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Over Coffee
Now that I’ve got your attention, let me explain. I had coffee at the Critter Adoption and Rescue Effort (CARE) today. The coffee was good, but the animals I met were better.
As some of you may know, I have a 68-pound beagle-bassett (yes, she is too heavy!) and a 9-year-old calico cat named Jessica. Until a few weeks ago we had two cats, but somehow Ninja slipped through an open door and as cute as she is, somebody probably grabbed her right up and took her home.
To put it simply, I just plain love animals. And so does the granddaughter I am raising. If I kept every stray she brought into the house, we’d have to buy a separate garbage can just for animal hair.
OK- back on point: I hadn’t been to CARE in years, although I’ve written about it since the idea was just a glimmer in some local residents’ eyes. In fact, I remember the place when it was still called Bennie’s Pet Motel.
Then, out of the blue, I got an e-mail from Don Hinderliter last week. For those who aren’t familiar with him, he’s the Kings Point resident who serves as president of CARE’s board of directors. His wife, Betsy, also volunteers there.
When I met with Don today, he was filling water buckets and cleaning up from the night before. His presidential duties don’t stop there. “He’ll do anything we need done,” said Phyllis Lamoreux, a busy Realtor who takes time out of her work week to serve as CARE’s office manager and director of community programs. Her favorite project is finding suitable short-term foster homes for pets when the no-kill shelter is out of space.
When I first met Phyllis, I immediately noticed that Darwin never left her side unless he was told to do so. Darwin, her adorable pug, is CARE’s official greeter. Phyllis has had him more than seven years now, after rescuing him from severe abuse while she still lived in Texas.
The things she told me happened to Darwin are hard to imagine. I consider myself a pretty tough cookie- after all, I’ve raised four kids, two stepkids, and am now the fulltime “parent” of a granddaughter I’ve had since she was six months old so I’ve handled just about every type of emergency except sewing appendages back on. But Darwin’s story was even too sordid for me. Let’s just say it’s enough to make a hard-boiled reporter want to cry.
Fortunately, Phyllis was there to rescue Darwin. She’s seen him through surgeries, and many, many treatments for various ailments. Even now, although he looks wonderful, he still has problems related to his abuse. But amazingly, even after his ordeal, he wasn’t afraid to come over to me, even though I was a complete stranger.
Phyllis and Don want people to know they need volunteers. Anyone from 14 to – well, any age. Eighty-seven-year-old Ellen Jackson works as their receptionist. Children under 14 can help out too, if accompanied by an adult.
But it’s hard to keep volunteers because when they see the beautiful animals they want to take them home and you just can’t keep them all. Sometimes, the shelter and foster homes are full too, and when they can’t place them, they have to rely on Hillsborough County’s Animal Services Department. Due to sheer numbers, the county must euthanize those not adopted if they get full.
That’s why it is so important to get foster families- even for a week, Phyllis said. CARE will provide food, vet treatments (courtesy of the Ruskin Animal Hospital and others on occasion) and any other supplies the animals need.
I know I don’t want my pets to see what goes on at CARE. I mean- they’re spoiled, Karmel (the dog) sleeps on my granddaughter’s bed- and takes up most of it- while Jessica sleeps at the head of my bed (on the wall side) with her face about a foot from mine. She would never think of waking me up. She knows I’m a light sleeper so she rarely moves at night.
But I have to keep them away from CARE at all costs. Good grief, if they ever see it, they’ll want to go there on vacation. Thanks to donations and volunteers, the accommodations are great; animals aren’t caged, they have rooms. Dogs have play areas outside, and people to come in and talk and play with them at intervals.
The new cathouse is amazing. Felines are divided by age, so the kitties won’t disturb the elderly who want to rest atop one of the soft perches built around all the rooms. There are stairs to keep active cats running off the weight, and screened in lanais where they can watch the birds land in a nearby birdbath and meow at squirrels that run across the lawns.
I know I must never let Jessica see the cathouse. Or let her know that volunteers come in just to socialize the cats. She’d surely pretend to be anti-social to get the attention I saw given out freely today.
Don and Betsy and Phyllis all live near each other in the Kings Point subdivision in Sun City Center. In fact, it was meeting Don and Betsy that got Phyllis interested in first visiting CARE. A lot of people- and their four-legged friends- are certainly glad they did.
Anyone who wants to become involved may call (813) 645-2273 to donate or volunteer. Or they may mail a check to CARE at 1528 27th St. S.E., Ruskin, 33570.
Drop offs of much-needed disposable items like paper towels, bleach, laundry and dish detergent, trash bags, cat litter and dog biscuits are also always appreciated.
Now I just have to keep Karmel and Jessica from reading this column before I send it in.
*Perhaps you have something you’d like to share. Or maybe you’d rather tell the community about your favorite charity or cause: or sound off about something you think needs change. That’s what “Over Coffee” is about. It really doesn’t matter whether we actually drink any coffee or not (although I probably will). It’s what you have to say that’s important. E-mail me any time and suggest a meeting place. No matter what’s going on, I’m usually available to share just one more cup. Or maybe you’d like to tune into the new radio show I’m hosting, “The Uncensored Reporter.” It’s available across the country on both AM and FM radio but so far I haven’t found out the call numbers for our area so I just direct everyone to www.themicroeffect.com on their computers Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-to-4 p.m. It’s a call-in show so maybe you’ve got some ideas or comments you’d like to share on the air. Just click on “Listen Live” and give it a whirl.
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| PHYLLIS HINDERLITER AND
DARWIN |
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| DON HINDERLITER |
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