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When It Rains, It Pours

March 24, 2009, 11:37AM MT

By Jennifer S Hayes

St. Francis Animal Rescue Center vandalized in midst of financial hardship

St. Francis Animal Rescue Center vandalized in midst of financial hardship

By Cathy Larson, Best Friends Network Volunteer

Financial problems can be worrying on the best of days. St. Francis Animal Rescue Center, the only no-kill, cage-free cat sanctuary in the Rock Hill area, has until the end of the month to raise $1,000 to pay back rent owed on the facility, which houses almost 100 cats.

The staff has more than enough to deal with caring for the cats and trying to raise the necessary funds, but early Saturday morning, between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m., a man, later charged with public intoxication and destruction of property, smashed in three exterior doors. He was caught later, trying to break into the house next door, but the damage at St. Francis was already done.

When the director, Charlène Rodríguez, spoke with the police, the officer told her that the “cats were screaming” when they arrived. The cats were in a state of terror and are still severely traumatized. Days later, there are some still in hiding inside the facility.

“These are cats that know us and love us, but since the break-in, they hiss and growl if we just try to approach them. So, there is no telling what that maniac did while he was in the building,” says Rodríguez.

Twelve of the cats were so terrified of the intruder that they ran out of the building through the broken doors and only six of them have since been found. Rodríguez is extremely concerned that the six kitties still missing might not survive if they are not found, because they are not “outside” cats, and are some of the most timid felines in the center.

To make matters even worse, Rodríguez was injured while out in the woods looking for the cats who were still missing. The injury to her knee is extremely painful, but what pains her even more is that she may not be able to continue looking for the missing cats until she heals.

Police estimate that the damage done to the building is approximately $1,000. This includes three doors that need to be replaced and a large plate glass window, which had a small crack near the bottom of the window, but which now is completely bisected by the crack. Although the window was damaged before the break-in, replacing the glass is now an issue of safety.

“I feel that we have been violated and our sense of safety, for the animals, has been destroyed,” Rodríguez added.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
If anyone can help with these critical expenses, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made by going through PayPal.com and then entering email address: stfrancisanimalrescue@yahoo.com or by mail to:

St. Francis Animal Rescue Center
P.O. Box 4044
Rock Hill, SC 29732

For more information:
• Please call Shelter Director, Charlène Rodríguez, for more information at (803) 554-9930.
• Kitties Need to Pay Their Rent
• St. Francis Animal Shelter at Risk

Photo credit: courtesy of Charlène Rodríguez of St. Francis Animal Rescue Center
Posted by Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends staff

Comments

Posted March 30, 2009, 11:19AM by gin2772

The change.org is a link to fundraising that someone set up back in 2008. It's expired now. I don't have an account there. Could someone contact that woman who set it up? Maybe she'd help us. I'm going to start another fundable at www.fundable.com on April 1st. I'll post the link here. They still need help. Please help. Please post their story anywhere you can. Thanks.

Posted March 24, 2009, 2:18PM by BECKER

Thank you so very much Best Friends for re-posting the story again for this society. Our friends are trying hard to generate funds for them. We have postings out all over our groups and are re-submitting them. I feel terrible about what happened to the dear souls and can't imagine how scared they are. I pray the other furbabies will be found safe and soon. My prayers also go to the guardian taking care of them all. Were still working for you and the kids and I hope more funds can be generated for the babies there. Thank you again Best Friends for reading my e-mail to you. God bless you all!

Posted March 24, 2009, 7:5PM by atuttle32

I second everything you said, Becker!!

One suggestion ... has St. Francis gone to other rescue groups in SC and asked for assistance? It may be worth the trouble of making some phone calls or sending some emails. The other rescue groups may be able to assist in locating/trapping the lost cats as well.

Posted March 28, 2009, 8:35PM by ktsmom

I just sent a payment through paypal-it's not as much as I wish I could do, but hopefully will help. Please keep us posted.

Posted March 28, 2009, 10:9PM by Kelly4cats

I gave what I could afford. Maybe they should consider putting a couple guard dogs on the property. I dont know if they would scare the cats. I just wouldn't want this to happen again.

Posted April 02, 2009, 9:7PM by stfrancisanimalrescue

I just want to give everyone an update on the St. Francis Animal Rescue Center. We thought at first that we had lost almost thirty cats because so many were hiding inside the center. We actually only lost twelve, of which we have found seven. This means that there are five of our precious kitties wandering the streets and prey to all the dangers there are for stray animals. They don't know how to be outside kitties and I am afraid that they are slowly starving to death. Please keep them in your prayers that they can find their way home, or that we can find them.
The maniac who broke in terrorized the cats to such a degree that they were screaming when the police arrived. We have over $1300.00 in damages to the structure and several hundred dollars in things that had to be thrown out, such as a new climbing tree, because there was so much glass embedded in everything.
Because of the injury to my knee I am on crutches and unable to search for the missing kitties the way I need to. We have put out traps and set up a food station to try to lure the cats home. We had to stop using the traps, though, because we were trapping so many feral cats who were in a state of terror by the time we were able to release them.
I am so grateful for everyone's help and concern and will do a better job of letting you know what is going on. Take care and God bless.
Sincerely,
Charlene G. Rodriguez, Director
St. Francis Animal Rescue Center
(803) 554-9930

Posted March 28, 2009, 12:35PM by BECKER

Here is another link to help the kitties.

http://www.change.org/st_francis_animal_rescue_center

I hope she was able to find the missing babies.

Posted April 03, 2009, 10:16AM by laytoncats

Charlene,
I am sending you a new cat tree to replace the one you had to throw out. What else do you need to replace?

Posted April 15, 2009, 4:30PM by gin2772

They now have a Petfinder page. Check it out. More cats will be posted on there very soon.

Posted April 01, 2009, 9:25AM by gin2772

The link to the fundable I set up is http://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2009-03-31.5448186880

Posted March 25, 2009, 2:39PM by BECKER

Thank you Atuttle32. I don't know if they have. As I live in Canada, I am getting pieces of what Charlene is doing through others. I hope they can find the missing babies.....I would hate for them to not be found. Has anyone got any updates??

Posted April 22, 2009, 8:41AM by gin2772

A fundraiser has been set up to help them at: http://www.change.org/st_francis_animal_rescue_center/projects/fundraising/no-kill_cage_free_st_francis_animal_rescue_needs_urgent_help

Posted March 30, 2009, 5:23PM by laytoncats

ktsmom,
I'm with you! I sent my Paypal donation this morning. I just wish it could have been more. I'd love to see St. Francis Animal Rescue selling on Ebay as a charitable organization. Is there anyone in your organization that's savy with Ebay? I have so much stuff in my house that I could donate to be sold on Ebay. I'm not computer savy myself. I'm getting close to retirement and wanting to get rid of a lot of things that are in mint condition.
I hope you find the missing kitties soon. I'm sorry to hear about the knee injury. Bless you all for what you are doing for the kitties.

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