RESCUED, MY FAVORITE BREED By Christa Stout
LOST CAT
Paradise Found!
M
y shelter visit took me to Eden Animal Haven (EAH) in Brighton, Mo., just a few miles North of Springfield. The first thing I noticed when I drove up to the shelter was a car with a personalized tag on it: “Be Kind” and I thought WOW I am in the right place. The shelter is surrounded by wonderful trees and is a very calming environment. It certainly shows the best of the Ozarks. Then I met Leslie, who is such a compassionate and caring person, I can understand why she left a well-paying job in Chicago and moved with her husband to this area and with the help of a local partner who also loved animals, started Eden Animal Haven.
Eden Animal Haven opens its heart wide for stray cats
Leslie recounted some of the early years, including the times they had to lug water to the first shelter, a barn without electricity, where the cats lived. However, since then, thanks to the hard work of the founders and volunteers, some name recognition and Facebook postings, they were able to build a sanctuary with rooms for specific
reasons, i.e. FEVL cats, kittens, injured cats, etc. Leslie still works and between that and the shelter, has a very busy schedule. EAH is a shelter for cats only because Leslie realized early on the need for a cat sanctuary in southwest Missouri. She told me that cats are euthanized at the rate of 4 to 1 compared to dogs, which is a sad statistic. Of course this is due to the overpopulation of cats in our area. Eden’s goal is to create a safe haven for cats in need, to promote feline health and provide spay/neuter clinics.
EDEN ANIMAL HAVEN Here is how you can contact and/or donate: Facebook.com/EdenAnimalHaven | EdenAnimalHaven.org
ConnectionMO.com/RescuedMyFavoriteBreed | Connection Magazine | 45
