Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Gunther
Gunther - Male Lion 1989 - October, 2011
It is with great sadness that I tell you all of Gunther's passing on October 19, 2011. He was a magnificent cat and he will be greatly missed by everyone here at the sanctuary. Even the four remaining lions quit roaring for about a week.
Gunther was born in Texas in 1989 and was passed around several times before he was six months old. He was with a truck driver for a while until he was once again passed on to the man's grandson. This began Gunther's life as a roadside attraction, "Pay quarter to hear the lion roar,". After a series of downfalls, the young man attempted take his life...he didn't succeed, but was left a quadriplegic who would never speak again. His grandfather decided Gunther should live at Cedarhill and moved him once again. Gunther was a year-old when he came to Cedarhill.
Gunther eventually loved life here, especially after being placed between three females. This picture of Gunther shows what a proud attitude he had and how he looked down at us as his servants everyday.
Good-bye old friend, we will miss you.
Nasty
Nasty - Male Bobcat 1993 - 2011
Born in April 1993, Nasty was found in the middle of the road when he was 6 weeks old. The woman who found him decided to raise him as a pet, and had him neutered and declawed. All went well until he was 6 months old, at which point he became aggressive towards the family, and bit the woman. The decision was made to place him somewhere else, and we took him in at Cedarhill. He lives in his own enclosure next to our other bobcat, Cal. They are not friends per se, but Nasty waits hopefully every morning for Cal to finish his food, as he knows he will get any left over chicken necks (and Cal usually leaves him one or two).
Darla
1996-June 27, 2011
Darla came to Cedarhill as a tired and sick puppy. She had been tied under a trailer with several other large dogs and was fighting for what food she could get. Needless to say she was not in good shape when she arrived. Darla lived with a companion dog, in the dog care area of the care facility when the weather is too cold. She has plenty of food, water and received a lot of attention from her caretakers. She was groomed regularly and when the weather got cool she even had her own doggie jacket to help her stay toasty warm on the daily walks.
Kimba
Kimba, our beloved 17 yr. old tiger succumbed to cancer, Monday 11, 2011. Kimba was loved by us all. He was one of the sweetest most lovable tigers that I've ever known. I have known him since he was 4 months old when he was rescued by a vet at 2:00 am, from a back yard in West Memphis. A group of good ole boys was going to shoot him because he was endangering the neighborhood. He was so small that he crawled through the feeding door and the large gate to the feeding area and was out romping with the dogs. That was just the beginning of his antics as the years went by.
Toula
Female mix - 2002-2008
Found in a culvert with two other feral dogs. She was brought to Cedarhill and lived in the house with the head caretaker. It took 6 months before anyone could get near her. The head caretaker adopted her out to an older couple. The first night Toula broke her front leg. The couple brought her back to Cedarhill. She went to the Rainbow Bridge August - 2008
Bonnie
Bonnie - 1995 - 2010
She was found at the Aberdeen marina. She was only about 6 weeks old and very malnourished. Someone had poured battery acid on her back which penetrated through several layers of skin. When she first arrived at cedarhill she was placed in with a coyote named Clyde, hence her name Bonnie. As time passed Clyde began acting more like a dog and Bonnie began acting like a coyote. So Bonnie was moved in with other dogs, which turned into nothing but lots of fights. Bonnie lived in the backyard with two cats, a squirrel, and 3 birds.
Norman
Male Great Pyrenees 2001 - 2010
He belonged to a local woman who had purchased him. She didn't want him any more because he followed her everywhere she went and dug in her flower bed. She was going to have him put to sleep. To save him from a certain death Cedarhill brought him here to live. Norman joined his friends over the Rainbow Bridge June 18, 2010.
Tiffany and Caesar
June 10, 2008 proved to be one of the saddest days of my 21 years in running a sanctuary. I had to help, not one, but two of my best friends on over to The Rainbow Bridge.
Tiffany, 1987 - 2008 was the sweetest cougar one could ever hope to meet. She was tiny in stature but had a huge loving heart. As the years passed, Tiffany lost her eyesight and her arthritis made it very difficult for her to walk. Tiffany's heart belonged to Barbara, who spent hours with her as Tiffany's health declined. She would hear Barbara's voice and would start calling out to her. Barbara patiently hand fed Tiffany every day to ensure that she got all of her vitamins and medicines. Tiffany left a great hole in all of our hearts, but my heart also breaks for Barbara who lost two of her very best friends in one afternoon.
Tiffany and Caesar lived out their lives at Cedarhill next door to each other. Their enclosures were separate, but they shared the same fan in the summertime.
Caesar was born in Huntsville, Al in 1991 and really suffered at the hands of an ignorant drunk. Caesar spent three months of his early life imprisioned in a dark, windowless closet. His owner was serving jail time for a DUI and a neighbor fearfully threw two dead chickens into the closet once a week. Needless to say, Caesar's mind snapped and the only human he every came to trust over the years was Barbara. Caesar suffered with lung and joint diseases and I believe he had every kind of arthritis known to mankind....thanks to the thoughtless man who locked him in that closet so many years ago.We miss you dear friends, but we know that you are free of pain now and have joined our other cougars at The Rainbow Bridge.....Zack, Tigger, Niko and Ty.
