Leigh’s Lost and Found: Cat rescue saves more than a dozen cats from a cleared out homeless camp

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - In today’s Leigh’s Lost and Found, a follow up to a Springfield homeless camp being cleared out and who came to the rescue of the many cats left behind.

When the cat rescue Eden Animal Haven heard about those cats, it knew it had to help. The founder put the call out on social media and got an amazing response.

“We had absolutely no idea what we were going to find.”

What Leslie Sawyer and many volunteers found, was more than a dozen cats and kittens, left to fend for themselves in the cleared out camp.

Leslie tells us, “it’s just a miracle how all the right people and timing of everything just fell into place. We loaded up a bunch of carriers one morning and headed to the camp, hoping we could catch as many by hand as we could.”

They actually caught them all, 17 in total.

Leslie gave them all names based on nuts, like Ginko, who is likely the patriarch of the colony

They range in age from about three years to eight weeks, and are surprisingly, very socialized.

According to Leslie, “they’re all negative for feline leukemia. We’ve started their vaccinations and we have our first group going in for spay and neuter next week and then after that, as long everything goes good, they’ll be ready to go into adoptive homes.”

Leslie says the rescue happened at the perfect time since Eden is offering an adoption special this month.

“We did get a grant through Petfinder and are able to take $50 off each adoption fee in the month of September.”

“Our object is to get them ready for adoptive homes as quick as possible and to get them into loving families so they can start their next phase of their life and live as a wonderful companions to families out there, says Leslie.

The shelter still really needs volunteers and donations to help take care of the camp kitties, on top of the almost 80 more in their care.

But Leslie says the community response already, has been amazing and much appreciated.

“It is a lot for us to take on but we’re passionate about helping the cats in our community. These cats needed a hero to come and get in there and I’m glad that Eden Animal Haven and all those that support us, could help save these lives.”

If you’re interested in adopting one of the cats or kittens or would like to donate or volunteer, click the link below to Eden Animal Haven’s website.

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