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Dedication ceremony at Best Friends for Great Kitty Rescue angels who crossed the Rainbow Bridge

Lion-hearted Lullaby

Please join us 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 28 in Angel’s Rest at
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah for a dedication ceremony, for the cats of The Great Kitty Rescue who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge

Placement ceremony for Pahrump cat Lollipop precedes the dedication at 5:15 p.m, Friday, March 28. All are welcome to attend.

A person who wanted to remain anonymous approached one of team members in the Pahrump Wal-Mart during that brutal summer when we started the Great Kitty Rescue.

“Here, this is for the lion-hearted cats that you are saving,” the donor said and handed the team member a garden sculpture of a lion.

The lion stood watch in the courtyard at the facility, through all of the months of the rescue.

Volunteers created a sacred space around the lion to honor the cats. Informal ceremonies were held when a kitty crossed over. A pole that had originally held up a clothes line became the peace pole people signed with their special messages for these kitties.

Most of the remarkable cats of The Great Kitty Rescue fought back to health and are now adopted. There still are cats waiting for their happy ending, that are either at Best Friends or with good rescue groups, and our hope is they all get to go home soon.

The cats who have walked over the Rainbow Bridge, and are waiting for the rest of us to catch up, are having a very long catnap at Angel’s Rest.

For all the volunteers who so heroically worked through the harsh conditions and did anything and everything to help these cats, please consider this a heartfelt invitation to join us 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 28 in Angel’s Rest at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary when we dedicate the memorial to the cats of the Great Kitty Rescue.

Join us even if you can't be here

If you are not able to join us in person, please join us in spirit.

Light a candle
Read a poem
Hang a crystal
Hug your cats

However you would like to mark the moment will join us together in honoring these purry angels.

Photos by Troy Snow, Sarah Ause and Russ Mead

Posted Mar 13 2008, 12:16 PM by BarbaraWilliamson

Comments

Posted 13 Mar 2008 12:23 PM by Lora726

Thank you doing this - these very special kitties deserve a very special memorial. I was with Lolly when she passed - thanks to Steve, Joni and Mollie, it was peaceful and gentle for her and all of us. I will be with you all in spirit.
Keep fighting the good fight!

Posted 13 Mar 2008 1:15 PM by Felis_sapien

I can't be there in body, but you know I will be there in spirit to honor the lion-hearted cats in the Pahrump rescue who crossed the bridge and the lion-hearted staff and volunteers who cared for them.

Posted 13 Mar 2008 2:26 PM by Justice4Cats

I will NEVER stop crying for the cats who live and died at the place I have a very hard time referring to as a sanctuary. It was more like a death camp. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to join you for this special moment.

When everyone was gone except the Bakers Dozen I went to visit the emptiness and took one of the rocks that circled the Lion and Pole. A memory. A reminder.

Posted 13 Mar 2008 4:01 PM by Fletch

I just learned yesterday that Wags succumbed to kidney failure. I will always remember her as a playful and sweet kitty having survived horrid conditions, a broken tail and terrible diarrhea. Please make sure to include her in your ceremony, although she went to a rescue in Washington State. Everyone of these kitties MATTER.

Here is a link to her picture:
http://network.bestfriends.org/Blogs/PostDetail.aspx?bp=5983 (I didn't realize "he" was female.) I'll be with you in spirit.

Fletch

Posted 13 Mar 2008 5:23 PM by bmk

God Bless all those babies. They went through hell. I will never forget those faces. I will be there in spirit.

Posted 13 Mar 2008 5:46 PM by sztimbe

In remembrance of Fozzie and for the love of Duchess....we hope to be with you on the dedication day....Shari and Steph (The sisters)

Posted 13 Mar 2008 5:54 PM by pinkys

Glenn and I will be there in spirit. The sadness caused by the pain suffered by those who depend on us for food, medical attention and love is overwhelming.
Please let this sadness be a motivating drive to implement change. It might be a long process but we need to exhibit the same strength with the next step as the strength we had when we helped rescue these lives. Prevention will require at least as many hands as the actual rescue required.

Julie.

Posted 13 Mar 2008 6:52 PM by Constancy

My kitties and I will be there in spirit... blessings to you and all the little ones.

Posted 13 Mar 2008 7:18 PM by ktsmom

I will be there in spirit also. I wish I could attend in person, but I will give my kitties an extra hug at that time. I still shed tears for the cats who suffered so much-just as I still shed tears when I think about the Katrina animals. Thank you so much to all the volunteers involved in this rescue.

