VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1

When I asked Lynda if I could interview her for an article, her reaction was one of surprise.  "Aren't there others in the group that should be profiled before me?  I'm fairly new to the group."  This response explains her character.   Lynda is modest about her contributions and her accomplishments. 

Lynda's contributions to Folsom Feline Rescue and to rescue, in general, are notable.  She fosters; she does humane trapping of ferals; she staffs a weekly 5-hour adoption event; she transports cats to and from adoptions and the Vet; she takes care of sick cats and she bottle feeds newborns; she rescues cats from the county animal shelter; she administers shots; she counsels people who are thinking of adopting, etc.  She also helps with the FFR website by taking photographs and updating the adoptable feline list.  When FFR was without a secretary, Lynda fulfilled the role of temporary secretary.  She does all this and she has a full-time job.

When I asked her about the vaccinations, she replied, "I didn't think I could do needles at first.  Now I feel pretty comfortable.  Lilo Bernheisel and I have become quite a team working the Saturday Petco adoption  - -  giving shots, clipping nails, worming, grooming, etc."

I originally met Lynda Bates when she was working an FFR adoption event in Fair Oaks.  Lynda was chatting with potential adopters and telling them about the cats that were there that day.  I was immediately impressed with her knowledge of the animals.  She had little anecdotes to tell about each cat.  She knew which ones would get along with other cats; which ones needed to be the only cat in the household; which ones were especially loving, which ones were best with dogs, which ones liked making biscuits, etc.

Lynda got into the rescue business in 1999.  Her cat, Smokey, who Lynda had had since she was a kitten, eventually became afflicted with kidney failure.  "She was 16 years old when I had to make that painful decision to let her go," she said.  Afterward, Lynda learned about rescue from her Veterinary Office.  My contacts at the Vet told me about a local rescue called "Friends for Life Animal Outreach."  "It was the first time I heard of rescue groups," she said.  She started looking at the website and a 5-year old cat, "jumped out at me."  "I adopted her and named her Joy-Joy.  I have been involved with rescue ever since."

When I asked Lynda how many cats she has at home, she jokingly told me, "If I tell you, I'll have to kill you!"  And then she added, "I can only handle so many.  I am able to say 'no.'  I can go to Sacramento County and at least save some of them."   Her personal cats, in addition to Joy-Joy, are Birdie, Steffi, and Chanel.

When Lynda first met John and Janet Bennett, co-founders of FFR, Lynda was doing fostering for Sacramento County.  Janet and Lynda met at a meeting of the No More Homeless Pets Coalition.  Lynda felt comfortable with FFR after her contacts with both John and Janet Bennett.  She was especially impressed with the FFR website and with how FFR was run.  She joined FFR as a volunteer in February/March of 2003.  "I had independent resources at that time and John said I could bring them to adoptions."

Lynda has just recently started her own rescue group.  "A very small group," she said, "with one other person."  She rescues cats from the County Animal Shelter and features them on her website.  In addition, she features courtesy photos of shelter cats in the hope that others who see them on her website will rescue them.  She may not have room to bring them all home, but she gives them exposure on her site.  Lynda concentrates on rescuing Sia

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