In 2008 I had moved to Las Vegas to stay with my in laws and at the time my family cat named Sneezer was on the road with me. My in laws wanted me to have him neutered because they were scared that he would spray which is understandable. We live in a society where more domesticated animals are born then people are able to care for them unfortunately. So it is important to spay and neuter your pets if you have the means to do so. Each year thousands of dogs and cats end up being euthanized because nobody ends up adopting them. In some cases some of these domesticated pets are killed wrongfully. Honestly, this is a practice that does not just happen in Las Vegas only but death came knocking on Sneezers door not once but twice.When you delve into this story you will begin to understand that what happened is tragic and it could have been prevented.
During 2008 Sneezer was neutered he was a cream colored tabby more or less an important part of my kids life and mine. We never looked at him as just a cat but rather a member of our family who ate, slept and spent time with all of us. When I was homeless in 2008 my life was down and out Sneezer camped with us, sat on the dashboard while we drove thru the mountains and he was the most stable thing my kids had in their lives at the time. More then often many of us feel that are pets do not live long enough but that it is important to include them in our daily lives that which we did when Sneezer was in ours.
During the neutering process Sneezers ear was clipped a practice common in the city of Las Vegas which signifies that the animal has been sterilized. This is done so that in the future animal control does not pick up the cat for euthanization or deem it as feral. Sadly this is not always the case despite having your felines ear clipped does not guarantee there safety nor that they will not be picked up. Rather I found out that their is poor communication between animal control and perhaps for example the S.P.C.A.
In my opinion I find that the city of Las Vegas does very little to help cats more or less they capture them and within days they end up being killed. Such cats may have gotten loose or even lost but imagine how many of them belong to a family and end up being another statistic. Their are at least 200 thousand stray feral cats in Clark County each month within the city as a whole over a thousand are put to sleep. Sometimes its based off a simple decision if the cat looks healthy without ever really getting a proper medical exam. If the cat looks sick even if its not it still gets put down per policy of many of the kill shelters in the greater Las Vegas area.
When the SPCA had there clinic clip Sneezers ear they also inoculated him with Feline Rhinotracheities-Calici-Panleukopenia (FVRCP) and Rabies vaccines. Sadly they injected him in the neck which is a practice which is shunned by some vets and those who understand the risk involved. Over the years a high percentage of felines that get rabies and feline leukemia virus vaccinations in the neck area develop a cancer known as Sarcoma. While their is only suspicion that their is a connection between the vaccination and this type of reaction Sneezer is no longer here due to the negligence of the SPCA, North Las Vegas Animal Control and The Animal Foundation which are based in the city of Las Vegas Nevada.
Just a little over a year later Sneezer was taken by North Las Vegas Animal Control in 2009. Generally he would run out the back patio door after all he loved the outdoors he use to camp in the woods with me for weeks on end. Well it was near Christmas about 36 hours away if I remember correctly and he simply did not come home. Of course I was concerned because generally he would go sit outside for an hour or two and always came back home to turn in for the night and eat. Well this was simply not the case Sneezer had been taken by animal control despite the fact that his ear was clipped which signifies he was sterilized and neutered. The North Las Vegas Animal Control had pure intent of euthanizing Sneezer regardless who he belonged to or that he was sterilized therefore this was simply utter negligence. While we understand Animal Control has a job to do they should have never picked up Sneezer and simply were not paying attention.
When we could not locate Sneezer we found him listed in the lost pets area on a site known as www.animalfoundation.com which is also known as the Lied Animal Shelter. Animal Control in North Las Vegas picks up the strays then they are imprisoned here where often they are put to death a short time later. It was nearly Christmas Eve and they had Sneezer locked in a small cage in what they told me was the feral room. It was obvious that Sneezer was not a feral cat he had been neutered, ear was clipped and he was well taken care of at the time. But when people in our society are not doing their job they like to create excuses for their negligence.
