It seems like no matter what site I happen to be browsing on the internet, I always stumble across animal lovers–even in the most unlikely places.

For example, since I write quite a bit I often scan writing blogs and try to keep up with the latest information on publishing and writers’ groups.

Perusing the Central Ohio Fiction Writers’ web site, I discovered that one of the COFW members, New York Times Best Selling Author, Lori Foster, collaborated on a book called Tails of Love. The proceeds from the sale of this book, which features an anthology of animal stories, benefit AAF, Animal Adoption Foundation, a no-kill animal shelter in Hamilton, Ohio.

Wow! I had no idea.

My next surprise came on the Guide to Literary Agents Blog. While checking out the rules for the Dear Lucky Agent Contest, I discovered that editor Chuck Sambuchino has a category called “Dog Stuff” in his blog. The very first photo on that page featured his dog Graham reading a book (no, seriously, it did–click on the link and go look at the picture!).

Even on The TUTs Adventurers Club web site, positive thinking guru, Mike Dooley is posing with his dog.

Mike Dooley and best bud.

Mike always says, “Thoughts Become Things…choose the good ones!” Somehow, animals must always be on my brain and in my thoughts even when I am in realms beyond animal rescue. Because of this, I seem to find animal lovers like myself everywhere I go.

I don’t mind that at all.

Who wouldn't want to find me in their humane trap?

Many of the cats we have posted for adoption on our Petfinder site came from our trapping projects. When we started out doing Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) several years ago, the main goal was to trap the cats, get them fixed, and reduce the number of unwanted kittens being born each year. But always, we would catch wonderful cats and kittens in our traps, too, not just the ferals we had in mind and who wanted nothing to do with us. We’ve trapped Siamese and Himalayans and all manner of purebred cats, as well as tiny kittens that had never been around people yet still knew how to grab our hearts by purring and giving a head butt.

There are always unexpected surprises when you take on a trapping project.

The project I was working on for the past few weeks was no exception. Lots of surprises, including one very small gray and furry surprise.

I had an email at the beginning of the month about several cats in a factory warehouse area. With large semis going in and out all the time and machinery moving large pallets, the kittens born to the more wily old timers were not surviving long. Could we help?

So I set traps for several nights. The very first cat I trapped was a tiny gray kitten. It became pretty clear within the first day or so that he was not feral. In fact, he is very tame and rolls around for belly rubs as soon as you begin petting him. I don’t know how some of these kittens are so good with humans while others, in the same situations, are utterly terrified. I know this little guy wasn’t socialized and yet he loves to be petted and held.

The rest of his family, five other cats altogether, are also not acting like feral cats. They are shy, but they don’t try to escape and they don’t hiss or growl. What to make of all this?

Members of the family hanging out together after their trapping adventures.

I finally caught the last cat this past Monday. He is the senior citizen of the group at 2-3 years old. The others were all between 6 months and a year. Being the oldest, he was the smartest and had avoided the traps longer than the others. But hunger eventually won out over fear. While he was the most “feral-acting” of the clan, he still was not at all what I was expecting.

Another surprise.

This big gray male acts as if he was someone’s pet at one time and had reverted to a semi-feral nature after years of living on his own. Fearful in the trap at first, he now acts as if he is waking from a dream, remembering a former life where someone else took care of him. It is strange to see the transformation.

The little gray kitten, who is now named Samuel, will be going to PetSmart in the near future to find a new home. The rest of his family, after being assessed for adoptability, will go to a warm, safe, and very quiet barn. No more large trucks to dodge. No more being hungry and cold. No more kittens that climb up into warm engines and cannot escape. No more surprises for them. Only a calm, peaceful life on a farm.

Like little Samuel, every trapping project brings something unexpected. It gives me great joy to take those surprises and turn them into blessings for other people. Samuel will soon be someone’s loved and adored companion, as have many others that wandered into our traps. Who could have known how wonderful our traps could be, magically transforming the lives of all who enter?

Truly a surprise…

The oldest and smartest of the family and the last to be trapped.

Actually, this was staged. Mary Jo was lying contentedly on the couch on the cat fleece blanket that came along with the pillow and Joe put the pillow on top of her so it would be readable in the photo. Joe was so pleased with himself that he ran upstairs (where I was already asleep in bed) to tell me about his accomplishment. Mary Jo was not quite so thrilled, but she puts up with us.

This pillow says it all about the philosophy of Black and Orange Cat Foundation!

This was a gift from my good friend, Mary, whose mother cat and kittens were some of the first cats I helped find homes for long before the existence of Black and Orange. Mary knows my mantra on spaying and neutering stray and feral kitties, so this pillow is quite appropriate.

