One Dollar, One Day, One Life......by Josie of Whiskers' Syndicate

Map courtesy of internationalsilatfederation.com

Bandung is Indonesia's breeder capital. Out of 2 million people living in this city, more than 500 thousand of them are backyard breeders, the other 50 thousand are registered breeders. Those terrifying numbers are not including cross-breeders: people who cross-breed one pedigree to another and sell the result, the good one.

The bad ones? Or the ones unsold? They are dumped in the landfills, thrown away on the markets, in the middle of the street (God knows how they survive in one piece). These outcasts mingle with street cats, breed, and Bandung is now overflowing with over 400,000 stray cats, 20,000 street dogs, and the equation multiplies fast. 

To deal with this problem fast and cheap way, the government will drop their animal control army, scoop every animal on site, cram them in their truck (the one used to deliver things, so there's no holes or air in there) and bring all the poor cats and dogs to the zoo. There they massacred them, and give their meat to the alligators, the lions, the bear, the tigers, the... well, some traditional ethnicity here still eat cats and dogs for Christmas and on other festivities.

Renoir and Edward - Two Rescued Kittens

In the wake of this terror, and with the help of supporters everywhere (usually from Care2.com members around the world), I am trying to save whichever I can. I ended up only taking in those who are special: the crippled, the mute, the blind, the deaf, the paralyzed, those who otherwise will die miserably on the street, and keep the rest on the road (sorry, guys!). I spend most of my salary to spay/neuter and feed them. I do this for 3.5 years since I first set foot to Bandung.

It's a hard job. 400 thousand vs 1 girl is not going to be a fair match, but I am still going to give these animals another extra mile. So I am on a campaign for donations now, using the advantage of currency rates.

Here in Indonesia, 1 US dollar equals 9,000 Rupiah (that's Indonesian money) so what cannot do much in US (or other part of the world perhaps) can do a lot in Indonesia. It can, obviously, feed one stray cat/dog for one day.

Well, one day is nothing, yes, for us, but it can change the course of an animal's life. At least they can have one more hug, one more stroke on the head, one more chance.

Those who want to donate 1 dollar can do it through this PayPal address: whiskerssyndicate@gmail.com with a note saying "1 Dollar 1 Life".

I got an offer from a catnip gardener (Catnip does not grow in Indonesia so I have to import them). She will send me as much catnip from her for free, in which I must make into as many catnip mouse as I can to fund raise. Starting January 1, 2012 there will be a "buy 1 get 1 free" for my catnip mouse toy in ArtFire!

Written by Josie of WhiskersSyndicate, her shop on ArtFire where you can find many unique and adorable handmade kitty-related creations, all being offered to help raise funds for her one-person animal rescue. Josie is a new member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on ArtFire and is anxious to get to know other members and join in as much as possible to support the guild in any way she can. Check out her blog at http://www.whiskerssyndicate.com/ and learn more.