Posted 13 Mar 2008 7:29 PM by Spax

Mike and I will be there. We will never forget our time in Pahrump, walking into that compound for the first time, seeing the electric wire, the hot sheds, the disease...the dedication ceremony will be a part of closure, and a chance to heal. But never forget. And moving on to the next part of prevention, like pinkys says.
I'm afraid I'm going to flood Angel's Rest, it will be so emotional.
Andrea

Posted 13 Mar 2008 9:00 PM by LVRottie

I will be there in spirit. I am grateful for this next step in the healing and remembrance process - for us and for those rescued.

Posted 13 Mar 2008 11:47 PM by jennifer

Mark & I will be there. Andrea - I'll bring kleenex for both of us, and we'll have wine after - okay?

I'm crying now about Wags - I didn't know she had crossed.

I still wear Busters collar, I don't know when I'll find the closure I need to take it off, but this ceremony will help.

Prayers of thanksgiving for my beloved Ava, and prayers for the kitties who didn't have long to know love and care. Many prayers for those still looking for homes, and enormous prayers of thanks to everyone involved.

Posted 14 Mar 2008 12:29 AM by MINI

I wish that I could be there. I am a crystal, I will light a candle, read a poem and hug all of my kittes. They all deserved so much better then what they got. I miss sweet litle Cleo and I will never forget her. She was a litle angel who shone so brightly in the short time she was here. Her only crime was stealing my heart. I loved her. I will be there in spirit. ^..^

Posted 14 Mar 2008 9:34 AM by bjkoll

Reading this story brought a flood of unexpected tears and a wide range of emotions. Sadness for the kitties who didn’t make it. Anger at the persons responsible for the underlying situation and other similar situations. Fear that it could happen again – in Pahrump or elsewhere. Gratitude for the Staff of BF and all of the volunteers who stepped in to help. Thankfulness that I was able to be a part of the rescue – working both in Pahrump and at Pussycat Lounge.
I’m glad my husband and I were able to attend the placement of three Pahrump kitties at Angels Rest when I visited in November (see my story – “A Sad Goodbye to Three Special Angels” in this Community). I wish I could be there in person on March 28 but I can’t. I will be there in spirit and will say a special prayer for all of the Pahrump kitties who are watching us from the Rainbow Bridge.
I will never forget the intense feelings I had when I first walked into the compound at Pahrump and the even more intense feeling of seeing the statue of the lion keeping watch over all of us who were there. I hope the person who donated the statue knows how symbolic it became and that it will forever stand watch over those who did not survive.

Posted 14 Mar 2008 9:56 AM by veganmarcy

A big thank you to Fletch and all the others who made sure that each and every cat, living or dead, had a name and was important. That they weren't just items to be warehoused. And let's fight hoarders now more than ever. Rest in Peace little ones, we love you.

Posted 14 Mar 2008 12:09 PM by kittychump

Bless you all. Prayers and love for all these innocent critters. We need new laws and enforcement to fight for the living and honor the dead.

Posted 14 Mar 2008 2:49 PM by mxipp

If I can't get there in person, I, and my anmals, will be there in spirit.

Posted 14 Mar 2008 6:27 PM by dmolstad

I am disappointed that I cannot attend. But my heart is with all the very special Pahrump kitties. I love them all.

I’ll never forget, as I am sure no one who was there will, time at Pahrump and all the kitties there. The heartbreak and then the joy that so many of them survived and have homes now, or will have homes soon.

I will be with everyone in my heart and with my three little fuzzy ones at home. We will join you all in prayer and remembrance.

The very next time I am in Kanab, Angles Rest and the Pahrump kitties place will be my first stop.

An incredible survival operation by Best Friends and the army of volunteers who visited or donated supplies funds.

A tear may fall for the kitties who passed over the Rainbow Bridge, but there will also be a tear of joy for the kitties we all, as animal lovers, have saved.

A sad but joyous time.

Posted 14 Mar 2008 7:07 PM by momsofmany

I am hoping that Chow Chow (Watchdog Chow) and I can be there physically, but if we don't make it know that he and I and the rest of our family will light a candle.

Marylee

Posted 14 Mar 2008 8:34 PM by RJPage

Dear Pahrump Hearts, Our Buddy (98) and Willie (07), of Blessed Memory, are there on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge waiting to make friends with you. Tom and Risa Page

Posted 15 Mar 2008 1:14 PM by pattycatty

When I saw this very striking lion sculpture I couldn't help but be reminded of my favorite piece of art, "The Lion Of Lucerne". The sculpture was carved into the sandstone mountainside in Lucerne, Switzerland to commemorate the bravery of the Swiss Guard. When you stand amongst the other tourists gazing up at this beautiful carving of a dying lion, you don't see a dry eye in the park.
Lion Of Lurcerne

Though the kitties weren't bravely fighting off a peasant uprising against Louis XVI, they were no less valiant in their fight for survival.

