Every once in a while…
The shelter will has friendly, outgoing residents who, confoundingly, do not get adopted. They become special to our Animal Control Officers (ACOs). and our Shelter Friends group collectively falls in love with these special pets. This kitty is one of those animals.
We named him Beans and he was in our care for quite a while…
He jumped into our arms and wound his way into our hearts. He became the Mayor and unofficial third ACO of the shelter. Beans had the run of the place. The [other] ACOs wouldn’t lock him up in a cage, instead letting him roam all day to greet all new visitors.
Beans liked us so much he stuck around (he knew where the food came from!). He completed all his chores: killing mice, greeting visitors and acting as Shelter Ambassador for a visiting group of Elementary Schoolchildren on their field trip to the animal shelter. They kids loved all the animals, but several of them proclaimed Mr. Beans as their very favorite.
Like all animals in our care, eventually Beans had to leave us. On a fine fall day, a lucky someone traveled to our animal shelter, hoping to adopt a cat. They met Beans and fell in love. They took him home, and now they live happily ever after.
We were lucky to have him with us for so long. Beans showed us how to greet strangers, how to cuddle and invite people in, how to have patience and be kind to all creatures. He became the heart of our shelter. Beans is not the first Shelter Mascot, and he won’t be the last!
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