TY
Female Cougar 1993 - 2008
On Monday, April 7, 2008, we helped Ty on over The Rainbow Bridge. Even though she was 15 years old, Ty had always been very healthy and had never really been sick. She went into renal failure without a clue or warning to us. She stopped eating one day and that was it for her. A couple in Houston, Texas. bought Ty when she was a six week-old cub.
Their idea was to raise her in the house like a domestic house cat and then move to Alaska where Ty would be released during the daytime and then brought back in the house at night. The Houston SPCA confiscated Ty when she was six months old and sent her to live out her life at Cedarhill.Ty was a chubby and content cougar. One of the strangest habits she had was to pull up grass by her teeth and spit it out. The first time I saw her enclosure after one of her weed pulling episodes, I couldn't figure out what happened to the grass. She didn't eat the grass, just pulledit up by great mouthfuls. She loved her food and her treats and always had a friendly chirp to greet us. We miss her greatly, but know that she is once again happy and free at The Rainbow Bridge with her other friends who have gone before her.
When somebody dies , a cloud turns into an angel, and flies up to tell God to put another flower on a pillow. A bird gives the message back to the world, and sings a silent prayer that makes the rain cry. People disappear, but they never really go away. The spirits up there put the sun to bed, wake up the grass and spin the earth in dizzy circles. Sometimes you can see them dancing in a cloud during the day-time, when they're supposed to be sleeping. They paint the rainbows and also the sunsets and make waves splash and tug at the tide. They toss shooting stars and listen to wishes. And when they sing wind-songs, they whisper to us, don't miss me too much. The view is nice and I'm doing just fine.
Ashley
Monk
Male Siberian Tiger 1987- 2008
Born June 15, 1987 in Florida. He was sold at an exotic auction in Florida at two weeks old. Monk suffered a shoulder injury inflicted by his owner and to this day cannot bear any weight on his right leg - he weighs 700 lbs. He had been de-clawed on all four paws to make him safer to handle. Monk went to the Rainbow Bridge on December 30, 2008.
When he was about 1 year old, he was in his swimming pool and he picked up a bowling ball and slung it as far as he could throw it, breaking off one of his canine teeth. I called him "Big E" from that day on, because he curled up his lip where his tooth used to be. Kimba weighed about 550 lbs at his best and he had the biggest feet of all the tigers.
You left a big hole in my heart Kimba and I just don't know if the sadness will ever go away.
Kay
Kimba - 1994 - 2011
Rachel - 1992 - 2012
Rachel
Oscar
Oscar - 2002 - 2012
Phoebe
Phoebe - 1997 - 2012
Sonja
Sonya - 2003 - 2012
Rachel was born to a breeder. He went bankrupt and had to give up her parents, Monk and Mandy. I made there daughter Rachel a part of the deal. She was only 3 days old and had already been taken from her parents. I raised Rachel in my home and it was the most delightful experience of my life. I gave her to the other tigers when she was 7 months old. Until the day she died, she called me ma-ma. You will be greatly missed.
Oscar was being raised in a double car garage when we rescued him. he was there with 3 other tigers, a Baboon, and lion. The people were going to breed Oscar and his sister Lady... they were 6 months old when we rescued him. Oscar loves his pool. He would romp and play until he couldn't go anymore. We really miss the big guy!
Phoebe was a backyard pet in West Memphis. She was surrendered when the law forced her. She had the onset of juvenille diabetes and as a result lost her eyesight. She was a swell tiger and was such a delight.
Sonja was raised in a corn crib with her sistr tammy. I will never forget the elation of the first swimming pool. They jumped right in and romped around in the water. Due to medical and neurological conditions sustained in there start to life, Sonja was able to live out her life in comfort, care, and love. We love you!
Lady - Female
Sister and brother, Lady and Oscar were kept in a garage in Michigan, along with three more tigers (including Snow White and Cinderella), 2 wolves, 2 lions, and a baboon. and Lady and Oscar were kept in an 8' x8' cage, and were going to be bred together for cubs. Working with the state of Michigan, The Wildcat Sanctuary of Minnesota, and the Wild Animal Orphanage of Texas, we transported Oscar, Lady, Snow White, and Cinderella to Cedarhill, when all were less than 3 years old. Lady and Oscar lived together. Lady will be sadly missed.
LADY - 2002 - 2012
Cal was born in 1997, and he grew up in a 3' x 3' wooden box. There was a hole in the back of the box where a chain was run through and attached to a collar around his neck. When the man that owned him wanted to feed him, he jerked on the chain and pulled Cal against the back of the box to hold him while someone changed his food and water. As Cal grew, the collar stayed the same, and was so tight that it grew into his neck. Luckily for Cal, part of the collar broke and he managed to escape. He was captured in the streets of Jackson, MS by animal control. They took him to a veterinarian in Jackson, and the vet called Cedarhill. We will miss you dearly.
Cal - 1997 - 2012
Hannah - Female mix - 2001
She was dumped off at the front gate of Cedarhill. She could not have been dumped at a better place. Hannah passed away from some health issue, but live a good full life. Love you always.
Hannah - 2001 - 2012
Sandi - Male mix - 1999
The Humane Society found him in a ditch, he was in the catch pen when Kay saw him. They were going to take him to the Humane Society to euthanize him. Kay said she would pay for his medical needs and wanted him to come to Cedarhill. Sandi lived a good full life at Cedarhill and will be greatly missed.
Sandi - 1999 - 2012
