A South Carolina veteran turned animal advocate traveled more than a thousand miles to rescue a cat at a kill-shelter in Illinois.
MCCORMICK, SOUTH CAROLINA – A South Carolina veteran who turned animal advocate traveled more than a thousand miles to rescue a cat who was in a kill-shelter in Illinois.
The Humane Society of McCormick County which is located in South Carolina is the only shelter and animal control in the county. For the volunteers of the donation based organization, nothing is more important than rescuing and finding animals forever homes for the animals – no matter how near or far they may have to go.
A South Carolina veteran turned animal advocate traveled more than a thousand miles to rescue a cat at a kill-shelter in Illinois.
The Humane Society of McCormick County received a call about a cat. According to microchip records the kitty was registered to the organization’s shelter. The no-kill facility wanted to rescue the animal from the kill-shelter she was at in Illinois. So with 10 days before she would be euthanized, at his own expense Phil Kinzer volunteered to travel the nearly 1,200 miles it took to get there just to pick up the cat.
“She started off pretty noisy, but I had books on tape to keep me company. So I cranked them up and I guess maybe the cat enjoyed the book as much as I did,” Kinzer said to WJBF News Channel 6.
A South Carolina veteran turned animal advocate traveled more than a thousand miles to rescue a cat at a kill-shelter in Illinois.
The humble veteran told WJBF News Channel 6 that he did it all for the volunteers of this particular shelter.
“I figured I had the time and it wasn’t a problem to do this,” Kinzer stated.
In an interesting turn of events, on his way back to McCormick County, Kinzer learned that the cat’s owner was found but not where everyone thought the person was.
“As he gets into Atlanta his phone rings and it is the shelter from Illinois and they say Mr. Kinzer how far have you gotten can you turn back?” stated Sydnee Voigt, Cat Coordinator of Humane Society of McCormick County.
Apparently, when Marley was micro-chipped the company mixed up her number and registered it the McCormick County Shelter instead of to her actual owner, who lives in Illinois.
“Once you ask to have the microchip inserted into your animal it is your responsibility to have that microchip re-registered in your name and you would be surprised how many people forget to do that,” Voigt explained WJBF News Channel 6.
As Marley awaits her return home to the Prairie State, she’s enjoying the long journey which has brought her to the Palmetto State. For Phil Kinzer and the volunteers of the Humane Society saving her life was the true victory.
“The thing that mattered the most was getting that cat out of that euthanize shelter,” Voigt stated.
Marley’s owner is currently finishing up finals but arrangements are now being made to return the cat. Phil Kinzer has once again volunteered to deliver the cat and meet her owner halfway.