But according to the Lied Animal Shelter they deemed him as a sick feral cat. Sneezer had allergies so his eyes would water sometimes but he was a very healthy feline with absolutely no medical issues and I believe he was crying because we were inseparable. On the contrary I believe that the Lied Animal Shelter in North Las Vegas euthanizes healthy domesticated animals all the time and deems animals sick as an excuse to continue to make room for other animals they illegally capture. Without a doubt Sneezer was illegally shoved into a cage and was scheduled to be put down at the age of four years old.
When I had arrived at the Lied Animal Shelter they charged me numerous fees as a matter in fact they almost would not release him to me. I had to share photos taken of Sneezer and come up with a large sum of money. At the time I almost broke into the feral cat room to break the lock and was going to run through the facility with him in my arms. Nobody would stop me from saving him not the police, staff at the Lied Animal Shelter and certainly not there senseless rules. We as a society need to start doing what is right and defy politics at every turn when it becomes a matter of principal and morale. Sneezers life was far more precious then a few city ordinances.
When I made it to the room Sneezer was crying, scared and confused. He had been locked in a cage with a ticket to death row which had a piece of paper taped to the bars which had the date written on it for euthanization. It was nearly Christmas he was set to be executed on one of the biggest but warmest holidays of the year here in America. Can you imagine if I found out they had euthanized him on Christmas Day? Society wonders why certain people go postal but wouldn’t you if someone was going to hurt your baby or perhaps did?
Before I broke Sneezer out of feline jail staff told me that they vaccinated him again. Yes within a year and half he was vaccinated twice with the same shots between the shoulder blades in the back of the neck. They had told me they had given him vaccinations between the shoulder blades and at the time I argued with them about this because he already had them so four vaccinations in the neck area in a short time was simply unethical. Technically, this increased his chances of getting Sarcoma which is an aggressive cancer that some felines are susceptible too.
While this is only found in about 24 percent of felines who get a shot between the shoulder blades. Sneezer had a 48 percent chance as per the Lied Shelter Policy no pet shall be released until they are vaccinated. Due to him receiving four to five injections in a little over a years time prior those vaccinations had given him a 175 percent chance of getting cancer. Studies show when felines are injected multiple times on the back of the neck area that they are a Sarcoma Candidate or develop some sort of mass such tumors are more then often cancerous and in most cases FATAL!
A short time later after the rescuing of Sneezer he developed a small tumor between the shoulder blades which was the case. Generally these tumors are characterized as highly invasive, rapidly growing and malignant. Statistically about a quarter of these tumors are Metastatic and often spread to the lungs or lymph nodes as well as sometimes in the skin. While science has not proven that Sarcoma is surely caused by vaccinations it is believed that it starts with inflammation with a malignant mass soon to follow which appears to have been what happened to Sneezer.
Vaccinations adjuvant’s or active ingredients can be harmful to your feline as they are said to contain aluminum. Anotherwards, every time you get a vaccine for your feline it will contain this alloy which might cause some inflammation or an allergic reaction. I believe that Sneezer was euthanized slowly and his life was cut short because of this factor. Vets or medical technicians that are employed at shelters often do not take into consideration these factors because more then often they just look at your lost cat as another feral cat.
The tumor between Sneezer’s shoulder blades did not grow at first very large but it was evident that having multiple vaccines between the shoulder blades simply was unnecessary and led to this growth. Sadly, in 2015 the tumor began to start growing at an alarming rate as a matter in fact it went from the size of a marble to a golf ball in a matter of a couple weeks then nearly the size of a softball a month before Sneezer would pass. While Sneezer at the time seemed unaffected such as having no pain or even being aware of the tumor we knew that it would be to dangerous to have the mass surgically removed. Most vets do not want to remove a mass at the base of your felines neck because of the risk.
Sneezer spent a couple hours a day out back catching mice, chasing butterflies and birds. As a matter in fact he was so spoiled always sleeping in the bed at night, given treats daily, eating fish, snuggling with everyone and in some sense their was a few moments where you could see him smile if any feline could it was him. But one day he hopped the gate something he did time to time when he wanted to sit out in front of the house and the tumor sadly had burst. It was simply flattened like a pancake and we knew at this point in time we probably had very little time before the Sarcoma spread. The tumor was cancerous although it was not an issue once it had burst the cancer cells got into his bloodstream.
