Bel-West Cat Rescue

06/22/2026

06/22/2026

Did you know YOU could be a TNR hero⁉️⁉️

It mostly takes love, patience and time to change lives.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

- Trap: TruCatch or Tomahawk are the safest as far as preventing injury and are most secure as far as cats not escaping.

- Bait: You will need some kind of food to lure the cat into the trap.

- You will need a small dish to put the bait in. Be sure it won’t interfere with the trap plate working properly. Never put cans of food in the trap, as cats can cut their tongue on the metal edges.

- P*e pads: Placing the trap on p*e pads before and after surgery helps with clean up so the p*e and p**p doesn’t get all over your floor or car during transport. P*e pads can also be placed inside the trap while trapping, but if it is windy, they blow in the wind and the cats are sometimes leery to approach the trap. 

- Be sure to have a towel or blanket to cover the trap as soon as the cat goes in. Being covered helps them feel more safe and secure and helps them calm down so they are less likely to injure themselves trying to escape.

- It is helpful to use zip ties to secure both ends of the trap once the cat is inside the trap. Cover the trap first to help the cat start to calm down, and then lift the ends to zip tie.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

Never trap without a plan!!!

1. Be sure to have an appointment or plan of where the cat is going for TNR surgery.

2. Have a plan of where they will be held before surgery and for recovery after surgery.

3. Have a plan of who is transporting the cat to and from surgery.

4. What will you do if you get a different cat that you hoped for? NEVER release a cat who doesn’t have an ear tip, because they are more leery to go in a trap ever again. If a cat gets trapped, they get fixed. If you are trying for a specific cat, you should use a drop trap or modified regular trap with a water bottle propping the door open and string tied to it that you pull to close the door.

5. Cats should always be released back exactly where they are trapped, unless it is not safe for them to go back there. Barn placement should only be considered if there is a serious threat to the cats life being returned where they came from. That is their home and acclimating to a new home can be very stressful and is a long process. 

06/21/2026

UPDATE: HEADED TO A LOVELY FOSTER HOME TOMORROW 🏡 😊

The panel says: Feline Calici Virus & Chlamydia
They will need encouragement eating and possibly syringe feeding. Oral antibiotics and eye ointment multiple times a day. This is not beginners level. This is cleaning, medicating, socializing and actual work. If interested, we need more than a one sentence message. We need: photos of your pre-set foster space, prepped and ready to go! Your address, phone number, and dates of availability.

We need to get a foster in place in the next 24 hours please. Yes, there will be meds and isolation to a small bathroom will be necessary. Please inbox us if you can help! We cannot stack into our existing fosters to expose them. Also we do desperately need donations to our PayPal, directly to our Vet Partners, and Chewy gift cards to send supplies out to our foster doorsteps. We need these things like last week! 🙏

06/21/2026

😻June is Adopt a Cat Month! In honor of this purrfect occasion, here are 5 wildly convincing (and slightly chaotic) reasons you need a feline overlord in your life.​
Do you have an adoption story? We’d love to hear it!​

06/21/2026

DON'T TAKE THE BAIT 🐁

ALLEGATIONS DO NOT EQUAL FACTS ⚖️

COUNT THE COST 💸

Whatcom Feline Alliance is aware of the legal action by Animal Law Offices PLLC involving Bellingham Veterinary.

We stand with Dr. Sullivan and Bellingham Veterinary.

We do not accept allegations as truth. At this point they are unproven claims being touted as facts. They remain allegations until proven.

Important context: Dr. Rybka, no longer works at Bellingham Veterinary and has been separated from the practice.

First, we are deeply sorry for the loss of your cat. Losing a pet is devastating, and we know no words change that.

Licensing clarification:
If the Department of Health has a licensing matter with Dr. Rybka, that is between DOH and Dr. Rybka. A paperwork issue is not what makes a veterinarian. Skill, ethics, and patient outcomes do.

State law is clear: In Washington, practicing veterinary medicine without a license is a gross misdemeanor with fines up to $5,000 and possible jail time. That is a matter between DOH and the individual.

Accountability matters: Dr. Sullivan is accountable for his own care and his own patients. As the practice owner, he takes responsibility for the clinic. He also takes corrective action when needed — which is why Dr. Rybka is no longer with Bellingham Veterinary.

What we know from working with Dr. Sullivan:
No foul play. Nothing but a heart of gold, generosity and benevolency to our community.

He is a public safety net for cats. He has often taken in animals when the shelter is closed on Monday. He is the most devoted and incredibly accomplished veterinarian we have ever known. He was featured in dvm360 for his pioneering stem-cell transplant work to treat canine lymphoma, with patients “cancer-free one year after the transplant.”

We see the full picture, and outcomes aren’t proof of malpractice.

When an animal is already failing, a vet visit isn’t a magic fix. Animals die of natural causes. From our vantage point inside clinics and rescues, we know there could have been delays in seeking vet care. It appears no meaningful second opinion was sought. Context matters, and it’s being taken out of context now. Claims get embellished. We’ve seen side effects from medications exaggerated. For example, “dehydration” was claimed, yet sub-Q fluids were not given by the caretaker when that was an option. Don’t take the bait on dramatic retellings.

Ask yourself: Is it more likely that Dr. Sullivan is “doing something wrong”… or that one or two people’s greed and misplaced grief is fueling this?

Don’t believe everything you read.
Count the cost:

1. If Bellingham Veterinary is forced out, Whatcom Feline Alliance shuts down too. No exaggeration. No metaphor. We cannot operate without Dr. Sullivan. WFA and other rescues rely on him for EMERGENT medical cases. No clinic = we cannot take EMERGENT medical cases. We will be forced to close our doors.

2. The community loses after-hours and weekend care. Emergencies don’t wait. He takes animals when other vets are closed. When this clinic is gone, that safety net is gone.

3. Your vet bills go up. Lawsuits drive insurance rates up. Those costs get passed down to every consumer. Some animals won’t get care because families are priced out. Economic euthanasias will increase.

Our view: This pattern of targeting organizations serving under-resourced populations doesn’t help animals. In our experience, it prioritizes money over welfare. Chasing lawsuits after a poor outcome, instead of paying for care rendered, is ambulance chasing. And the animals pay the price.
🚑 🚑 🚑 🚑 🚑 🚑

We stand with Dr. Sullivan, Bellingham Veterinary, and the WORLD who needs them. 🌎

06/21/2026

Learn how the U.S. Government prevents New World screwworm and what to know about risks, surveillance, sterile-fly control, travel, and more.