In rescue work, the path from the streets to a forever home is rarely a straight line. Sometimes, it’s a winding road full of detours, setbacks, and a whole lot of logistics. The story of Cookie and Tom. an absolutely inseparable sister and brother duo, is the perfect example of just how complicated, yet rewarding, this journey can be.
Their story began in 2022 when they were first rescued. However, when their original rescuer had to leave Lebanon, Cookie and Tom, along with three other rescued cats, were placed in a boarding facility in Jbeil.
The first red flag and a logistical puzzle
It didn’t take long for their original rescuer to realize something was wrong. The Jbeil facility simply wasn’t providing the level of care these five cats deserved. We knew we had to get them out, but finding space for five cats all at once is a monumental task.
I reached out to 2 rescuers in Lebanon for advice on where we could safely relocate them. The solution ended up being a logistical puzzle:
- The Jounieh Facility: A recommended boarding facility in Jounieh had space, but they could only accommodate two cats. Naturally, we chose to send the inseparable duo, Cookie and Tom, together.
- The Hamra Facility: For the remaining three cats, I scrambled to contact someone who worked at a facility in Hamra to secure their spots.
A familiar hero: Once again, a massive shoutout to Karim. Moving five cats across different cities is no small feat, and Karim stepped right up to help transport the cats safely out of Jbeil.
The waiting game and a dark discovery
At this point, all the cats had completed their complicated vaccination processes and were fully prepped to travel to Europe as soon as they found their forever families. But adoption takes time, and their stay in boarding began to stretch on.
Then came the heartbreak. After a while, we discovered that the boarding facility in Jounieh was engaging in unethical treatment. (Cookie and Tom weren’t the only ones affected by this, I’ll be sharing the stories of the other cats boarded there in future posts).
Knowing what we knew, leaving them there wasn’t an option. They had to be moved again.
Safe at last, then finally home
This time, there were no more boarding facilities. I was finally in a position to welcome Cookie and Tom into my own foster home, and of course, Karim was right there to help move them to safety once more.
For over three months, this sweet, bonded pair stayed with me. After everything they had been through, bouncing between facilities and enduring substandard care, watching them decompress and simply enjoy being safe cats was incredibly special.
All that waiting finally paid off in the best way possible. In September 2023, Cookie and Tom boarded a flight, landed in Paris, and finally headed to their true forever home in France. After a chaotic start in Lebanon, they get to spend the rest of their lives exactly as they should: safe, loved, and most importantly, together.