Viciously and Aggressively within a couple weeks this mass spread down his spine. Eventually it had gotten into his lungs as he was breathing very hard and near the end of his days fluid was excreting from his nasal cavity. The mass that had broke hardened eventually spreading down to his rib cage and by the time Sneezer had died it had went right down into his legs paralyzing him completely. All we could do is take an eye dropper giving him something for pain and to help him sleep. He has a shell around his body as hard as a turtle and from that point on we only had days to hold him make him comfortable similar to Hospice care but only for felines.
A few days before his passing he sat up on a chair outside smelling the air I also think he caught a mouse that same week. This would be the last time he would live as a typical cat as he had gotten so ill he would not eat barely would drink and would cry when we would move him. I wanted Sneezer to die at home he never liked being around strangers he hated the vet too and now we understood why. He was only comfortable around my children, two dogs and the batch of kittens that were born a few weeks before his passing.
I remember once when I was living in my vehicle in 2008 a woman broke into my Subaru at night. Since I could not take him in the shelter I let him sleep in my car and boy when this individual broke in to sleep in the backseat he attacked her as if he was a guard dog growling chasing her out. This also goes with the fact that when we were homeless all his kittens died but one. Well one night a bobcat came into our tent to get his newborn kitten Sneezer chased it down. The next morning all that was left were giant hair balls. Sneezer was not only a family cat but he was so much more. I named him Sneezer because as a kitten he always sneezed perhaps he always had allergies but the name suited him well.
Vaccinations with the FeLV or rabies appears to be the underlying cause of this type of Sarcoma. In fact when one single vaccination is given between the shoulder blades that feline has a 50 percent higher risk for getting Sarcoma then a feline who does not get vaccinated. In fact studies show that the risk of developing such tumors in this region may increase with the frequency and number of vaccinations given. Studies show that felines receiving two vaccinations in the same area have a 127 percent chance of developing such a tumor. Felines given four vaccines had a 175 percent or more then one half times chance at developing a cancerous tumor. Sneezer had gotten over four vaccinations in a short time span which further validates these studies.
Sneezer took his last breath with me rubbing his head it was perhaps one of the saddest points in my life. I did not just lose a cat I lost a member of my family one that my little boy use to hug, sleep with at night to avoid the boogie man and a companion that helped me get through some rough patches in my life. That included homelessness all the way thru a very hard divorce. While Sneezer passed away at the age of nine years old without being over vaccinated he probably would have lived till eighteen or nearly twice that age. Sadly his life was cut short and he is a prime example of how Sarcoma Cancer spreads and what it is caused by.
Some of you may wonder as to why I chose to write an article about Sneezer. Our hope is to make the public aware that such vaccinations can do more harm then they can good. No apology from The Animal Foundation, SPCA or North Las Vegas Animal Control will ever bring Sneezer back. But we can use this experience perhaps maybe in raising public self awareness. It is our first article on AngelOfThyNight News but in my opinion an important one because it allows our viewers to be more vigilant when it comes to their family pets.
For example of such vigilance, I have four felines they were only a few weeks old when Sneezer died. Three of them are neutered while the vet wanted to inject them between the shoulder blades I put in a request that shots are only to be given in the leg or thigh. Technically cancerous tumors are allot easier to have surgically removed from the extremities rather then one that has attached itself around the spinal cord or that resides at the base of the brain like in Sneezers case. While this may have not stopped the possibility of such a tumor we were able to at least control a less risky area for their rabies vaccinations.
