Welcome to the Colorado State Open Thread. I could have chosen to do something Valentine’s Day themed, but I will honor a mother cat who came to us from the Denver Dumb Friends League with her four babies who hadn’t yet opened their eyes. Bella was about a year old, if that, but she had already become a mother to four Siamese kittens and one black kitten.
I’ve probably told you the story before. How she was brought to the Denver Dumb Friends League and my wife was fostering kittens for the shelter. Some came with mothers, but most did not. In this case, the people who hadn’t kept her away from male cats brought her to the shelter when she became pregnant but wanted her back once the babies were adopted out. Well, I felt Bella was such a pretty mother cat and I didn’t want her to go back to her original parents, even though she would be fixed and therefore couldn’t be a mother again. I told the DDFL that if her original parents decided they didn’t want her back, that we would adopt her. Within a couple of days of when we returned her, her adopted parents decided they did not want her after all. My wife decided that Bella would be my Christmas present. So, a confirmed Dogfather became the father (in name only) to my first cat. Three months later, when my wife unexpectedly passed away, I became the father for two dogs and two cats, including Bella, and all four came from shelters or (in Ginger’s case) was likely abandoned but she was indeed rescued).
I’ve gone through this extensive tale (tail?) because tonight’s 9News program had a story about how the Denver Animal Shelter has had a large increase in the number of pets coming in to the shelter. This shelter is not a no-kill shelter. They do wind up euthanizing many pets every year. In 2022, more than 700 cats and dogs were euthanized, but in 2023 more than 1200 were euthanized. There’s a video at the 9News website describing what reasons pets are euthanized, but it still is a choice that doesn’t make anyone at the shelter feel good.
If anyone in the DKos universe would like to help, there are many shelters across the state and they’re all very full at this time. You don’t have to adopt animals, but that would be great and you’ll get a new friend for the next decade or longer. There are many other ways to help. You can give something that is very precious, but costs nothing, and that would be your time. Many shelters would be happy to have you volunteer time to walk dogs, play with and socialize animals, foster animals for short or long stints (and this doesn’t cost anything because shelters will give you the petfood, treats, litter boxes, leash or any other supplies needed). Yes, even helping clean the living spaces like dog kennels and cat boxes would be greatly appreciated. Even staffing the desks is done by many volunteers, though you may need to work your way up to a public contact role.
Another way you can help is to donate. You can donate money, of course, but extra blankets and towels, pet beds, pet toys, pet food, are all usually welcome. Sometimes, if they’re overwhelmed with some item like towels, just wait a week or two and they may need more at that point.
The other topic for discussion I have is about Fake News. I’d like to share with you a link to a talk given last year at a League of Women Voters presentation when Dr. Justin McBrayer, a professor from Fort Lewis College in Durango, talked to the LWV in Larimer County and Montezuma County. as well as people who tuned in from around Colorado. This is a video of a Zoom meeting, so there are some interruptions, unfortunately, from people who didn’t mute their end of the session. The presentation is about an hour and is followed by a Q&A. He posits that Fake News is not just by maleficent producers, but people following the incentives that are available to them. It’s not clear just what Fake News is, but he addresses the various facets of what is called Fake News. I think you might enjoy listening and perhaps you might find your intellect stimulated.
Please let us know what’s going on in your corner of Colorado, on your mind, and whatever you feel you’d like to share with the rest of us. The floor is open.