Arizona Humane Society puts call out for foster volunteers as kitten season begins

PHOENIX — Lunes, the seven-month-old tabby, might look happy and comfortable now, but a few months ago, he was down in the pits — literally. He had spent an entire day trapped in a storm drain beneath a Phoenix sidewalk before a Good Samaritan alerted the Arizona Humane Society (AHS) to his predicament.

Two emergency animal medical technicians, Cynthia McGuire and Jordann Lizama, responded to the scene in December. They had to open the top of the drain in order to lower a trap. Since it was so dark, they used the sounds of his meows and lured him in with food to see where he was hiding.

Once he stepped into the trap, they lifted the cage and showed him sunlight again. After his rescue, he was taken to the AHS trauma hospital, where technicians determined he was healthy and performed neuter surgery. A family quickly adopted him, and he now lives with them in Scottsdale.

It’s kitten season, so foster volunteers are urgently needed

AHS is telling the public his rescue story in hopes of attracting foster volunteers to help cats like Lunes.

He’s one of hundreds of cats who have rough backstories and need safe homes where their next chapter can be written.

The need for foster volunteers is especially acute since kitten season has officially started. The term refers to the time of year when there’s a surge in kitten births. It’s often a busy time for shelters, rescues and other animal welfare organizations.

Last year, AHS’ Bottle Baby ICU & Doris Norton Kitten Nursery took care of nearly 2,800 kittens. Charity leaders expect that number to rise this year since the state’s animal welfare capacity crisis is continuing.

Foster volunteers help make room more kittens who are in desperate need of help because it frees up scarce kennel space. To join this life-saving program, go to azhumane.org/foster.

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