I tried to get one of the cats to pose in front of the pillow, but since they are all fixed, they refused to be subjected to another of my humiliating photos.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC, meeting a new Siamese friend.

It seems like everywhere I go, cats find me.

On Vacation.

Last year in Charleston, South Carolina, we visited Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. As we entered the gift shop on the lower floor of the main house, I noticed several bowls sitting on the porch. A few minutes later a cat scampered past. On our walk along the trails looking at the beautiful flowers and shrubs of the gardens (some parts are over 325 years old), we encountered a friendly Siamese kitty who had to come up for a visit. Later, one of the guides told us that all of the cats are fixed and the caretakers of the property also look after the kitties. Talk about a super place to live. Although, I would worry about alligators and snakes in the Ashley River.

A cat on a wall in France.

Then on our trip this past September, we found a lucky black cat on one of our adventures along the cobbled streets of Saint Paul de Vence, France. The little cat was hiding in the shrubbery of one of the houses built behind the stone walls of the village. The charming village, which perches on a hill, has rambling walkways that provide spectacular views at every turn. Our black cat friend had an unrivaled panorama of sky and valley spread below her as she scrambled up the wall. I held my breath, however, while she rolled atop the stones, fearful she would fall over the edge. Residents stopped to check on the cat, assuring us that everyone in the area looked after the kitty. 

Cats not only find me in out of the way places, but in familiar locations, as well. 

Going to Mass at Saint Joseph's in Plain City, Father Pat and a cat greet me.

At home, in Plain City, cats appear at the oddest places.

A cat waits outside the door of Saint Joseph's.

Just chillin' before church begins.

There always seem to be cats relaxing around Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church in Plain City. In fact, one of the kitties we found a home for early on in our rescue adventures, was hanging around the church. She was a black cat with a crooked tail and an angel looking after her. One night, when I was sitting quietly in church praying, she ran in the door as someone else came in. Letting out a big meow, she made sure I was aware of her presence. That seemed to be my sign that she needed the help of Black and Orange Cat Foundation and within the week I took her to the vet and found her a home. Her new mom named her Hallelujah (Halle for short) due to her religious start in life.

Maybe it’s not that cats find me, but that I notice them because they are dear to me. In any case, wherever I go, my feline friends appear.

It looked like Christmas morning with all the goodies piled around the tree--only these were donations for pets in need!!

We just want to thank everyone who came out for the pet supply drive at Camp Bow Wow on Nike Drive in Hilliard. We could not believe how generous people were. The flow of people backing up to the door, cars and trucks loaded down with dog and cat food, was never ending. Even as one vehicle pulled away, another was pulling up. 

We loaded two vehicles and the front room at Camp Bow Wow was still packed. When we first got there, there was no room to walk. By the time the two cars were loaded, the room had filled back up again. People are so kind!

Loaded down and ready to go!!

We got all the food over to the area we have designated as The Pet Pantry, the empty unit next to Plain City Druggist, 480 South Jefferson Avenue in Plain City. If you know anyone who needs help with food, please have them call us. We already alerted the Madison County Dog Warden, Deputy Sheriff Gary Kronk to send people in need our way. Our goal is to keep pets in their homes by allowing families to have the resources they need to keep them in these economic times. 

One of Columbus Dog Connection's adoptable pups hopes that some of the goodies are for him this Christmas.

We also want to thank Lori Thelen, owner of Camp Bow Wow, for offering the use of her business for the drop off point for the pet supply drive. Lori wanted us to let everyone know that they can continue to drop off items at Camp Bow Wow and she will pass the stuff on to us to distribute.

We want to thank Columbus Dog Connection, as well, for helping with the event. They came out in full force to help unload vehicles, stack bags of dog and cat food, and act as work horses when we loaded up the vehicles. Some items will also be given to area rescues, including Columbus Dog Connection.

When we left Camp Bow Wow, at almost 2 pm, at the end of the pet supply drive, there were still people coming to drop off items. On our way home, we made a stop to give items to one of our regulars, Michele, who needed cat food and litter. Michele is also great about passing along items to other families who need help in her apartment complex. 

Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who made December 12 such a super day for area pets!!

To see more photos from the event, visit the Black and Orange Cat Foundation Facebook site and become one of our fans!

I spent last night with a man who has probably seen the worst things done to animals yet still quotes, in Teddy Kennedy fashion, “Today’s adversary is tomorrow’s ally.”

