FORT SMITH, Ark. (KFSM) — Owners of Jen’s Kitty Rehab in Fort Smith have spent months trying to get their Fort Smith shelter complete and up and running. Now, they’ve hit a setback after someone shot out their windows and vandalized their building.
Those behind the future cage-free cat shelter say it’s the community who is now holding them up and keeping them going.
“We’re doing this out of pocket and through the donations only. For something completely unnecessary to set us back was concerning,” Jennifer Greyston, owner of Jen’s Kitty Rehab, said.
Right before the start of the weekend, Greyston received a phone call letting her know her dream of opening Jen’s Kitty rehab would take a bit longer.
“The glass was shattered to the ground,” said Greyston.
She says someone shot out the windows of the future site.
“I don’t think we were targeted so much, I think it was random.”
But that random act means abandoned and rescued cats who one day will come to the cage-free shelter while waiting on a forever home…will now have to wait a bit longer.
“It was a letdown. We had a lot of hurdles, and this is one we didn’t expect,” Greyston said.
The Greyston family says there will be a deductible to fix the damaged windows, and it could be pretty steep. Luckily, they live in a community where people are already willing to jump in and help. They have a fundraiser open on their Facebook page.
“We are a little over a thousand dollars. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for our community,” Greyston told 5NEWS.
There were no cameras at the time of the vandalism, but there will be now.
Greytone says a high tech security system is part of the construction process.
“Animal rescues obviously have problems of animal drop-offs, and we don’t want that to happen. We want to be here and available and work out a system.”
As for now, Jen’s Kitty Rehab is still helping cats find loving homes over social media until the building of the cage-free shelter is complete.
