In Memory of Maggie,  January 2001

There was no one quite like her.  Found abandoned in a dumpster at only 4 weeks of age, she quickly became a permanent
resident of the volunteer and education offices, having free reign over the entire second floor, strolling around the teaching room visiting the rabbits, chinchillas and snakes and supervising the activities and volunteer training in the auditorium.

One of the extraordinary things that made Maggie special was her job: official dog-tester for families with cats who were
looking to add a canine member to their household.  Starting in 1996, Maggie met the potential adoptees on her turf,
the dog brought to her on a leash by an adoption counselor, interested family in tow.  Maggie was very opinionated about which dogs she would let "pass" her test: straight on stare with her intense green eyes, deep throaty meow and a "hey buster what do you think of me?" attitude made her the perfect judge of a dog's cat-worthiness.  Many people would say "oh that poor cat!" but Maggie reveled in her job. Secure in her position of queen cat tester, she would ignore huge snarling fangs, content to curl up on a soft pile of towels and watch as the poor dog thought he might actually get at her!

Maggie was as particular about the feline species as she was with canines: she would tolerate other cats disdainfully, preferring to share her domain with human laps rather than kitty paws.  Then Orchid, a black and white kitten hit by a car, made her appearance as a foster care recuperation case.  The two bonded like best friends.  A year later when Orchid passed on from an immune disease, Maggie never quite recovered.

All the staff and volunteers of The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA miss those two fuzzy girls immensely, though Maggie's legend as the world-famous first dog testing cat will live on forever.
 

We are collecting donations for a permanent plaque in Maggie's memory. If you would like to make a donation towards this plaque, you may either mail a check made out to "PHS" to: Maggie Fund, Pasadena Humane Society, 361 S. Raymond Ave, Pasadena CA 91105 or use our online donation form and type "MAGGIE" in the Gift Cards Message field after you've clicked to donate.