Bethel Park cat rescue damaged after car crashes into building
Cali Cats Rescue, which is primarily foster-based, held a grand opening for its home in Bethel Park on July 6. The building gives the rescue much-needed space to help more felines. But things took a bad turn on Monday afternoon.
Director Amanda Jeney said something terrible happened as several kitties were hanging out in the community room and a volunteer was getting some work done.
"She called, and she is very calm and collected and cool, and said, 'Hi, someone drove through your building,'" Jeney said.
She shared a Ring video showing the moments after a large cat tree and other items flew across the room when the car hit the building.
"Those poor cats, two of them were in the hammocks on the windows, and, like, one just, you know, tumbled out of the hammock, and shot for the couch," Jeney said.
Jeney said while most hid under the couch, one of the cats scurried into a difficult spot.
"We had one that did get between the interior and exterior walls, our fan favorite, Pretzel. He is a little bit wild, but always makes us laugh and smile, and one of the Bethel Park police officers was able to get him out," she said.
The cats are OK, but there are now crushed bricks, a buckled window frame and no power to the front of the building.
"That really does limit some of the things that we can do in the next upcoming weeks," Jeney said.
"To go there and see it all boarded up now and dark, it's heartbreaking. It was full of spunk and cats, and watching them play and be safe and healthy and living their lives somewhere was all the hard work had paid off. And then that happened," she added.
Enough volunteers offered to take in the six cats, and also a mama cat and her babies, until someone can adopt them.
"We got flooded with messages that people could temporarily house cats, which made us feel great. It was very, very touching, and I was beyond thankful. The community really, really stepped up," said Jeney.
Now, the problem is the recue's long wait-list and not getting more behind without its new building.
"For example, this week, we had a mom and babies waiting, we had a couple adults waiting, we have a whole situation waiting, and the requests still keep coming," Jeney said.
While they work on getting repairs made so the recue can reopen, Jeney's hoping more people will step up and lend a paw. There are a number of ways you can help Cali Cats Rescue, including fostering, adopting, or donating. It also has a few upcoming events.
On Aug. 24, the rescue is hosting its third annual Kitty Kraze and vendor show at Mingo Creek County Park from noon to 4 p.m. There will be food, beverages, vendors, contests, a basket raffle, a 50/50 raffle, photos and adoptable kitties.
The rescue is also planning to move an event that was supposed to take place at its facility on July 30, but now it's hoping to host an adoption event at Pet Supplies Plus in Bethel Park that day.
Pastries A-La-Carte in West Mifflin will bake cat cookies, some will be lookalikes to a handful of Cali Cats' adoptable kitties. The cat cookies will be on sale Aug. 8 and 9, and proceeds will go to Cali Cats Rescue.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Beloved giraffe and unborn calf die suddenly
A Sydney Zoo giraffe and its calf have died following complications during labour. Late last Thursday night, zoo staff noticed signs of active labour in female giraffe Nzuri. In a statement, staff said as Nzuri's labour progressed 'it became apparent that the birth was not proceeding normally'. 'A dedicated team of three veterinarians and two veterinary nurses from several institutions were immediately mobilised to intervene and assist with the delivery,' the statement read. Staff discovered the calf's head and neck were poorly positioned, and despite the team's best efforts it became evident that the calf had died. Not long after, due to the stress and difficulty of the birth, Nzuri's condition 'severely deteriorated'. Faced with no viable options to save her, staff made 'the very difficult decision to humanely euthanise Nzuri to prevent her from further suffering'. Sydney Zoo said Nzuri's death had deeply affected staff who cared for her. 'This is an incredibly heartbreaking outcome for all involved,' exotic animals care manager Tim Bennett said. 'Our animal care team did everything possible to try and save both the calf and the mother, Nzuri. 'Decisions like this are never made lightly. The animal's welfare is always our primary concern.' Giraffe births are notoriously problematic due to the animal's trademark long limbs and neck, with a roughly six-foot drop to the ground immedietly following birth. Giraffes typically socialise in small groups or pairs of the same sex. Nzuri's companion was a similarly aged giraffe named Eyelean. When Nzuri arrived from Canberra's National Zoo and Aquarium in November last year, the two quickly formed a strong bond. 'When Nzuri spotted Eyelean, the bond was instant,' said Sydney Zoo zookeeper Frankie Douglass. 'Giraffes communicate through sniffing each other and rubbing noses, which is exactly what we witnessed within moments of the giraffes meeting each other. 'Nzuri and Eyelean are very similar in nature, both gentle yet outgoing.' Nzuri celebrated her sixth birthday just one month ago with keepers describing her as a 'shy' and 'lovely' giraffe. Giraffes in the wild typically live about 25 years.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Retired Madison County sheriff's deputy making difference to keep ‘these babies off the street'