The Animal Foundation in North Las Vegas acted recklessly and while we cannot say they are directly responsible for Sneezers passing science says otherwise based on feline medical studies over the years. Despite the negligence involved many animal control centers across the nation are committing the same practices. When you really break it down kill shelters are doing more harm then they are good therefore the problem with strays is not being solved properly. I am sure most of you understand that the cat populations in major cities are growing YES. But so is the rodent population therefore it is almost essential to let all cats run free unless their is a rabies outbreak which is very rare to begin with. When the Plague had hit London more then likely it was brought to the city by rats and at the time their simply was not cats to rectify the spread of it who would have in turn controlled the rodent population.
During recent times the city of North Las Vegas is beginning to capture feral cats for the purpose of sterilization and to vaccinate them releasing them back into the wild. But such shots do more harm then good like in the case with Sneezer he died a painful agonizing death. He should not have gotten any vaccinations when I could have provided them with records; but per policy at shelter like the Animal Foundation they continue to inject felines even if your felines already had their shots which in turn makes them a prime candidate to get cancer.
While our readers may find that it is just a cat I see Sneezer as a member of the Rowe family. A living, breathing and conscious soul who had to suffer at the hands of negligent humans. Sure we saved him a day before Christmas from being Euthanized but little did we know that he would ultimately receive a slow death sentence and passed away Oct. 4th 2015 of Sarcoma likely due to having to many vaccinations between the shoulder blades. No pet owner ask for this nor to see their feline get tumors caused by over vaccinating. No good pet owner should ever have to go through what I did period!
We hope the public will be aware of the danger of having your cat vaccinated especially at the base of the skull. To many vaccinations in the same area can cause inflammation which can lead to a tumor and years later Sarcoma which is deadly to your felines. It is relevant to raise self awareness as vets or those examining cats at shelters need to take into consideration many of these felines are lost and allot of times the owner may end up finding them at the shelter therefore every cat needs to be treated as someone’s pet not as a feral cat. Unfortunately such kill shelters develop poor policies so they do not care if your family cat gets over vaccinated or put down because Animal Control in North Las Vegas continually is picking up neighborhood pets even if they should not be.
Sneezers case is very sad pme because his death could have been prevented. The North Las Vegas Animal Control should not have every picked him up his ear was clipped and you could clearly see he was castrated. The SPCA clinic should have never injected Sneezer between the shoulder blades nor should they force your pet to get them if you are the owner and wish to decline. They refused to neuter him until I agreed to having him vaccinated but at the shelter they just injected him or they would not let me take him home. Less then a year and half later The Animal Foundation was giving him more vaccinations between the shoulder blades which increased his chances to get Sarcoma 175 percent because he already had the same vaccinations previously. One shot in bad let alone four or five to the same area.
It is so important that if you are a pet owner to demand that you either A. Do NOT want your feline vaccinated if you have this option and B. If you do get your feline vaccinated that you have the shots given in the leg C. Do not over vaccinate and D. Be wary of animal control who will catnap your fur baby E. Have a good neck collar with your address and something that shows they already had there shots. Sadly most shelters do not give you a tag for your feline having its shots so more then likely if it gets picked up they will end up being vaccinated twice for the same thing like in Sneezers case.
Knowledge is power and in America pets are an important part of our society. Almost every household in this country has a cat if its not an indoor one its an outdoor one. While we spend so much time worrying about feral cats on the streets the real threat to them is not the outdoors but human beings who feel they have the right to play god. When I say play god I mean euthanizing thousands of cats then calling themselves humane. Their is nothing humane about giving cancer to felines by injecting them will aluminum nor caging them then labeling them as feral cats awaiting execution. Their is nothing humane about caging an animal in hopes to purge it from its habitat forever. We saved Sneezers life once but we could not save him a second time.
But maybe our readers will be able to help save other cats in the future by taking what they learned here and applying this knowledge to do some good. I read an article recently that Animal Control and its Animal Foundation in North Las Vegas will be a no kill shelter by 2020 which is fantastic news. But as long as they do not change their policies in relation to vaccinations or how they go about picking up felines ultimately many of them will die of Sarcoma such as with Sneezer’s case. We must stand up for our pets because nobody else will and all pets have a right to live just as much as we do too!
Lord Rick Rowe
Editor & Chief
AngelOfThyNight News
