This month is Smudge’s Sweet Sixteen!
Smudge entered our care almost 16 years ago and made clear early on that she wouldn’t be won over easily – no, not even for wet food. She made the upstairs cat room at LCHS her home, forming several friendships and bonds over the years not only with staff and volunteers, (a select few are even able to pet her,) but with other cats as they filtered in and were adopted out. While it took years for Smudge to trust people, her initially “hard to love” exterior has softened, and she’s developed a sort of fan base among LCHS volunteers and staff. In her earlier years, she forced humans to work for her affection, but Smudge has always been a source of comfort to other cats. She breathes a sense of calm into the room as new adoptable cats are welcomed in. Even now, we have two cats who we’ve been working with patiently for a year after entering our care from a hoarding case, and they’re fiercely loyal to Smudge, insisting on headbutting her as frequently as the Queen allows to let her know they appreciate her presence.
Smudge has been offered opportunities for adoption, but LCHS is what she knows; it’s where she’s comfortable and happy. We’ve made an effort, but through foster trials she’s made it clear, Smudge wants no part in a new living space. She prefers a shared space with other cats, access to the porch and catio for bird watching, her favorite perch in the window as she oversees activities in the LCHS lobby, and a following of people who love her.
At times, we felt bad for Smudge, and had tried to use whatever resources or help we had available to us. We had a few fosters graciously volunteer to try to win her over, because we truly want to find every cat their purrfect match and home, but she just ended up being happiest on our catio, with her steady stream of caretakers who learned which meows meant “wet food please.” This is her home. She doesn’t want to leave.
She’s a longstanding fixture at Leon County Humane Society, and we’re celebrating with a small get together at our office on the day – June 27th at 6:00 p.m.
We know that many of you love her, whether you’re one of the special few allowed to pet her or not, and we welcome you to come by. If you can’t stop by that evening, feel free to come in during our hours that week to give her a churu, drop off cat food donations, or send her a gift by making a donation to vote for her in this month’s fundraiser, the Paw Prints Calendar Contest!
Our Office is Closed this Week 6/10-6/12
We will reopen with our usual hours of Tu-Th 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. the following week on Tuesday, 6/24.
Our office hours are mainly for being available for those who need to access our Pet Food Pantry, and providing low cost spay/neuter vouchers through our partner Be The Solution. Be the Solution can help you with getting a voucher in our absence, or you can call Animal Aid to schedule your pet’s spay/neuter appointment and learn about the low-cost vouchers with just one phone call: (850) 386-4148
You can also schedule a spay and neuter appointment online at www.tallyspay.com
If you are in need of pet food assistance, please email us at info@leoncountyhumane.org and we can set up a time for you to come back, or if transportation is an issue, please let us know and we will work with you to get you know you need.
Adoptions are by Appointment Only
Our dogs live in foster care and many of our cats are as well. Submitting an adoption application after viewing our adoptable cats or dogs on our website is the best way to help us begin the matchmaking process and set up an appointment for you to meet with animals who interest you. Thank you in advance for your patience after submitting, we promise to answer your inquiry soon.
Usually, the cats at the office are decompressing and we have established and trained kitty care volunteers who interact with them daily to help them acclimate to new situations – if you’re looking to visit with affectionate cats who love people, you can visit Tally Cat Café.
If you have any follow up questions regarding your application, pet food pantry, or getting a voucher, please feel free to email:
info@leoncounyhumane.org
If You Are Looking to Surrender an Animal
Our intake is currently extremely limited. If you are trying to surrender an animal you adopted from us, please email info@leoncountyhumane.org to set up a time to bring them back to us.
If you need to urgently surrender an animal, the Tallahassee Animal Services Center (the shelter) by Tom Brown Park is the only open intake shelter in Tallahassee. While they are open intake, every organization has a limit on space, and they will let you know that animals who enter the shelter are at risk of euthanasia. HOWEVER – you can click here to see their statistics – they very rarely euthanize for space. It is especially helpful for them to be able to plan surrenders to ensure space, so if you’re able to work with them on the day you surrender, this helps the animal and staff.
Tallahassee Animal Services Center
1125 Easterwood Drive
By Appointment: Daily from 10:00am – 6:00pm
Walk-in Kennel Viewings: Wednesdays through Sundays from 1:00 – 5:00pm
Phone: 850-891-2950
If You Have Found an Animal
Their owner may be looking for them! The Tallahassee Animal Services Center handles lost animals since legally, pets are considered property. We can only intake owner surrender dogs or dogs we transfer in from shelter partners after a stray hold has ended. Dogs who were found within Leon County limits must go to the Tallahassee Animal Services Center or at least have a found report filed. Click Here to report a Found Pet
Cats are slightly different, as it’s hard to know when a friendly adult outdoor cat is lost or simply allowed to roam. However, a friendly adult outdoor cat should still be reported as found and scanned for a microchip. The shelter, any vet clinic, or Tally Cat Cafe will help you scan a found cat.
Found Kittens
If you have found kittens, use this chart to determine their age:
While the shelter should be a last resort for all animals, they should especially be a last resort for kittens who are under 5 weeks old or not yet weaned. Those lives are very delicate and require foster homes if found without mom. As you can see from the recent shelter statistics, except for cases deemed medically necessary/in cases to prevent suffering, their cat euthanasia rate is actually very low. Bringing a kitten to the shelter because you want them to get vetted and adopted is a kind and valid option – much better than giving the kitten away to a stranger or leaving them outside.
Here are a few other cat rescue groups in Tallahassee who you can contact to see if they have space – but remember that it’s kitten season – many of these groups are getting dozens of requests to intake multiple kittens daily. Please be kind and remember that the shelter is the only “open-intake” option, the rest of these groups need to say no when they run out of space or resources. They say “no” so they can use their limited resources to provide care to the many cats and kittens they’ve already said “yes” to, just like we do.
Its Meow or Never – TNR Focused Rescue Group
Email photos and information to itsmeowornevertally@gmail.com
ECAH – Limited Intake Cat Rescue
Email photos and information to info@ecahanimals.org
Feline Advocates of Leon County – Limited Intake Cat Rescue
Email photos and information to falccats@gmail.com
Smitten with Kittens – Bottle Baby Focused Rescue
Please utilize this admission form.
Feline Fine Rescue – Limited Intake Cat Rescue
Email photos and information to felinefineanimalrescue@gmail.com
If You Have Donations
Thank you for thinking of us for your donation!
Donations can be left on our porch, but please place pet food donations in the blue bin by the door. We will have volunteers coming by daily to bring in donations. If you need a donation receipt, please email kstryker@leoncountyhumane.org with your information and we will mail one to you upon our return.
If you would like to make a monetary donation, you can do so by clicking the button below.
If you have a questions about our Paw Prints Calendar Contest and making a donation towards an entrant or sidebar, please email Katie Stryker at kstryker@leoncountyhumane.org
If You Are a Foster
If you are a foster in need of supplies, please email info@leoncountyhumane.org and we will make sure that your supplies are left on the porch the following morning for you to pick up. Please reach out to your program coordinator with any questions, as we will still be monitoring our phones and emails.
Why Do YOU Give?