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Kimberly Zerrusen told us about this week's hero, Keith Reed. Reed runs a nonprofit called 'Operation Making a Difference.' Hands Across Decatur extends hours due to heat Zerrusen's son was referred to his program several months ago. She says Reed is a hero in her eyes and in the eyes of many other parents. We tracked down Reed making a difference in north Huntsville. 'We are giving away all of our school supplies. We're giving away actually also clothing, giving away shoes. We're also giving away even appliances and things like that because we also have parents in here too that may need some different type of stuff,' said Reed. So, where does he get all of these supplies and other items to give away? 'I collaborate with different organizations and everything like that. It just so happens that a lot of the stuff that came tonight actually came from our National Guard facility that's located out on Johnson Road. So they got together with us and said, hey, you know, we got some stuff we want to give away for the kids,' said Reed. The items go to families that need them the most. 'We say we deal with at-risk youth, but we all know that everybody is at risk if you really think about it. So, everybody has all different types of definitions of being at risk. So, basically, we're just helping everybody out. We don't just deal just with the youth. We deal with the whole family because our program, they come here twice a week and they come here on Mondays and Thursdays,' said children come to get their homework and other school work done, and the parents come once a week for parenting classes. 'The program is called Operation Making a Difference and, it's basically, the acronym is OMAD. So we're basically a program that deals with a lot of the kids right here within the Madison County area,' Reed said. Reed spent 28 years as a sheriff's deputy in Madison County. He retired eight years ago but started OMAD while he was still working as a deputy. 'When I worked for the Madison County Sheriff's Office back in 1998, actually, I was working third shift when I got off work at third shift, go home, change clothes, and I'm in my office doing this right her and this is my passion. This is my ministry. This is what I do,' said Reed. Madison County nonprofit holds back-to-school readiness program Saturday So, why does he do what he does on a weekly basis? 'I am a product of Detroit, Michigan. Okay? I grew up in the streets, did gangs, did drugs, did all those types of things. I remember, years ago, I think when I was 10 years old, I had a cousin ask me say, well, well, Keith, what do you want to be when you grow up? I said I want to be a law enforcement officer,' said Reed. Reed was nominated as a Hoover's Hero. Does he feel like a 'hero?' 'No sir, because I tell people all the time it's not about me. You know, we received awards for our program and everything like that or whatever. But like I tell you, it's not about me. This is about me serving my God. For me to be a vessel, to do what I have to do to keep these babies off the street,' said Reed. Remember, if you know a hero in your community, you can nominate them for 'Hoover's Heroes.' To nominate a hero in your community, you can fill out the form below. Then watch News 19 at 5 every Monday to see your hero and others get the recognition they deserve! Submit a form. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
16 hours ago
- CBS News
Pittsburgh Public Schools holds first of several state-mandated public hearings to discuss proposed school closures
The first of several state-mandated public hearings on planned school closures for Pittsburgh Public Schools was held on Monday night. The district wants to close as many as a dozen schools and the hearings are giving parents, families, and faculty members the chance to weigh in on each proposed closure specifically. Monday night's hearing focused on the Baxter School. It's known as the Student Achievement Center, providing credit recovery and other alternative education programming. "This program and staff has helped so many students, and I really hope it can continue to help these students, but that won't be possible if this plan is passed," said Lily Allman. "Please do not give up on our most vulnerable students like so many others have," said Donnese Tyler. Not only in this district, but in their lives in general. They deserve to be believed in and they deserve to have the tools necessary to enable them to succeed." A hearing on the Friendship Montessori School is scheduled for Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. and following that, there will be a hearing on the Morrow School at 7 p.m. All of the public hearings are being held at the district's administration building on South Bellefield Avenue in Oakland and will also be streamed virtually. Those wishing to speak must register online. The proposed closures are part of the district's Future-Ready Facilities Plan, which aims to address declining enrollment, aging infrastructure, and underutilized buildings, saving more than $100 million in the coming years. If you're not able to attend the hearings in person or virtually, written testimonies will be accepted through email.