Posted 15 Mar 2008 5:18 PM by Nevada10

Dan and I wish we could be there in person but can't. The spirt of these couragious kitties wil live on forever and they will never be forgotten. There isn't a day that goes by that I do not think about this rescue and cry for all the cats that had to endure this punishment this death sentence, and I am angry because I wish such bad things to happen to the members of FLOCK for what they did, for what they put these cats through, Hitler's reincarnated is what they all are, making a concentration camp but then BF came to the rescue and for that we will be eternally grateful. Every time I looked into the eyes of these beautiful cats I wept and still do. Every time I look into my Smudge's eyes I say I wish I could have rescued you all, not just one, but you will always be my reminder of how cruel people can be to do what they did to poor defenseless cats. Every time I kiss your head I give you lots of extra kisses for your brothers and sisters that did not make it, that did not get the chance to be loved like we are loving you now, that did not get the chance to be the playful kitty you now are, that suffered like you did before we took you home. Looking at the statute makes me cry for each time I went up to it at the sanctuary I cried as well. Thank you BF for rescuing hundreds of beautiful loving cats and helping them find homes and rehabilitating the sick ones and thank you for allowing us to take home Smudge (formerly Durango). Working with BF out at Pahrump definitely had a great impact on me.

Posted 16 Mar 2008 11:50 PM by missydog

My two boys, who came from a hoarding situation, and I will be lighting a candle for these dear sweet kitties. Bless all of you who participated in the rescue and cared for these tortured innocents.

Posted 17 Mar 2008 1:41 PM by czimmer671

Oh what I would give to be there! I was only a minor player in this rescue, but it has effected me deeply. If I can't make it, please know my spirit will be with you all, and Myself, my beloved Noah and Buck will be together, lighting a candle and honoring those who have crossed in our home.

Posted 17 Mar 2008 1:47 PM by cherylt

I, too, was not a major player by physically being at Pahrump but at least I was able to donate items that helped the cats' lives much happier. I have followed this rescue from the beginning and have been so emotionally involved with every phase of it. I cry every time I think of all these cats and the conditions in which they lived and I cry for those who did not make it. If I didn't live across the country, I would be there in a heartbeat but please know that I will be there in spirit by lighting a candle and hugging my 8 kitties.

Posted 18 Mar 2008 3:49 PM by Justice4Cats

Where is Lammy? One of the three dogs that came from Sherri Allens house. Miss Milly has been adopted but I can find nothing on Lammy. Here is her photo. https://www.bestfriends.org/guardianangel/index.cfm?csid=2420&csii=2424&csit=Set&entry=8592CF5F-BDB9-396E-914A666450ED4D2C

Posted 21 Mar 2008 10:12 PM by JudieJ

My heart goes out to the cats that could not be saved due to the terrible conditions at the sanctuary here in Pahrump. We were lucky, we got to adopt one of the cats on the first adoption day, Zodiac(formerly known as Crybaby) who is being tenderly cared for and is going in to have his teeth and gums taken care of. He has a chrontic tearing condition but other than that is fine. We are very lucky to have been a minor part of saving an animal. My heart will be there thinking how just one word telling people earlier what was going on would have perhaps saved them all. God bless those departed and keep them save in heaven.

Posted 21 Mar 2008 11:12 PM by Beamer

If you are planning to attend, we ask that you bring a flower (though we will have some) and a pair of gardening gloves.
As a part of the dedication we will also have a flower ceremony and ask all who wish to participate place the green name markers on each site (the temporary wooden markers may cause splinters).
If you are attending and wish to bring a memorial, we ask that you call Angels Rest first. We do have guidelines to protect our visiting critters (deer, rabbits, dogs, birds..etc).
Finally, this is more than a dedication to those who are with us at Angels Rest. We honor all the animals, staff and volunteers who were a part of this rescue!

James "Beamer" Bermant
caretaker, Angels Rest

Posted 22 Mar 2008 12:18 AM by dmolstad

After responding that I could not make the trip to the dedication, I found I could not sleep, all I thought about was being there for the cats and visiting with the survivors.

So I rearranged schedules and will fly into Vegas late Thu night and drive to Kanab Friday. I am absolutely delighted that I could make arrangements and I’ll bring my gardening gloves. I hope I can find a place in Kanab to buy flowers.

I find I am relieved and excited sad. Relieved that I can do one more thing for the Pahrump kitties, excited to see all my two and four legged friends at Best Friends and sad that I will have to leave too soon, not having done enough for any of them, just a little for a lot of them.

For those of you who will attend as well, I look forward to seeing you there, for those who cannot make the trip; I know we will all feel your prayers and good thoughts as gently dedicate the memorial to the gentle, loving souls.

I find I get angry when think about hoarding situation. Some people cannot help themselves, others can. Those who can deserve all the legal penalties the law allows. Those people who cannot help themselves need all our help in not only saving the pets, but saving the people too.

