The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Answering a third grader’s concern about finding a home for all the stray animals, especially feral cats, I thought I would ask first at the Dedman Animal Shelter. Nikki Jones has been the director for three years. She admitted that the topic of homeless animals is a big concern. Currently, they have 40 cats; three are kittens. Adult cats are the hardest to adopt out. They also have nine adult dogs and 25 puppies to give away.

They take strays from Big Sandy and have a new program funded by grant funds to fix the problem of feral (wild) cats. They can trap feral cats, fix them, and then return them. This will stop the problem from continuing, as they will stop having babies.

Work can be discouraging because they depend totally on donations, which have been down. They take animals from Chouteau County, Great Falls, Hill County, Liberty County, and Judith Basin.

They have a Board of Directors and are a non-profit organization.

Farmers do adopt out barn cats, and cats are fully tested for FIV and ELV.

From their web page, I found the following description of the Dedman Foundation. “Florence Dedman had a vision of an animal shelter in Fort Benton, Mt. She wanted the shelter to exist to help the abandoned, abused, and neglected animals of this area, giving them a second chance at a wonderful life with human companionship. At Florence’s bequest, a no-kill animal shelter was established in 1993 and has been in operation since. Florence didn’t expect the small refuge to “last forever” but wanted the shelter to “last as long as it can.” We like to think she would be thrilled with the way the shelter (which bears her name) is going, becoming well known throughout the state and still serving animals in need throughout the area.”

“This year alone, we are on track to adopt out over

300 animals, a record-setting number for our little shelter. Before becoming adopted, these animals come to us due to families moving, death, surrender, and abandonment. Each animal that comes through our doors is greeted with love, affection, and respect. During their stay with us, they receive vaccinations, necessary medical care, spaying/neutering, and a clean and comfortable environment while we work hard to find them their new forever homes. We strive to make sure every animal that leaves our care is healthy and transitions well into their permanent homes.”

“Florence saw a need and provided a way, effectively leaving it up to us and others to continue this service. It is only with the generosity and kindness of heart that this journey is possible and has been able to grow into the wonderful place that it is today. We operate entirely on donations, gifts, grants, adoption fees, and fundraisers. We are a 501(c3), and our board of directors are volunteers throughout the area.”