Animal Lives

Caring for a pet isn’t as easy as one would think, but three women I know have made it their life’s work to learn about, help and take care of the animals people love: Debbie Klein, Heather Sloan, and Peggy Kelly.

CRITTER SITTER: Debbie Klein runs Critter Sitter, which is an organization for the care and welfare of pets. She watches, walks, feeds and takes care of pets. Critter Sitter offers to water plants, and bring in the mail as well. The cost differs based on services, location and frequency. She works from her home in Lake Linganore where she runs the Critter Sitter along with a team of men and women who are part time or full time. She does not take on teens; though I have often helped anyway. She almost always has a full staff and a fuller schedule. Critter Sitter watches animals from fish to dogs and cats and more. We always have very satisfied customers when they return home being away.

FAMILY PACK RESCUE: Another organization is Family Pack Rescue. Its goal is to save those who would otherwise be euthanized. This organization drives to kill shelters and saves all the animals it can fit in the vehicles and get permits for. Then the animals are sent to foster homes and trained, washed up, fed since many are emaciated, then taken to the vet and made to be the best they can be.

Heather Sloan started up FPR (Family Pack Rescue) in March 2007 and has already saved more then 200 dogs and some cats. She has not saved as many cats due to the fact Ms. Heather is allergic. It also keeps the number of animals I kidnap from her to care for to a minimum.

Friends or people with a deep love of animals help to drive or foster while Heather saves dogs and some cats, takes care of them then sets up adoption days at Superpetz. She keeps as many animals as she can in her home in Walkersville where she sets up rescues and plans out her options for getting animals and where she will put them once saved. The bills pile up fast but with donations and support with others she’s able to keep it under control plus the money she receives from the adoptions goes to getting supplies and getting more animals as well.
Though there are hard aspects as well. One of the hardest things with dealing with the animals is saving the animals and seeing their surroundings and how they live, then taking them all broken and without a spirit is heart-breaking. But seeing the faces of those she can’t save, the ones she leaves behind that is the most difficult thing in the world. And when I get them home it’s hard to keep control and try to care for them. But when the animals must go to the vet and there’s bad news or they must be put to sleep that is such a horrible time for everyone. Heather loves help as I know by the fact I hardly ever had a free weekend after helping her. But she still needs more if she is to succeed. She takes everything from food to bowls to supplies and help. And of course donation are always welcome.

FERAL CAT RESCUE: This work includes going out and collecting feral cats from barns, allies, fields and more and gets them neutered/spayed, stitched up and worked on if hurt and if need be, relocated. Some people don’t mind the cats so they are just brought back, others are put into shelters, foster care, or homes. Peggy Kelly is the brains and muscle behind the Feral Cat Rescue. She started the rescue a little over four years ago and has saved over 900 cats in that time.

“The rescue record at one location would be 50 cats that captured to be spayed or neutered,” she told me once when I was working with her.

When cats are not able to go back to their location because the owners don’t want them or it’s not safe, Kelly brings them home with her or gets them a home.

“I have four cats that I brought home that are now part of my animal family. I have others that are here until I find the perfect home. I have realized that if I keep too many, then I cannot help others.” She admitted.

All three of these women work with animals as their professions and dedicate a lot of time to doing so. Over all over 900 cats, and 200 dogs are saved a year and even more are taken care of by these three women. I know how seriously these women take their jobs because I have worked with each separately and in groups and I’ve seen the passion that they hold when it comes to these poor animals. Two of those cats Mrs. Peggy had at her home I actually adopted so that there would be more room for others and many of those dogs I sat up with for hours caring for and more then I can count sits I have assisted on so I know the hardships of the job but also the rewards.

Forever Yours

In our lives we lose many things we love. To some an animal dying could be even harder than the death of a grandparent. Children or adults who live alone seem to make more special bonds with their animals and take it really hard when they must leave them or if their beloved pet dies because that pet is seen as more than just a pet to them. I know this from experience because I have experienced this loss and have been more influenced than when either of my grandpas died.

