They may be small, but sometimes the kittens from Dallas Animal Services (DAS) can leave a BIG impact on the people whose lives they've touched. Just ask Karen, a regular kitten foster for DAS. Every kitten season, Karen (along with many other DAS kitten fosters) prepares her home and her heart to take in and raise kittens, often orphaned and in need.
While Karen has fostered countless kittens for DAS over the years, there was one kitten that she said was extra special to her: Alvin.
As his name suggests, Alvin came in with two brothers also named after the Chipmunks: Theodore and Simon. "They each looked totally different from each other, each beautiful," Karen told us.
Simon, a pretty grey and white kitten, was a bit bigger than the other two and was the first to be adopted. Theodore was black and white and Alvin was a brown tabby. Theodore and Alvin were also adopted into new families. However, after a couple of months Alvin's new family could no longer keep him for unexpected personal reasons. They were heartbroken but contacted Karen and DAS to take him back. "He came back after a few months and still remembered me and my house," Karen told us.
Now a much bigger, older kitten, Alvin was adopted again -- but the resident cat in that adoptive home was not a fan of having a new kitten around. Karen took Alvin in a third time.
"He really was a special boy -- handsome and lots of personality. I became attached to him every time he was with me."
This is when Alvin's original adopters contacted Karen again. The family was so heartbroken about having to surrender him in the first place that they couldn't stop thinking about him and asked Karen if they could possibly take him back. Their situation had changed and they were now in a place to care for Alvin. Karen and DAS agreed and Alvin went happily back to a loving family!
Karen keeps in touch with Alvin's family and has even watched Alvin for them when they've gone on vacation. "I could see his joy when they returned for him," said Karen, making it clear that Alvin truly scored a #DASHappyTail even though his journey was a little different than most.
Orphaned kittens, like Alvin, are the most vulnerable population at DAS -- especially when they arrive in the first few weeks of life. Without DAS fosters like Karen, many of these kittens wouldn't survive. That's why this North Texas Giving Day, your help is needed to support DAS programs benefiting kittens - the foster program and the kitten nursery.
Friends of DAS helps to equip kitten fosters and the DAS kitten nursery with the tools and supplies they'll need to help care for orphaned kittens.
The DAS foster program has been so critical to so many kittens. Sebastian, for example, came in so small, he could fit in the palm of his fosters hand. Sebastian's foster, Lauren, (who goes by @DallasKittenFoster on Instagram) posted his photos regularly as he grew up -- so much so that it wasn't long before Sebastian had plenty of adoption interest. This was Lauren's first foster kitten... but definitely not her last.
"When I saw Lauren post to social media that she was looking for someone to adopt her first foster baby I knew my husband and I had to step up to the plate. It was love at first sight when we saw Sebastian," says Sebastian's adopter.
Now, over a year later, Sebastian has a cat brother and is living the good life with his new family. And it wouldn't have been possible without Sebastian's foster mom, Lauren or the DAS foster program.
Thank you to Karen, Lauren, all of the amazing DAS kitten fosters, and the staff of the DAS kitten nursery! You are inspiring and we are grateful for your commitment to this most vulnerable shelter population.