitties volunteers brought along with them, we had some visitors before we were even technically started at 11 AM. One of those visitors happened to be Rick C, Gibson's guardian angel (along with his wife Robin C, Gibby's #1 fan). It was Rick C's low riding car that Gibson smacked into all that time ago and it was Rick C who stopped his car instead of continuing on to work, saved little Gibson from the road and got him medical attention. Needless to say, this was a very emotional meeting because not only was Saturday Gibson's first public appearance with Joa’s Arc, but as you may know Gibby was just medically cleared and, after everything he's been through, is ready for adoption. I believe their adoration for one another is quite obvious in this photo Robin C took of the two boys together.

Another very special person came in as well to visit the Joa’s Arc crew. These two wonderful children are HUGE fans of Nennee! Huge, huge fans ... so much so that Stephen, the kind boy holding Nennee in the photo, has been doing all he can to raise money for Nennee's future surgery. So far Stephen has raised $142 dollars which he lovingly donated to Joa’s Arc Saturday. He made a can to set out in his dad's store, Kitchen Kapers in the Cherry Hill mall. He's hopefully adding another can at a different store location soon too! It was so nice for all of us to be able to meet Stephen at this event and to see his face when he got to meet Nennee.

Stephen is Nennee's hero and there's a bit of a back story as to how Stephen came to know about Nennee. You see, Stephen's family's kitty cat at home is a handsome black cat named Fozzy ... and who is Fozzy??? Fozzy happens to be the loyal and loving brother of our forever loved Joa who inspired this entire organization. Fozzy was Joa's protector while they were surviving outside on their own. So, in a long, round about way, we at Joa’s Arc have yet another reason to be thankful to Joa!

Look who else Nennee got to meet - the oh so popular and lovable, Elwood!!! That's right, the picture has me, Jen W, holding Nennee as she sniffs and checks out Elwood in the arms of his momma, Karen. It is no secret that Elwood is a big supporter of rescue efforts and Saturday he came out with his big brother, Montana the German Shepherd, to support Joa’s Arc. We were all pleased as pie to have them join us - along with Facebook friends, blog post readers, other rescue volunteer supporters and board members and the kind people shopping who stopped by.

Joa’s Arc had another kitty with us too at Bill's Wonderland of Pets: Nero the neurological cat from Camden County Animal Shelter.



Nero has been deemed "special needs" because of his condition: Cerebellar Hypoplasia. However, Nero is really just special. He uses his litterbox like a normal cat, plays like a normal cat and loves love like a normal cat ... he just sort of walks on his tip toes and occasionally tumbles over. Most importantly though, his condition will not worsen. This is the way he has been since he was most likely a kitten (we're really not sure since the poor guy was found wandering the streets of Camden like this) and as far as he knows, he's a regular cat - a handsome one at that too. Nero is for adoption through Camden County Animal Shelter. Please inquire there about adopting him.

Above is just another great photo from the day of Joa’s Arc supporters! We sold lots of cookies, cakes and yummy bread that day, along with some scarves and toys too. Aside from all the fun we had and all the great visitors, we were lucky enough to make a total of $374 that day too!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for making it such an absolutely wonderful day.

To cap off this wonderful update, Bill's Wonderland of Pets will be allowing Joa’s Arc to do another fundraiser! Sunday, February 7, 2009, from 11 - 2 PM Joa’s Arc will be there selling scarves, jewelry and hopefully some chocolate covered pretzels. Keep in mind this is exactly week before Valentine's Day. Pretty jewelry for a good cause - I'm not sure there are better gifts of love for Valentine's Day than that!! Tweet This

News Article On Joa's Arc

Check this out: Joa's Arc raises funds for medically needy shelter pets, hosts bake sale Saturday January 9

"Joa traveled to the Rainbow Bridge this past March, having succumed to a massive infection secondary to her parapelegia but she will be at Bill's Wonderland of Pets tomorrow in spirit and in the memories of all who loved her"...

Thank you so much, Ms. Drake for your kind words and support of Joa’s Arc! Tweet This

Gibson's Ready for a Home!!

We’ve got great news! Joa’s Arc took Gibson for a re-check appointment to Dr. John at Tri-County Veterinary Hospital in Pilesgrove (We love Dr. John!). Not only did we find out that Gibson is a whopping 6 pounds now, but Dr. John also pulled some blood from Gibson to see how his status was. Remember, it was not long ago that we were told Gibson had non-regenerative anemia - basically his red blood cells weren't "resupplying" themselves..

Gibson’s blood work looks GREAT now though - totally normal!! The continued weight gain, lack of a temperature and repeated purrfect blood work proves that not only has Gibson defied the odds by surviving running into a car, but now it seems he’s proved us all wrong about his previous diagnosis! He’s still slightly special in the head (likes to turn to the right a lot and possibly thinks he’s a dog ~see photo~), but otherwise a completely normal kitten and now officially ready for adoption!

A great big thank you from Gibson and everyone at Joa’s Arc for all your prayers, good thoughts and positive vibes. Gibbie has proved to be one incredible kitten and whoever ends up adopting him will be very lucky indeed. Tweet This

Gibson Update & New Event

Gibson goes for a medical re-check this week - so far he's been a wonderful, healthy kitten running around and being a nut. Let's hope the vet gives the okay and he is officially past all the drama of the "cat running into car" incident.

Also, friends, note the new event posted:
Joa’s Arc will be holding a bake sale at Bill's Wonderland of Pets (804 White Horse Pk North, Magnolia, NJ) on Saturday January9th from 11am - 3 pm. Nennee, our special needs kitten from GCAS will be joining us and greeting the public. Bill's Wonderland of Pets is in a brand new location with a new building so come on out and check out the new store and pick up some baked items while helping Joa’s Arc. Tweet This