BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
She could very well envision herself walking into a situation that would tell the story of how a desire to help animals became abuse, but what Summerlyn Byrd found instead was an impressive set-up that was a testament to how one person went above and beyond to provide the best possible care for cats in need of a home.
Byrd, who works for Bradford County Animal Services, was contacted by a woman who told her of the cat sanctuary she had constructed and how she could no longer care for the 100-plus cats it was home to. The woman became sick with cancer and is currently in hospice care.
“At first, I was a bit nervous,” Byrd said. “I called her and said, ‘Can I get some backstory?’ The first thing she said was, ‘They’re all spayed and neutered.’ My jaw just dropped.”
That wasn’t the most impressive thing, as Byrd was to learn when she visited the sanctuary. The cats were living in anything but subpar conditions. On approximately one-third of an acre, which was surrounded by an 8-foot-high fence, Byrd found multiple insulated, utility buildings with heating and air along with a well system that provided plenty of water.
This was certainly no case of numerous cats living in crowded, unsafe conditions. Byrd said the cats were “very healthy,” noting that only a few cats that were elderly had upper-respiratory issues, while another elderly cat had cancer. A separate living area existed for cats that had feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus.
“She is not the crazy cat lady,” Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith said. “She exemplifies someone who truly cares and does the right thing.”
The sheriff added that the facilities for the cats are better than what some people are living in.
“It’s what you should see in a sanctuary.” Byrd said.
The problem is that the woman, whose plans were to find people to adopt the cats, could no longer provide the level of care she used to because of her health. She contacted the county’s animal services for help in finding homes for the cats.
“She said she had called four other national organizations, and nobody would help her,” Byrd said, adding, “She said, ‘I just want them to find a place before I’m not here anymore.’”
That was in January. The sanctuary consisted of approximately 130 cats. Byrd said it’s been a seven-day-a-week job, but in working with rescue organizations, the number of cats remaining at the sanctuary as of March 3, when she and Smith were interviewed by the Telegraph-Times-Monitor, was 20-25.
Byrd, who’s also been going to the sanctuary every other day to feed the cats, said it has been a stressful situation, but one she’s been happy to be a part of.
“I’ve loved every minute of it,” she said.
Her interactions with the woman who had the sanctuary constructed have helped make the experience a rewarding one. The woman is appreciative of Byrd’s efforts.
“If it was me (in her shoes), I’d want to know what happened to (the cats),” Byrd said. “That’s what, I guess, makes it worth it, seeing how happy it makes her.”
Byrd said she had the opportunity to meet the woman in person. It was an emotional moment.
“When I met her the other day, she was just crying and hugging me,” Byrd said. “She said, ‘If I wasn’t sick, I would still spend every waking moment out there.’ She said, ‘That’s what I love. I love my cats.’”
When all the cats are all gone, the woman said she plans to donate one of her buildings to Bradford County Animal Services. Byrd said she envisions utilizing the building to house supplies or to serve as a quarantine area for sick/feral animals.
“I told her I was going to put up a little plaque (on the building) in honor of her,” Byrd said.
It would be a fitting tribute to someone who truly cared about the well-being of the cats in her care.
“I hadn’t ever seen that many cats, but it was the nicest facility,” Smith said. “I’ve never seen a sanctuary for cats like that.”
When she thinks of what it’ll be like when all the cats have been removed from the sanctuary, Byrd said, “Oh, man. I’m going to feel empty. You know? I’ve spent so much time out there.”
However, she’ll enjoy the feeling of knowing she was part of a process of helping a person and a lot of animals in need.
“It’ll be a blessing, for sure,” Byrd said.
