-- Story by Amy R. Spurgeon; photo by Brian Pobuda
A happy ending might be in store for the sad story of a litter of
kittens abandoned with their mother last week in Garden Grove.
Thanks to Beverly Hardy, a Costa Mesa resident and volunteer with the
Newport Beach-based Community Animal Network, the kittens have a safe
place to call home for now. Hardy agreed to foster the litter after she
learned that they were living in a single cage at a local animal
hospital.
The kittens' mother is being fostered by another volunteer.
"I fell apart when I saw them in that cage," Hardy said. "And I
realized that if I took them, then it would create more room for others."
The Community Animal Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
finding homes for lost and abandoned Newport-Mesa pets. The group often
relies on volunteers to provide temporary homes for animals.
Hardy, a real estate agent in Newport Beach, has been a volunteer for
the past six months, taking care of cats in her Costa Mesa condo. She has
negotiated the temporary situation with her own cats, Scooch, Zack and
Ling Ling.
The litter of 6-week-old female longhair kittens will enjoy wrestling
with each other and frolicking on the balcony for the next two weeks.
When they are two months old, they will be spayed, given their shots and
put up for adoption by the Community Animal Network at Russo's pet store
at Fashion Island.
"It's wonderful to wake up and see them," said Hardy, laughing as two
of the kittens chewed on each other. "The minute I get up and tap on the
window, they jump up. They can't wait to be pet and have human
attention."
Hardy said she will continue to foster animals for the network
indefinitely. She also hopes to raise funds to help the organization
cover mounting medical bills.
"How could you not enjoy this? If you have troubles, they just go
away," Hardy said. "But the point is to help rescued animals, because if
we can foster, then it makes room to save more."
