Adopt an Animal & Save a Life

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A photo of Lucy at six-weeks-old.

Editor’s Note: My husband, Ryan, and I entered the kitten room at Kurth Animal Shelter, and there she was  – a six-week-old kitten with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. She was climbing all over the cage door with a constant meowing, as if she was saying, “Pick me, pick me.” My husband opened the door, picked her up, and within seconds she was a ball of purring fluff in his hands – a precious tabby later named Lucy. After a few neck scratches and more purring, we knew she was ours. We signed the adoption papers and brought her home that day. Two and a half years later and Lucy is still a constant by our side, as long as she’s not sleeping in her chair. Our lives were forever changed the day we brought that baby tabby to our home. I never knew the love you could have for a four legged animal until I met Lucy. 

Kurth Memorial Animal Shelter volunteer Leslie Anders waves a feather wand in front of a feisty orange tabby kitten to snap his photograph to post later on the animal shelter’s Facebook page on a Saturday afternoon.

Two other kittens make their way over to Anders as she gets ready to take their photographs next. Laughing, she calls them “rumble, tumble kittens.” One brown tabby makes his way up the table cloth to sit by his friend, while the other, shyer one plays under equipment.

The shelter employees have created a photography room for Anders to snap the photos of available animals at the shelter with hopes to find forever homes for the homeless pets.

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Volunteer Leslie Anders photographs two tabby kittens at Kurth Animal Shelter and Adoption Center in Lufkin.

“To me, kittens are really easy to photograph. I bring them in the photography room. Sometimes they’ve been in their kennel all day without someone touching them. Sometimes they’ve been in the kennel for weeks, so they have really high energy when they come in here. I just let them run it out,” Anders said as she described a typical photography session. “One by one I set them on the table and see how they react to me. …I have a feather toy on a wand, I wave it in front of their face, I take it away, and snap – it looks like they’re looking at the camera but they’re really looking at the toy. So, it’s a little photography psych.”

Anders started volunteering at the shelter four years ago after losing her blue heeler, Jenny, who was adopted from Nacogdoches Animal Shelter. When she first entered the doors at Kurth and walked down the aisles, Anders said she saw the faces of the animals and wanted to let them out to play.

“I just wanted to hug them all,” she said.

Anders knew she couldn’t take them all home, so she asked herself, “What’s the next best thing?” She then filled out a volunteer application and started coming to the shelter on her days off of work. She noticed the cats weren’t getting adopted as high as the dogs, so she set out to become the cat photographer. Years later, she is still photographing the cats with hopes to get each adopted and find their forever home.

“I really think at any time someone can find a cat they’re looking for here. The cuteness is here, the playful, the snuggly, and you get to save a life by adopting one,” Anders said. “You see them behind a kennel and they look like a shelter cat. You can get them out, take their picture, and show they’re actually normal animals. You can put them in your home, and they can be yours and part of the family.”

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Follow the animal shelter on Facebook at Friends of Kurth Memorial Animal Shelter for updates on available animals and adoptions.

Calling every adoption rewarding, Anders recalled one stand-out adoption was when a mother, with young children, came in to look for an animal, she walked away with six adopted cats to add to her crew.

“To see an animal get adopted when someone saw their picture on Facebook, like it makes my entire Saturday at the shelter on my day off totally worth it,” she said. “That’s why I keep coming back; I love to see them be adopted.”

For those who aren’t able to add a pet to their family, Anders said there are other ways to help out at the shelter.

“There‘s something for everyone at the shelter,” she said. “You can donate to the medical fund for animals that have injuries or medical needs. You can donate items – anything from bleach to dog food to newspapers for the kennels. There is volunteering opportunities, fostering opportunities, and of course, you can come up to the shelters and play with the animals. You’re helping them and helping yourself.”

“But if someone is interested in adding another pet to their family, consider a shelter animal. They can be incredible animals,” Anders continued. “If you’re looking for old, young, or something in between – they have it. They need homes. I think rescued animals know they’re rescued and they will spend a lifetime really thanking you for it.”

Available dogs and cats can be viewed at petfinder.com by searching with zip code 75901 under Kurth Memorial Animal Services and Adoption Center. Photos and descriptions for each pet are available.  Also, follow the shelter on Facebook at Friends of Kurth Memorial Animal Shelter for updates on available animals and adoptions. To volunteer, visit the shelter and fill out an application. The shelter is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and is located at 1901 Hill Street in Lufkin.

Megan Whitworth
Megan Whitworth is the former creative director of Texas Forest Country Living. Growing up in East Texas, Megan discovered her love of writing at the age of 11, writing song lyrics and poetry, which turned into essays and articles for publications around East Texas. She later added photography into the mix capturing Friday night football games, the latest fashion looks, and portraits of people around the nation. Megan enjoys karaoke, blogging, reading, and road trips. She resides in Lufkin with her husband, Ryan, and two cats, Felix and Lucy.

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