Hi, I am Janelle Hatfield and I have been a member of Friends of the Shelter from the very beginning. I was so happy to join an organization that would help our four legged friends.  At that first meeting I knew in my heart that many good things were going to happen and they have!!!! 

I have always been an animal lover. In the last 30 years I have been blessed to have many dogs and cats. At the present time I have one inside cat named Flufftail, one outside cat named Chatters, and in just the last 2 weeks a black cat has taken up with me. I suppose his name will be Blackie.

There is one special cat that I want to tell you about. Her name was Pearl and I know God sent her to me at a time when I needed her. Pearl was a solid white stray cat (the best kind). She was on my neighbor's porch one morning. My neighbor was a little upset because the cat was there. Not because she was there, but because she was starving, and bony and  only had one eye. The other eye was completely gone, just an empty eye socket. I must admit, I had never seen a cat like this before and she was a little scary looking. But my heart went out to her, and I started taking care of her. 
 
I took Pearl to the vet and had her spayed and the doctor closed her missing eye socket with some stitches. She looked like she was winking at you!! She started to get healthy and grow and she turned into a beautiful cat with one big beautiful blue eye. Right before she came into my life I had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. It occurred to me while she was recuperating and I was too that God was sending me a message. If Pearl could live and be happy with just one eye then I could live and be happy with just one breast. That cat helped me in a way I can never explain. She was truly a message from God to me. I had Pearl for a few years and one morning I got up and she was gone. I never did know what happened to her. I miss her very much and I cry when I think about her. I believe in my heart that God didn't take her away from me, but sent her on another mission to help someone else!

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Friends of the Shelter
P.O. Box 2534
Middlesboro, Kentucky 40965
606.337.2005
"A friend in need, a friend in deed."