Kittens Rescued by Remarkable Dog

In a fortunate twist of fate, one remarkable dog actually wound up saving kittens that were victims of animal cruelty.

For anyone who truly loves animals, stories about animal cruelty never get easier to digest; trying to figure out what motivates people to perform such horrendous acts of brutality makes my head spin. But one of these stories I read recently touched me so deeply that it was impossible not to share it. In a fortunate twist of fate, one remarkable dog actually wound up saving kitten victims of animal cruelty.

The story begins in August 2011 in Madison County, Iowa

For some unknown reason, some person (or persons) decided it'd be a great idea to cram a litter of four or five healthy three-week-old kittens into a Meow Mix bag, and place the bag on a busy road to be crushed by oncoming traffic.

Miraculously, a nurturing dog named Reagan was drawn to the bag containing the kittens. She carried it back home, gently placing it in the yard to wait for Kerry, her “fur-mom” , to return from work. When Kerry arrived, she noticed what appeared to her like a crumpled bag of trash on the lawn. Since Reagan frequently retrieved “treasures”, she wasn’t that curious. But after she realized Reagan was not acting normally and seemed overly interested in the bag (from which unfamiliar sounds were emanating), she quickly checked the bag’s contents. What she discovered was completely shocking.

Inside the bag were two tiny, screaming kittens trying frantically to escape, covered in the blood of their crushed littermates. After removing them immediately, she brought them inside. She bathed and fed them, while quietly reassuring them they were safe. I can only imagine her upset and anger when she realized the kittens were left on the road purposely to be killed.

For the next 12 hours, Kerry watched over the infants, feeding them every three to four hours, carefully examining them for signs of internal injuries. But at the same time, she was in conflict, as her job would prevent the kittens from being fed on schedule. Kerry then reached out to several local rescue organizations. Incredibly, they all turned her down.

Luckily, Kerry found Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary and Rescue (RVAS), the one rescue organization willing to intervene. And while RVAS had received 18 calls that day, after hearing her story, the director was called and a foster and backup with experience caring for neo-natal kittens was found. Kerry, working together with RVAS, brought the kittens to University West Pet Hospital, whose veterinarian, Dr. Martz, immediately assessed their medical condition. And while the kittens are thriving, a tough road lies ahead for them. These kits will need a lot of TLC following the abuse they suffered.

Last night I had the pleasure of talking with Linda Blakely, the Executive Director for RVAS. Skipper and Nipper (as the kittens were named) were healthy enough to be neutered and are back home, being loved by their super-human foster mom.

Updates on the kits can be found on the RVAS Facebook page.

If it weren’t for the swift intervention of RVAS, a non-profit 501(c)3 rescue organization, the outlook for these two kittens would not be so bright. The only way that RVAS can continue to help animals in need is by the generous contributions of animal lovers around the country. Those wishing to  donate may do so by visiting their website.

Watch Skipper, the gorgeous spunky classic tabby kitten, play ferociously with his favorite toy while he keeps his claws in great shape on the video uploaded to YouTube by RVASpets.

As the holiday season approaches, just think; wouldn’t it be extraordinary if humans cared for one another in the way Reagan protected these kittens, and emulated the caring response of RVAS? What do you think? Tell us in a comment.