Spenser's Story
I saw a tiny black and white
kitten was running along the curb of a busy street on a
drizzly day in July 2004. I caught her and took her
home, put her in a large plastic kennel with a litter box,
and fed her a good meal. The next day I took her to the vet
and she was given a clean bill of health, except for a
slight low-grade fever. When we got home, she
settled quite happily into her new life. I named her "Spenser."
Spenser and I became
best friends. She got along well with all my other cats,
but especially liked my dog, Riley. Spenser and Riley loved to
run all over the house, chasing and playing with each other. When
I would walk in the front door after work each night, she would come
running to let me know how glad she was to see me.
A month after I found
Spenser, I was hit head-on in an auto accident. I spent
several weeks at home recovering from my injuries and
Spenser was my constant companion. Later, when I saw the
damage to my truck at the salvage yard, I felt very
fortunate to have survived with just the injuries that I
had sustained.
By the time I was able
to return to work, Spenser started spending more time
sleeping and eating very little—odd behavior for a
three-month-old kitten. More trips to the vet didn’t
reveal anything except that low-grade fever. Towards the
end of October, I knew something was terribly wrong, but
we still didn’t have any answers. Her black and white
coat was still sleek and shiny, her eyes were bright, and
she looked healthy—she had no symptoms except a very
slightly swollen belly.
During
the first week of November, I knew Spenser would be
leaving me very soon—I could see it in her eyes. I think
she knew it, too. Early on a Friday morning, I spent my last moments with her letting
her know how much she had meant to me—time that had been
much too short—then she quietly slipped away. I was so
heartbroken I could hardly breathe.
Spenser
was only four months old. I’m not sure why Spenser’s
death affected me so profoundly—perhaps it was because
of the accident that I felt my own mortality. She changed
my life. This Animal Rescue is in her honor: Spenser’s
Legacy.
In
2006 after doing much research, I started Spenser's Legacy
Animal Rescue. The following year, I stopped working full
time and began attending the University of Arkansas with
studies in pre-veterinary medicine. I want to learn as
much as I can to help the the animals that I
care for.
I have put all of my time and
resources into Spenser's Legacy Animal Rescue to make it
what it is today. We are still in need of more room for the
animals, especially the cats, dogs, and rabbits, and we are
desperate to build a bathroom facility onto the main
"Feline Facility" so that we have a needed source
of water. As with any non-profit charity, we receive
absolutely no funding whatsoever from any government
agencies. We are dependent on the generous donations of you,
the public. If you believe what we are doing is valuable,
kindly make a donation.
Please contact me if you have any suggestions or
questions.
Sincerely,
Diane Tyler
Founder and President
Spenser's Legacy Animal Rescue
