There is no limit to what a few people can do if they put their minds to it and are united in their cause. A cat who could have been road kill, benefited from such a group’s focus.
As far as cat stories go, Sebastian’s isn’t unusual for a cat wandering a busy highway. It became interesting when some Montanans on vacation decided to do the right thing— and then some.
The local story started Sept. 26 with Sebastian being hit by at least one car on the Taos Highway, just north of the Ohkay Casino. It was hot and the pavement was hotter. There’s no way of knowing how many cars zipped past or over him as he lain on the pavement, too stunned and injured to get out of traffic.
Fear was his friend.
His next friends were Jack Kirkley and his wife Brenda, visiting New Mexico from Dillon, Mont. Jack Kirkley said in an original letter to the editor that he ran over something that day that looked like dark debris. He thought that until, at the last second, the debris turned its head and looked at Kirkley. It was a cat.
Cats and dogs being hit by cars is pretty commonplace in Northern New Mexico. The leash laws are loose and unenforced and pets pay the price.
The Kirkleys could have kept going. Who wants to stop while on vacation and rescue an animal on its deathbed?
As Kirkley pulled over, a motorcyclist traveling about a mile behind the Kirkleys read the situation, quickly pulled over, directed traffic away from the cat, ran out, scooped him up and ran to meet Jack Kirkley, who was now walking back toward Sebastian. The nameless biker gave the cat to Kirkley and sent him on his way with directions to the Española Valley Humane Society’s animal shelter.
There, Sebastian met volunteer coordinator Nina Chiotasso and receptionist Jacci Montowne. The Kerkleys had called ahead and miraculously caught the two shelter workers wrapping up late prior to a staff party. The party had to wait and Chiotasso made Sebastian as comfortable as possible until veterinarian Gretchen Yost could see him.
Chiotasso said Sebastian had a lot of road rash but his lower lip was peeled off and his lower jaw was fractured, but not displaced.
“Essentially that means it was broken, but would heal properly without being set,” Chiotasso said. “Yost cleaned his wounds, stitched his lip back into place and, of course, neutered him.”
Sebastian set up residency at the shelter, calling it home for 13 days in the recovery area.
While Sebastian healed, Jennifer Souhrada, with Albuquerque Cat Action Team, caught an e-mail from Brenda Kirkley asking for help transporting Sebastian.
“Normally I would have referred her to Roads of Hope,” Souhrada said Oct. 15. “They do this relay kind of thing regularly. But once I found out they (the Kirkleys) had someone in Colorado, I realized I was going to Colorado the next weekend so it was no-brainer.”
Souhrada took over Sebastian’s story at that point. She arranged for the front half of the shuttle from Española to Dillon via Chama, Antonito and Grand Junction, Colo.
Kirkley said, “(Jen) got super inspired and called my wife Oct. 8 to say she would be able to pick up the cat on her way through Española that morning. She had already arranged for a series of rides to get Sebastian close to Grand Juntion, where she’d heard a friend of ours happened to be vacationing and was willing to bring him up to Montana.”
The Kirkleys filled out adoption papers via fax machines and with a donated kennel, Sebastian was on his way.
Sebastian traveled 114 miles to a cabin near Chama, where he spent two nights. There, Anne and Faran, two guests from Montrose, Colo. who were visiting Soubrada, came and carried Sebastian another 245 miles back to Montrose.
Brenda Kirkley took over logistics at that point.
Beth Jones, a volunteer from the Roice Hurst Animal Shelter in Clifton, Colo. drove down to Montrose and carried Sebastian another 61 miles to Grand Junction. There he was seen by a veterinarian again and spent the night.
Liesl Nielsen, a volunteer at the shelter had hastily arranged that leg of the trip.
Finally, Tammy Pittman, a friend of the Kirkleys, picked up Sebastian in Grand Junction and drove him the last 643 miles to Dillon.
So where Sebastian’s story started with the Kirkleys, it ends there in a way. He met new challenges once in Dillon. Jack Kirkley said he banned the family’s three cats and a dog from the house for a day to let Sebastian find his bearings. He spent the first night in the couple’s bedroom and he seemed to like that and the four children.
“However, he may take some time getting used to the fact that three other cats and a dog also call this place home,” Kirkley said. “Let’s just say they’ve had words and haven’t quite worked out a truce at this stage of the game.”
Sebastian saw another vet last week who checked out his heel wound, which still may need some extra care. The Kirkleys hope to find him a good home in Montana but it could be tough to let go of him after all they’ve been through together.
Everyone involved in this story reminded the writer to tell everyone to spay or neuter your cat or dog. It’s inexpensive, easy and saves pet lives as well as taxpayer dollars. Also the local shelter always needs more operating capital. The city cut funding to the shelter this year so private donations are more precious than ever. They also need food, kitty litter, old towels and sheets and volunteers are welcome.
(All photos courtesy Jack Kirkley)