From the time I can remember I have always had two cats, and one grew up with me from the very beginning. At my age thirteen my little boy cat was just turning 12. He always was a "trouble maker" and he was always getting hit by other cats by being so. So when he started pawing his mouth and he had a swollen lip, we thought nothing of it. After a while the problem didn’t go away so I bugged and bugged my mom to take him to the vet. She made an appointment more to get me to leave her alone then anything else and she took him in while I was at school. As it happens that day, the power went out during his appointment so they rescheduled him for the next day.

While I was in first period the next day I got called down to the office to go home. Everyone looked at me and asked me questions about why I was leaving and where I was going. Everyone thought I was so lucky, but I wasn’t so sure.

The only things that came to mind about why I could be leaving were that my mom had forgotten about some appointment or that something had happened to my girl cat who, being in her twenties, wasn’t doing too well. It never occurred to me it could be my little baby boy.
I went down to the office and waited for my mom to arrive. After ten minutes she arrived and I felt a cold shiver go down my back as I saw her. Something had happened. I went out to the car and saw my brother inside, and knew I didn’t want to know. My mom got in and told me my little boy had severe cancer and there was nothing they could do. My brother and I were being picked up to go to the vet and say goodbye before he was to be put to sleep.

As you could guess I fell completely apart and couldn’t catch my breath with all the crying I did. After burying him and skipping school for two days, I finally got to a place of complete shutdown. I watched TV and movies just so I wouldn’t have to think and shut myself in my room a lot more. I went on a summer trip not long after, and when I returned, I had a month with my girl before she too passed on from old age and my grieving started all over again. I was crushed with no one left. They were my best friends, and now my home was empty and kittyless. It felt wrong, as if something was missing from my life and I couldn’t understand why.

Now, a little over a year later I have gotten two new babies. They are another boy and girl but actual siblings and though I miss my first two very much I have found a place for these two in my heart as well. I don’t know how I would react if anything ever happened to them now.

In contrast when I lost both my granddads I cried a little but was fine after a day or two but when my babies passed I was a wreck for weeks and still can’t let go of what once was.
Though they were my grandparents, I wasn’t as close to them as I was with my kittens and didn’t feel the same way when they passed as I did when I lost my kittens mainly because it was a regular part of my life to see them daily.

Homeless, Helpless and Asking for Help

In schools, homes and communities, volunteers are helping needy animals. All around you there are people helping that you didn’t even know were interested in animals. Kids as young as three help as well. Many give their time and their help to support the small and big on your streets and in your county shelters. You can help as well. For example, it's as easy as feeding or making a bed out of a towel for a stray cat that hangs around the neighborhood.

What you can do to help!

Collect blankets and towels. Pick up a little extra food or treats next time you go shopping. Make a flyer about collecting toys, food, and other supplies and give it out to your neighbors. There is plenty you could do if you get creative. You could even adopt, help out with the shelter animals or just give a donation if you have no time to be hands-on.

I myself have done all the above so I know how hard some of it can be, but I also know how rewarding it can be to help out a little kitten by giving it a home or a dog because it needs someone to play with. The money the animal charity receives goes to purchasing food and supplies and medical care in addition to other administrative needs. The more help the animals receive, the better their chances become of living long, healthy lives.

Linganore High School April Initiative

Two teachers are trying to get help for the animals of Frederick. Mrs. Horstkamp is asking anyone to donate any old blankets and towels that they would like to get rid of for the animal shelter. Animals love the comfort of soft blankets and towels. Stains and small holes are acceptable, but being clean is a must. The items will be collected throughout the month and she will be delivering them at the end on April. Any items not making the deadline can be dropped off at the shelter during usual working hours as well.

Mrs. Beachy's third period pre-vet class is doing a fundraising project for the Frederick County Animal Control. They are going to each third period class and handing out envelopes for money collection. They will come back twice a week to collect the money donated by the class. They are asking for pocket change or larger donations. No pressure is put on the classes. After a month of earning, the class that has collected the most will be awarded a pizza “Celebration” on a day suitable to the teacher's schedule. I encourage everyone to take part in this worthy cause.

Last semester the pre-vet class earned $800.00 and put it on a PetSmart card for the Animal Control Shelter, but the goal this semester is to collect over a $1,000.00. Thank you for helping to make this goal a reality.