Free to Live
Animal sanctuary provides for numerous abandoned and abused pets.
An estimated 11 million cats and dogs are killed in shelters each year across the United States. In efforts to decrease statistics, places like Free to Live have created animal sanctuaries for cats and dogs of all shapes and sizes to come, and if need be, live out a long, happy life.
Free to Live in Edmond averages 300 cats and dogs regularly, finding many of them at their front door, in need of food, shelter, medical attention and some tender loving care.
“Everything we get are abandoned and abused cats and dogs,” Catory manager, Stacey Foxworth said. “That’s how we get the majority of our animals unfortunately. People just come and dump them.”
Foxworth lives on property at Free to Live, taking home any who are terminally ill.
“When they’re terminal
I take them home so they know what it’s like to have a home,” Foxworth said. “We don’t euthanize for being old, we don’t euthanize for having a disease, we don’t euthanize for being scared. Quality of life is huge. If there’s not quality of life, and after five years of being with these guys, they’ll tell me. There’s a distinct look in their eyes and their attitude and you just know.”
This place is heaven
would be enough to put him down at kill shelters.
“He has FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), he’s an insulin-dependent diabetic, he has osteoporosis in his legs and he has a tumor on his pituitary gland that kind of changes the shape of his face a bit,” Foxworth said, “but here’s the thing ... you would never know it. He’s got the best attitude of any cat I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Free to Live opened August 1984, and it’s celebrating its 33rd birthday this month.
“We’re the oldest and largest animal sanctuary in Oklahoma,” board member, Kevin Putt said. “Usually we have 150 dogs and 150 cats. We stay full most of the time; I wish I could tell you we didn’t.”
Never turning any animal away, Free to Live has given dogs like Austin a second chance.
“We took two 9 mm slugs out of him,” Putt said.
“He’s friendly to people though. He didn’t equate people with what someone did to him. He’ll just give you kisses and lick your face, and he gets along with the other dogs.”
Free to Live is a nonprofit, running solely on donations and fundraising. Putt said the expenses do add up for food, shelter, vet bills, medication and extra care for the cats and dogs with special needs.
“It’s about $800,000 a year,” Putt said.
“That includes everything and our staff. We’re a small nonprofit so we can’t afford to pay them much so they do this because they love the animals.”
Free to Live’s largest fundraiser will be Sept. 29, hosting a live and silent auction to raise money for the continuing care of all their cats and dogs.