I spent last night with a man who allowed Michael Vick (who he admitted, he has called some of the worst names in the English language) to begin working with inner city children on the issue of dog fighting, because as he said, “They weren’t going to listen to me, a Caucasian in a suit.”

I spent last night at a town hall meeting with Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

I have to say, I was impressed.

And hopeful.

Pacelle’s visit came on the eve of voting for Issue 2, the proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution to set up a governing board overseeing the livestock industry. Pacelle explained how the HSUS tried to talk to the Ohio agricultural boards to set into place more humane practices for livestock, including removal of the confinement systems currently used in livestock production–gestation crates, battery cages, veal crates. These are all methods that do not allow the animals to stand, move around, or even stretch their limbs. These are all methods that the entire European Union is phasing out and which seven states have voted to ban.

Pacelle left the meeting with the Ohio agricultural bigwigs expecting to get a phone call to begin negotiations on what the groups could do together to ensure better treatment for Ohio livestock. Instead, Issue 2 was quickly and quietly moved into place for the voters.

While Pacelle fears that Issue 2 will pass, even as he encouraged everyone in the auditorium at the Ohio Historical Society to vote no, he said the passage will not end the fight for humane treatment of animals in Ohio.

A fight Ohio currently seems to be losing.

While the HSUS has helped pass almost four hundred laws in the past four years at the state and federal level, very little has changed in Ohio.

In fact, I was shocked to learn that Ohio is one of the top three states for the worst animal laws nationwide. We have the worst laws on cock fighting, dog fighting, and puppy mills.

Pennsylvania, one of the leading states for puppy mills, recently passed legislation to crack down on the puppy millers.  Ohio has no such legislation. So guess where all those puppy millers from Pennsylvania are heading? You got it. Ohio.

My first reaction, upon hearing that Ohio has the worst animal welfare laws, was to joke to my friend, Monica, who had invited me to hear Pacelle speak, “Let’s move.”

And while it is true that it would be nice to live in a state that has more humane laws and where we would not have to fight for every little issue, who would help the animals in Ohio if we all packed up and left?

The mission statement of the HSUS is “Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty.” And that is exactly what we must do in Ohio.

While the HSUS will back us up in our fight, it is still up to Ohioans to work for Ohio animals. Because the HSUS is fighting a lot of large battles.

As Pacelle said, the Humane Society of the United States tries to help all animals, leaving county shelters to fight the daily battles of saving dogs and cats, while offering their support. The HSUS tries to look at the larger picture for all animals: working to stop seal clubbing in Canada, to protect horses being shipped to slaughterhouses in Mexico, and to save polar bears (and indeed all species) from global warming–issues county shelters and even state advocates don’t deal with in their day to day lives.

And Pacelle put a positive spin on everything, which I was so glad to discover. I had worried that I would be attending a meeting with an angry speaker showing gruesome footage of tortured animals. That was not the case.

Pacelle is engaging, open, and inclusive. He said the HSUS does not want to exclude anyone.  Not Michael Vick.  Not animal opponents. Not meat eaters.

While Pacelle is a “strict vegetarian,” he said the HSUS has never had a vegan agenda for the very reason that there are many animal lovers who do eat meat. And he will not exclude anyone who might be a strong advocate for animals.

Pacelle said he believes that with education, anyone can change. He cited examples of big game hunters who had changed their minds and were now animals’ largest advocates.

Pacelle even admitted that, as a child, his dog was tethered and his uncle purchased a puppy for his family from a puppy mill.

“I was so excited. Our puppy came from Kansas. That seemed so exotic and foreign to me as a kid.”

Kansas, of course, is puppy mill central.

Pacelle also admitted that no one knows how the passage of Issue 2 will affect Ohio puppy mills if the Ohio Agricultural community decides to place puppy mills under the oversight of the governing board. If they do, dogs in puppy mills may continue to be treated like the other confined livestock in Ohio.

Pacelle also asked all animal lovers, rescuers and non-rescuers alike, to become political advocates for Ohio animals. As one lady in the audience stated, a rescuer can save one animal at a time, one dog from a puppy mill, but if you pass legislation that stops dog auctions and shuts down the grossly corrupt puppy millers, you can save thousands of animals in one sweep.

We must all become more politically involved, while still believing that with education, our adversaries will soon become our allies.

If you would like to learn more about Wayne Pacelle, you can sign up to receive his blog, http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/

To learn more about the Humane Society of the United, visit their web site, www.humanesociety.org

Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States

Deputy Sheriff and Dog Warden Gary Kronk brings a stray dog to the Humane Society of Madison County.

