It’s about time I give you all an update on my longest running mascot, Mr. Moffit.
I’m happy to say the news is good but not 100% perfect - yet. To get the full story, I took a Never B4 outing to Sayville P.A.W.S to hear Mr. Moffit’s story straight from the lips of his rescuer, Donna Weber.
I’ve wanted to visit P.A.W.S for more than a year, since my mom told me it was a local all-volunteer group that regularly rescues abandoned, injured and feral cats in and around my hometown of Sayville. Until this past weekend, I had to settle for visiting their website, which wasn’t too bad because I found Mr. Moffit that way. But now that I’ve visited in person I’m more impressed than ever.
I was excited to meet Donna Weber of P.A.W.S, not only because she was integral in getting Mr. Moffit off the streets where his previous owners dumped him, but also because she’s followed her passion for animals and in turn has become a force of change in her community. P.A.W.S has rescued over 3,000 animals in the Sayville area since 1992 and was recently asked to partner with the Old Navy Clothing Store to raise awareness for the humane treatment of animals.
Donna took time out of her busy animal care schedule to talk with me about the work she has been doing with P.A.W.S and the Never B4 adventure Mr. Moffit was embarking on.
With a pen full of kittens at her feet and 2 adult cats roaming in and out of her living room, Donna told me how Mr. Moffit was launching (literally) a new life this month. It just so happens that the man that has been fostering him is the captain of a luxury yacht. Until just a few weeks ago, his plan was to return Mr. M to P.A.W.S when he set sail this summer. However, Mr. M worked his cat charms and the captain got permission from the yacht owner to bring Mr. M along on the boat.
So man and cat are setting sail this month and if all goes well, Mr. M will be officially adopted very soon. Keep your fingers crossed, knock wood and say a little prayer that Mr. M’s four little legs turn out to be four steady sea legs. If they are, his captain will keep him forever.
In the meantime, Mr. Moffit is handing the mascot torch to Barney. As the the new mascot, I'll be sponsoring Barney until he finds a permanent home.
Like Mr. M, Barney was abandoned by his owners and is now being sheltered by P.A.W.S. He’s a big beautiful cat with a fluffy tail and he clearly loves people. I met him on Donna’s porch and within seconds he was purring and letting me scratch his chin. If you or anyone you know would like to adopt Barney, please email me (cboyle.now@gmail.com) or post a comment here.
