It is 3 in the morning on Feb. 13 at the Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society and the quiet morning calm is shattered by bleary-eyed staff members and volunteers preparing to transport 30 cats to Vermont.

It is important to get an early start to hopefully miss traffic on the I-95 corridor around Washington, D.C. Dogs are barking, confused about being woken so early; cats are clambering, hoping this means an early breakfast; and the hallways are filled with staff calling out directions to load the multiple SUVs that will be making the trip north.

The 3 a.m. preparation is controlled chaos. The 30 cats being loaded into crates in SUVs will soon be taking the long way home, speeding toward their happily ever after.

Balthazar, a gorgeous long-haired feline gentleman, had been waiting to be adopted since mid-December. No one had asked about adopting him, because, at the time, GMHS had over 120 cats from which adopters could choose. A mellow guy, his charms were lost in the crowd. But on Feb...