Some people comment that working with animals does not help humanity’s needs. Those people are wrong. One helps the other and both are better for our help.

Enough of my meandering comments, I look forward to being there, being with the people and honored to have been a small part of the monumental effort to save the Pahrump kitties.

I’ll also be interviewing a few Pahrump cats while I am there to see if they would agree to homes, I know a few people looking for new best friends.

Posted 22 Mar 2008 10:10 AM by Beamer

Don't worry if you can't find flowers, we should have enough...we also have gloves, but have to share them.
I forgot to mention that if you would like to share some of your pictures from the rescue, please bring them. We will have a couple of tables set up to display them.

Posted 24 Mar 2008 12:48 PM by terric

To Justice4cats: Lammy is safe and well and living with a BF staff member here in Kanab. After a grooming and haircut she even started snuggling under the covers at night.

Posted 24 Mar 2008 2:42 PM by Justice4Cats

Thank you terric,
I am so happy to hear Lammy is well.
Justice4Cats

Posted 24 Mar 2008 8:09 PM by neesie

I wish I could be there in person, but I will be thinking about all the kitties, and will light a candle for those at the bridge. Bless you all who helped these cats!!

Posted 27 Mar 2008 2:52 PM by JKgd1

What was Lollipop ill of? I remember her so well:(

Posted 28 Mar 2008 1:57 AM by jonij

Lollipop had fluid in her chest, possibly FIP.

Please know she was surrounded by several humans who loved her as she began her journey to the Rainbow Bridge. She was a sweet, loving little girl and we all miss her deeply. Yet we are thankful that she was safe at Best Friends surrounded by those who loved her during her final days in this life.

Posted 28 Mar 2008 6:51 AM by gclarkins

I was part of this rescue for nine months and the pain and suffering I witnessed will stay with me the rest of my life. I spent a lot of time in the FELV buildings and remember some of the kitty's that have passed. Captain Jack, Casper, Mr. Jones and Naomi. And just recently Albus and Aladdin have passed at the SAINTS rescue. there was a very special orange tabby named Bond that I wanted to adopt but wound up in hospice in Kanab. I would up later rescuing my neighbors cat, an orange tabby which I named Bond II in honor of my original friend Bond I. I will always remember you and how you all touched my life and softened my heart. I will visit you all very soon at Angels rest and spend time just thinking about the good times we will share together when it is my time to meet you on the other side of the rainbow bridge.

Posted 28 Mar 2008 9:58 PM by carrie_fosters

At 4:30 PDT today, I suddenly snapped out of what I was doing and sat still (unusual 'cause I have ADD and I'm forever switching from one task to another or one thought to another and rarely stop all day). I had forgotten the ceremony taking place just one hour east but suddenly needed to check out the Nye County Community. I want you all to know what a powerful group you are!

Not having a candle or a kitty available, I simply focused on all of you there and all of the kitties either being celebrated in death or being celebrated in homes around the country or in Finishing School at BF.

To celebrate in my home, I will try to find my Pahrump "scaral", Ember, this evening and tell her how sorry I am that she had to endure what she did but how happy I am that she is now part of our family. With any luck, she'll be fully participating in her family soon.

Lots of love and thanks from Ember and me to all of you who were there today or who helped this huge and hugely successful rescue operation in any small or large way.

Posted 28 Mar 2008 11:04 PM by Mimi

Carrie, funny, but just before I lit my candle at 6:30 Chicago time to join the ceremony in meditation, Ember was the one cat who came to mind, and everything you've done to make her happy. Extra "hugs" to the sweet girl.

Posted 28 Mar 2008 11:29 PM by Nevada10

As I was on my way home from work tonight at the time of the ceremony I said prayers out loud to all the babies that did not get the chance to have a loving family of their own, and cried all the way home. I cried because we were only able to resuce one baby from Pahrump Smudge (formerly Durango) and when I got home I told him I said prayers for all his brothers and sisters and asked my babies at the Rainbow Bridge who I miss so much to take all these babies under their wings and lavish them with lots of licks and snuggles and play nicely with them until we are united once again. They will always be on my mind as being a part of this rescue is something I will never forget such tragedy but at the same time cannot thank BF enough for all that they did and are still doing for these kitties for without you I could not imagine the death of 800 plus cats. I kissed my Smudge and my Boots as all of my kitties were rescued kitties, You are no longer sick my sweeties and now you are well again sweet angels, but you deserved so much more, life, love, companionship.

Posted 29 Mar 2008 8:15 AM by Justice4Cats

It was a wonderful moment in my life to be there for the ceremony. I took photos and will post them on my blog "Before Best Friends" first chance I get.

Hugs, tears and memories.