Hurricane Katrina Dog Plays Nanny To Shelter Kittens

After Hurricane Katrina, Arizona Humane Society (AHS) volunteers saved hundreds of animals. Out of those, around 60 were reunited with their owners, while the others were left in shelters.

Boots, a 12-year-old Chow-Golden Retriever mix, was one of the rescued animals who wasn’t fortunate to be reunited with his owners. At the time of the hurricane, Boots was 2-years-old and he was suffering from burns when he was rescued. Bretta Nelson from the society explained how he got his name.

“His paws were so ripped up. He had intense burns on his paws the he needed medical attention – hence, how he got the name Boots.”

Today reports that Boots didn’t spend plenty of time in the shelter, as he was soon adopted by Susan Juergensen, and EAMT volunteer. Susan’s dog has just passed away and she adopted Boots. She soon found out that Boots has a fondness for cats when he got along well with the cats in her home.

Boots is now a nanny at AHS’s new kitten nursery, which opened last May. The nursery takes care of kittens who are 5 to 8 weeks old. Since Boots has a special relationship with cats, he was called in at the nursery about a month ago to help the kittens adapt to canines.

Liz Truitt, the society’s welfare specialist, said that the newly-opened kitten nursery isn’t just about saving the lives of kittens.

“It’s about improving the quality of life for the future of each kitten. So in addition to tending to their physical needs, it’s important that we also address their behavioral needs.”

With the help of Boots, the kittens have a higher chance of being adopted, as there are plenty of homes with dogs. However, the society is also careful when first introducing Boots to the kittens. Bretta Nelson, the society’s public relations manager, told the Huffington Post that they first see the kittens’ response to the presence of Boots.

“We first see how they respond to him while they are in their kennels… He will enter the nursery and just go up to them in their areas and will lay down and sniff them while he lets them sniff him. Then, based on their responses to Boots – whether it be curiosity, shyness, uncertainty or pure adoration – we will have him lay down and we will take each kitten out of their kennel or play tent and introduce them slowly that way.”

Boots’ role is important, as kittens have a small window to be exposed to surroundings and experiences that will affect how they behave the rest of their lives. With Boots’ help, kittens will be able to find homes where they can be comfortable around dogs.

Boots’ laid-back personality makes him a perfect fit in the nursery. In fact, he has already made three best friends when the society introduced him to three black kittens.

[Images via Arizona Humane Society Facebook]