From Almost Feral to Always Loved

From Almost Feral to Always Loved THE STORY OF NORMAN

Marina Kinney - Enfield, NH

The Upper Valley Humane Society has a small team of dedicated employees who care for the animals 365 days a year. Alyssa is a shelter supervisor and has been with UVHS for 5 years. She truly embodies UVHS’ mission to help animals and people in the community and takes great pride in the resources that the organization provides, such as the pet food pantry, spay/ neuter clinics, and the trap-neuter-return program for community cats. Love for animals and passion for helping people are two of the main reasons she works at the humane society.

Of the many animals that Alyssa has crossed paths with at the shelter, an adorable black cat named Norman made the most lasting impression on her. Norman belonged to a woman who was struggling to care for herself while caring for many other cats. When police went to her home for a medical emergency, it became clear that she was overwhelmed by the situation. Norman was one of 25-30 cats brought into the shelter that day. He was undersocialized and unwilling to engage with Alyssa or any of the other staff. Alyssa tried every tactic she could think of to get him to warm up to her, but he refused to let her into his world. One day, after about a month, Alyssa was sitting on the floor in the cat room singing to him and feeding him treats like she did every day. Suddenly and unexpectedly Norman strolled right up to her and gave her hand a nudge for the first time! To quote Alyssa on that breakthrough, “It was so hard in the moment to not shriek with excitement as this was something that had never happened before!” That was the start of the special bond Alyssa and Norman shared. The day he went up for adoption, she recalled how excited she was when someone visited the shelter just to see him. He was adopted that same day by a couple who were a great fit for Norman. Moments like these become highlights in her career because they show that her hard work makes it possible for deserving animals like Norman to find a good home. This experience helped change Alyssa’s perspective. She reflects on how it could be easy for people to criticize those that they see in the news involved in situations similar to the woman who owned Norman. She points out that the problem, oftentimes, is the lack of a support system or adequate resources to help them out. It’s not that these people don’t love or care for the animals. The team at UVHS recognizes this and the organization offers programs to help those who need the support - programs such as the pet food pantry, emergency pet boarding for families facing a crisis, and affordable spay/neuter clinics. If you, or someone you know, needs assistance caring for their animals, please visit our website at www.uvhs.org or give us a call at 603-448-6888. The Upper Valley Humane Society is here to help keep pets with the families that love them.