Several pets rescued from Greensburg seek shelter in Lawrence
They survived the nation's worst tornado in years - only to be turned over to a shelter in severe disrepair. Now, 12 cats and 15 dogs from Greensburg and Pratt have found a temporary home at the Lawrence Humane Society. Enlarge video
Greensburg pets
Midge Grinstead, Executive Director of the Lawrence Humane Society, Inc., introduces nine pets from Greensburg, Kansas available for adoption through the shelter. Enlarge video
The latest living quarters for Daisy and Tulip are a bit cozy, but that's the way they seem to like it.
"They love each other. They play together, sleep together," said Midge Grinstead, executive director of the Lawrence Humane Society.
The unlikely best friends - Tulip's a 6-month-old Yorkshire terrier mix puppy and Daisy's a 3-month-old kitten - have been through a lot in the past seven weeks.
Their odyssey started after surviving the nation's worst tornado in years on May 4 in Greensburg.
Before coming to the Lawrence Humane Society with 11 other cats and 14 other dogs from Greensburg and Pratt, Daisy and Tulip stayed at the Pratt County Humane Society, a shelter Grinstead described as the worst she's ever seen, saying it was dirty and stacked with garbage.
"It was just a really horrible situation. Any time you picked anything up, mice would run out everywhere. It was severe," Grinstead said.
The Kansas Animal Health Department told the Pratt County Humane Society to upgrade the facility or close it. Even after Grinstead and her staff helped clean and reorganize the shelter, the Pratt building could hold only nine dogs and 10 cats.
"It was built in 1951, and the wear and tear on the building is enormous," Grinstead said. "It needs to go away."
According to the Pratt shelter's executive director, it will. Mike Hill, who took over the animal shelter in May, said: "The animals were treated excellent, but the shelter's been marginal for a while. We've been patching and patching it and finally just decided to rebuild."
Hill said that after the tornado the building was overcrowded and the staff was overwhelmed.
No construction timeline has been set, but Hill has asked state officials to care for more than 100 animals rescued from Greensburg.
On July 15, some will return to their owners, but most will have no place to go. If the Lawrence shelter's expansion project wraps up in time, Grinstead hopes the animals can move there. That project is slated for completion by July 1. The Lawrence shelter will receive no funds to help care for the animals, Grinstead said.
Comments
walkdog262 5 years, 11 months ago
I know I, for one, was desperately worried about the fate of the poor puppies and kitties of Greensburg, much as I was about the pets of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Soldier on, little Daisy and little Tulip. Be brave. Be brave.
kj 5 years, 11 months ago
What a couple of cuties!
none2 5 years, 11 months ago
I think Lawrence is a "no kill" shelter. They euthanize only sick or aggressive animals.
smitty 5 years, 11 months ago
Marion, get over yourself, boy. They go to such lengths to adopt ALL their animals.
There is such a shortage of small dogs that make their way to the animal shelter that this pair most likely will be gone today. So seldom is there such cute babies available.
I got a maltese mix there about a year ago. There was no other smaller dog there at the time. Paco got home and was delighted to find two cats. Unfortunately the cats weren't so delighted. It took several months before Cuddles and Itty Bitty let their feet hit the floor except to go to the litter box while Paco was in the apartment. Now they play together.
Here's to the new master taking both the kitten and the puppy. They are such great companions for each other and will have you rolling on the floor watching the antics.
BTW, it is less expensive to adopt than to go private when it comes to the initial vet bills and the neutering.
none2 5 years, 11 months ago
smitty, I have to agree with you about a shortage of small dogs in the shelter. I did adopt a calico cat there about 3 years ago. However, about the only small dogs I have ever seen there were puppies of larger breeds. We did adopt a small, young, female dog (daschund and probably terrier mix) almost two years ago, but it wasn't from the Lawrence shelter. We got her from the shelter in north Topeka.
That little dog & cat ARE so cute, I do hope whomever wants one takes them both.
smitty 5 years, 11 months ago
Paco is 21 lbs, cute, peppy, beautiful long coat, etc. He should not have passed the temperment test according to the same criteria that is used for the "dangerous breeds." He was a biter. I had to do some training about who was dominate before he settled down. Midge did state that no dog goes out that is a biter but they missed this little fella.
I learned quite a bit from watching dog whisperer and must say Paco and I did a fine job after the little guy knew that I was his alpha, that he was here to stay and in a routine of exercise and play. We walk morning and night for at least 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour and a couple of shorter trips out during the day. Retirement is a good thing!
As far as those larger dangerous breeds, they too can be handled and trained not to bite. But.....Luna? So sorry for that snafu. I have followed your wolf puppies on the rct and do miss the photos and undate on them.
sittinthefence 5 years, 11 months ago
The two cuties have an adoption pending. Hope their new home is a happy one. I too have an adoption pending on a new fir kid :)
allthatsme 5 years, 11 months ago
Just so the world knows, there is not a single Greensburg animal at the Lawrence Humane Society. The Greensburg animals are not allowed to leave Pratt, KS until July 15th, which means, they are no where else in the state/country but Pratt, KS. This is capitalizing on a very sad situation, and it should not be condoned. Perhaps the paper misquoted or received incorrect information. If in doubt about the location of the Greensburg animals, contact the State Animal Health Department. The Yorki mix pup and kitten are both Pratt animals. They did not survive the Greensburg tornado, because they are not from Greensburg.
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