A tiny kitten named Ivy lays in a bathtub with a broken leg. She is warm, snuggled and safe.
Big or small, furry or slithery, Audrey Peacock loves animals, especially those in need of some tender loving care.
With a commitment to their welfare, Peacock operates Audrey’s Rescue at her home just outside Arthur.
For the past seven years, the rescue is dedicated to saving and looking after feral, stray, neglected and injured animals in Wellington County.
“Ivy is a sweet little girl. We took her to the vet, and they said the break is above the knee and might not heal very well. The surgeon said that Ivy is too young, her bones are too soft, and the surgery might not be successful,’ Peacock said.
“The two options are to amputate or to have the surgeon look at it again and make a decision.”
Not giving up, Peacock will look after Ivy for the next few weeks. In the meantime, the kitten can grow bigger and stronger.
“Then we’ll see the x-rays again to see if the leg is to be amputated or not. If so, it’s ok. Three legged cats are just fine afterwards. It’s about the best outcome so the cat is not in pain,” Peacock said.
“That’s what I do. I get the animals healthy, and then I pass them on to other rescues who will make sure they are looked after and that adoptions are done properly. We all work together.”
Peacock’s interest and passion for helping animals has been with her for as long as she can recall.
“It’s been my whole life really. When I was a little kid. I was raised on a farm. My parents would take me out to the barn to do their chores. I was about two or three. It was a mixed farm, with cows, pigs and horses,” she said.
“While my parents worked in the winter, I was put on top of one of the horses. And that was my favourite. When I got tired, I would fall asleep on the horse."
Peacock was always the first to jump at the chance to look after a sick animal.
Since then, her husband Walter, a retired police officer, and two grown children, have become just as passionate about animals as she is.
“Actually, Walt’s almost worse than me. With all of the animals we’ve had, he’s the one who wants to keep every one of them,” Peacock said.
Peacock first began to rescue cats about 35 years ago in Barrie.
Both she and Walt were raised on a farm, and returned to Peacock’s roots in Wellington County where she was raised.
“When we moved here, my nieces found some kittens, and at that time, Arthur was overrun with cats and kittens. So, I took them, and set them up in our garage. The garage is heated all winter,” Peacock said.
Walt has driven hundreds of cats to be fixed, vaccinated and fostered.
“Audrey’s the cat rescuer and I’m the driver,” Walt said.
The rescue grew to the point where Peacock’s daughter thought social media might be a good idea, and she developed a Facebook page.
“It became such a big thing. But I couldn’t handle it on my own. I did have some people who volunteered and fostered, which really helped. Thank goodness, because I would not be able to keep all of the animals here. Everyone was such a big help," Peacock said.
After a while, the rescue was taken over. That’s when Peacock began Audrey’s Rescue.
“And it is crazy busy. What I have realized from the past rescues, is that I am only one person. I just want to help cats in need. That involves feral cats because there are so many, and they are ones that most rescues don’t want,” Peacock said.
“I can manage them, but only one or two at a time. And I don’t want to keep an animal for too long because that’s not a good life. They need to be taken care of, neutered, spade, vaccinated, and then have a home found for them."
Although the rescue keeps her busy, Peacock does still work full time in real estate.
“I could not do this without all of the volunteers. It is a team effort. From driving and donations, people are so generous, and we are very grateful,” she said.
"I just want to make animals healthy. So, I rely 100 per cent on donations.”
For anyone who would like to help, funds can be donated to Heartland Animal Hospital in Drayton to assist with vet bills.
“And for anyone who would like to help with food, funds are the best because sometimes I need more kitten food, more cat food, or food for special diets,” Peacock said.
“Right now, when they are injured like Ivy, you need good quality food."
Peacock has also rescued other animals including rabbits, horses, and dogs.
“We are on our fifth rescued horse. And a few weeks ago, a rabbit was found on the side of the road. And then we found another one. Somebody dumped them. And this happens all the time,” Peacock said.
“Why not take them to a rescue? Putting a domesticated breed of rabbit, and dumping them by the road, they would never survive. I’m just happy that we ended up being there. We drove by there everyday for three weeks, just in case there were more."
The rabbits did end up going to their forever home.
“It makes us feel good and it helps the animals,” Walt said.
Three rescue dogs have also found a home at the Peacock residence.
“A family brought one of the dogs to us. People came from all over thinking it was their dog. But it wasn’t. I had a man call from Italy who called and said that’s my dog. He was on vacation. I said, don’t worry. When you come back, he is safe here. A few days later, he said, It’s not our dog,” Peacock said.
“I had many people say we’ll take him, but I said no. We are waiting for the real owner. Seven years later, I’m still waiting. He’s the best little dog. He just fits right in. He’s very protective of the other two, Storm and Flossy.”
For anyone who thinks that cats should not be kept indoors, Peacock says it was humans who domesticated them in the first place.
"They need us. And now, we are not there for them. And that’s not right. What I would love even more than rescuing them, is if none of them needed rescuing. I would love it if people could keep their pets and look after them, get them spayed, neutered, and vaccinated," Peacock said.
“We do this because we love it. And as small as it is, it does make a difference."
