In Memory of Maximus
By Little Rock Animal Services Director Tracy Roark
May 1st, 2018
On October 30, 2015, Officer Anna Reneau was working a call. When returning a cat had laid in the street right in front of her truck. She moved him out of the way but before she could get back to her truck he went right back out in the street in front of her. She picked him up and brought him to the Village. We just knew someone would come looking for this big boy but no one ever did. Soon he was in the offices and had made an impression on me. I just knew there was something different about him. By late November, after testing positive for FIV, we had decided he would be our "office cat". We named him Maximus because of his strong demeanor and his attitude that he was better than all of us. Max loved his home. He knew our routines and when it was time for us to come and go. He loved Saturdays when Victoria was coming. He would always be in her lap as soon as she got here. At first he had all the staff bluffed and they would not pick him up to bring him in. He loved to test and bully his way to do whatever he wanted. He was figured out and soon he let about everyone carry him around. Best known for his disdain for dogs. He would have to be locked in one of the offices while testing dogs because he would jump them as soon as they entered the offices. A couple of months ago, one of the officers had brought in a dog caught in a dog trap. The dog was growling and snapping at the officer while trying to get him out. Max was outside and we guess he thought the dog was trying to get one of his people and before he realized it, Max was inside the trap with the dog. The dog could not get out fast enough. Saturday night Max left us. He had been getting skinny over the last few months and last week stopped eating. Everyone knew it was coming and got to tell him goodbye and they loved on him. We knew he loved us and he would not have wanted to be anywhere but here. While here he never wanted for anything. I took him home and placed him next to Rain. He will be missed and walking in will not be the same without our Big Boy.
