Cargo Of Cats From Kuwait Arrive For NoVA Rescues Via Dulles Airport

DULLES, VA — Volunteers from several Northern Virginia animal rescue groups showed up at Washington Dulles International Airport Thursday night pick up 89 cats that had been rescued from the streets of Kuwait.

"Obviously, like a lot of other countries, it's very grim out there, not just for cats but for dogs as well," said Rochelle Millard, a volunteer with the 4Paws Rescue Team. "They seem to do a lot of breeding out there for the more exotic type of breeds. Then, it's like a passing fad. A lot of the times, they don't get their pet spayed or neutered, and then they just literally throw them out on the street."

The cats that arrived in carriers on Thursday night were trapped by volunteers in Kuwait, who work with rescues across the U.S. to find the animals homes.

"You can't even call it an organization. It is literally a person or a couple of people that have got their finger in the hole of a dam," Millard said, about the Kuwaiti volunteers. "These cats are just all over the place. They're literally going out their front door, going down the road and there is a cat that has got horrific health conditions, because it's just been tossed down the street."

Before going to the airport on Thursday, Millard rented a U-Haul van, so she would have enough room for the 38 cats she was picking up.

4Paws works with several veterinary clinics to medically evaluate the cats and ensure they have all been vaccinated, flea treated, dewormed and spayed or neutered. Once a cat has been cleared, a 4Paws transporter picks it up and delivers it to a foster home.

"We normally give the foster about a week, so that they can actually get a rough idea of the cat's personality," Millard said. "You need to know, is it a lap cat? Is it a cat that is standoffish? What do they like to play with? There are a lot of different factors going on there to do with the cat."

Once the cats have been cleared for adoption, they'll be included with the other cats listed as available for adoption on the 4Paws website.

"A lot of the cats, whether they're from Kuwait or whether they come from high kill shelters here, not all of them are a straight out of the box, 'Hey, how are you?'" Millard said. "Some of them have a lot of trauma and stress with them. You just have to work to the best of your ability, but there's never been a cat that we've never been able to place."

Cats rescued by 4Paws are also available to adopt at Adoption Fairs at local Petco stores. Here are some of the upcoming adoption events:

• Petco Fairfax - March 11, 1-5 p.m., 10708 Lee Highway, Fairfax VA 22030; 703-352-3300
• Petco Sterling- March 19, 1-4 p.m., 22000 Dulles Retail Plaza #110, Sterling, VA 20166-2507; 571-434-6562.
• Petco Fairfax - April 15, 1-5 p.m., 10708 Lee Highway, Fairfax VA 22030; 703-352-3300.
• Petco Sterling- April 23, 1-4 p.m., 22000 Dulles Retail Plaza #110, Sterling, VA 20166-2507; 571-434-6562.