Mary Thingelstad Beware of Mary Thingelstad Miami Beach Florida

Sounds just like Flaky-Mary! I had a horrific experience with her of my own a year ago. I contacted her last year regarding an outside cat in my yard which I was feeding who was developing upper respiratory and she said she would come and trap it so it can be taken to the vet plus she would provide me with meds afterwards to treat it, she never came. Every week for three months she promised she would come and no call no show just empty promises, after 3 months the cat died as a result of this upper respiratory infection. Even though she was the only person I knew who can help regarding a situation such as this I still asked her on one occasion if I should try to search for someone else to help, or if she can refer me to someone, since she always seems busy and she said don’t call anyone Because she will handle this situation herself and she got it all under control. Someone should contact the mayor and demand from him that he ask the city of Miami Beach stop funding her! She was probably too busy selling homes for Coldwell Banker instead of helping out these cats.

I am not a rescuer! I do not run a business for cats or anyother animal. My husband I moved to Miami Beach in 2009 and the house I bought had so many feral cats running around i didn't know anything about cats and didn't know what to do.  So I found Cat Network!  The President at that time brought me a trap and that was the beginning. I  have been trapping cats for TNR for over 6 years and with help from some other dedicated cat lovers have trapped, neutered and returned over 6000 cats here on Miami Beach!  We have trapped these cats every other weekend for a long time and it has been very difficult at times.  Sometimes when we trap we find sick kittens or kittens with no mother so we take them from the streets and alleys.  To find them homes I started back in 2010 going to Lincoln Rd and setting up a booth to show the kittens we helped and find them homes and also to help get donations to help pay for all the meds and vet bills for them that we pay for ourselves when we are caring for them.  I first saw an email from Cat Networks volunteer website about this person who found 9 cats in a bag!! Wow I was so upset I thought I would call her and try and help.  She forgot to mention all the food and supplies I brought her to feed and care for those kittens. She said "that was ok". She also didn't mention me picking her and her boyfriend and the cats to help find them homes either. There is no CN (Cat Network) deal that I would not use for my own kittens then to tell this person who guarded them as her babies.  I feel the same way to and that's why I believed she would have never sent those kittens to a rescue where she would never know where those kittens ended up!  She did mention NO ONE else contacted her to help her with this unbelievable job raising 9 kittens and then having to find them homes.  I even drove to her condo and picked up she and her boyfriend and took them to the fair.  When we got there she told me she did not want anyone to hold her kittens!  That's when I decided I could not help her. I called the President the same person she spoke to and she told me it was time to "walk away".   I don't work for cat network, I did not take any money from this person.  I'm only a volunteer and I think I can decide if I want to help whomever I want.   She had no business taking in 9 kittens without a plan.  I'm sure she has never helped or volunteered in her community or anyone besides herself which she doesn't do that very well either.  She's right scatterbrain me, red flags everywhere and I didn't see them. I was only thinking of the kittens and How can I help!

I wouldn't even had responded to this report if someone hadn't sent it to me but I felt I should tell my side of the story!!

This was submitted so long ago!  I never use Mary Agnes when speaking with anyone and I don't give out my phone number for kittens only TNR.  I don't also use my email to correspond to kitten calls.  How did they get my number if they called all those rescuers?  I believe I called my friend who does take in other people's kittens to adopt out.  I gave her their number and she told me she could take them at the end of the week.  My fault was I assumed she contacted them and made arrangements to get the kittens.  

This is not an easy thing getting 5 kittens, fostering them by buying food, litter, meds and who knows whatelse.  People really don't releaize how hard it is.  But they do know how to get rid of them.  They didn't offer a donation and I don't believe someone else called them to take the kittens from them.  Most rescuers get their kittens from Humane Society, Animal Services etc.  I do know I told them I do not rescue kittens without calling someone who does.!  As for not answering my phone I don't believe I didn't answer my phone if he did call me.  I always answer or call back when I can.  Doing TNR for over 6 years can really get to you that's for sure.  But I have to say for someone to write a report like this person did when I never took money from them or did something so horrible as not to get their cats is really terrible.  For goodnes sake just take them to Humane Society.  They do not kill their kittens!!  Why would you take in 5 kittens without a plan!!! What were you going to do with them besides giving them to someone else?  Why didn't you try and find them homes yourself once you took them in?  How long did you have them when you found out your son was so allergic to little kittens?  I'm just a volunteer! Have you ever volunteered helping animals in your life?   If you have you would have understood!!