David Bridges
Jen Brodal/MDN
Emma Phillips stands in front of her Blessed Pets food pantry basement bunker full of pet supplies.
Sometimes the best resources for four-legged fur-iends are local, informational pages or group pages on Facebook.
Judy Brooks, Laurel Coughlin, Megan Klabo and Janilee Mourning are the Facebook page administrators for the Facebook group, Save the Roof Kitty! Lost & Found Pets.
Emma Phillips of Blessed Pets food pantry also has a Facebook page, Blessed Pets, and is currently serving the public out of her home, with a separate entrance. By appointment only, Phillips will meet individuals outside her residence with the supplies needed.
Donations are available to anyone and everyone in need of food and supplies, although keeping cat food on the shelf is more of a challenge, Phillips said.
Save The Roof Kitty! Started on Facebook in 2011 during the flood as a way for people to communicate in finding and retrieving pets, Brooks said. The name, Save the Roof Kitty!, was a clever tribute, after watching a local news channel’s coverage of a rescued kitten on a rooftop, Brooks said.
The page has grown so much over the last 11 years, they have started Save the Roof Kitty 2.0, or Save The Roof Kitty! Adoptable Pets. Brooks said the additional Facebook page was created in hopes that people would consider fostering pets.
The Facebook pages are great ways to voice comments and concerns in the community, and mostly the people are on the upside of things, Brook said. She said they have rules in place to keep things respectful. She said the page does not put up with drama and has a terrific membership. She said many times when someone is searching for a lost pet, group members will assist.
Brooks said Save the Roof Kitty’s page has helped countless pets find their humans and, additionally, the page has assisted in situations such as the blue cat. People posted pictures of a blue cat running around Minot. Brooks said it was feared the cat had escaped some sort of illegal animal fighting ring, but people were relieved to know, once it was reunited with the owner, that the owner simply had colored the cat blue with an animal-safe dye.
Brooks said if you see something, say something. She said dog fighting is unfortunately a nationwide problem. She said don’t be afraid to step up and help an animal — whether you suspect abuse or just feel something is off. You can speak for the animals by calling animal control or the police.
Brooks said there are several community pets’ pages to aid in rescue, finding homes, reuniting and helping with supplies.
Tessa Everly
Maya Kensington