I wrote this story for our local newspaper back in May.  I actually rode around in the truck with Deputy Sheriff Gary Kronk, who made sure to show me a good time–we went off-roading down a bike path and across fields, drove on the Ohio Police Officers Training Academy race track (at legal speeds), and did everything that Gary normally does in a day of helping animals. I just missed getting to have the sirens turned on and run red lights–Gary dropped me off right before he got an emergency call to help out a fellow officer. Deputy Kronk promised me I’ll get to do that next time.

I ran into Deputy Kronk last night at the Town Hall meeting hosted by the Humane Society of the United States’ Wayne Pacelle and I was once again reminded how much Gary does to try to help animals in our rural area.

Here’s Deputy Kronk’s story:

No dog dies with its collar on and no dog dies alone.

Deputy Sheriff and Dog Warden Gary Kronk makes sure of that.

Deputy Kronk is the one who removes the collar and sits with the dog in its final moments of life.  Even the vicious dogs, once they are sedated, are calm enough that Deputy Kronk can pull them from their crate and hold them in his lap until they die.

“I don’t know if I’m doing it more for me or for them,” Kronk explained.  “But I do it.”

Before Deputy Kronk came on the job as the Madison County dog warden in 2005, the dogs were led into the vet’s office, placed in a cage, and left to die alone as the sedative and then the lethal injection took effect.

No one cradled the canine bodies.  No one whispered gentle words.  No one cared when a life departed.

Now the vet’s office knows to expect a different procedure.  A rug in the back awaits Deputy Kronk and the dogs he brings with him.  They both sit there together, vet staff moving around them respectfully, until the dog passes away and Deputy Kronk rises from one of his least favorite aspects of his dog warden duties.

“This is the worst part of the job,” Kronk said, “Picking up a dog who trusts me because I initially took it to the shelter where they cared for it and fed it and loved it.  Then something doesn’t work out and I have to come back to euthanize it.  The dog trusts me and is happy to see me.  The tail is wagging and then I betray the dog.  It is a betrayal. That kills me.”

If there weren’t unwanted dogs, if everyone spayed and neutered their pets, if no dogs were ever ill or injured, Deputy Kronk would never have to make the trips to the vet’s rug.

“Many people have the misconception that it’s ‘three days and down.’ The law does say that shelters must hold a dog for three days, but after three days the shelter decides what to do with the dog, not just kill it.”

While the Humane Society of Madison County has not euthanized to make room for five years that does not mean it wouldn’t happen when they are too full and space becomes an issue. Their main course of action after three days, however, is to try to find a loving home for the dog—something many of the dogs have never had before coming to the shelter.

“The humane society makes me look good,” Kronk said.  “If they didn’t do such a wonderful job taking care of the animals, I’d be the most disliked person in the county.”

Considering the number of calls he gets, however, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“I never discourage anyone from calling,” Kronk said.  “If they took the time to call, it was important to them.  I tell them to call me fifty times if they need to.  It’s my job.”

Taking phone calls is just one aspect of a job that often spills over into weekends and evenings.  Because Deputy Kronk is one of the few dog wardens in the state affiliated with a sheriff’s department, emergency calls can reach him at any time.

His association with the sheriff’s department, a relationship started in 1979, also enables Deputy Kronk to have a radio and side arms, to dress in departmental clothing, and to use a sheriff’s office vehicle.  He is the only dog warden in Ohio driving a truck bearing the bold gold word, “Sheriff” on the sides.

On a recent work day, that truck, polished clean and smelling of Armor All, crisscrossed Madison County, stopping in London, West Jefferson, and every little burg in between, some towns no more than tiny blips on the map.

“Sometimes I’ll be in Mount Sterling and I’ll get a call that I have to be clear to the other side of the county in Plain City.”

Deputy Kronk hops in the truck and begins the trek.  Because crossing those miles may help an animal in need.

Deputy Kronk has rescued pet rats, turtles, goldfish, rabbits, and even a snake that no one else wanted to deal with. He has climbed ladders to save cats in trees.

Don’t ever discount cats to Deputy Kronk.

“I’m maybe a little different. I’m a dog warden who likes cats.”

Most of his calls, however, are about dogs.

Deputy Kronk does whatever it takes when a dog is lost or harmed.  That may include off-roading, driving down bike paths, and circling the Ohio Police Officers Training Academy track (at a reasonable speed, of course).

It may also include using five bags of treats to lure a frightened dog from a cornfield.

Beyond helping abandoned dogs, a dog warden’s duties entail much more than rounding up canines at large.

A portion of the job is spent in court, speaking with prosecutors over abuse and abandonment issues.

An even greater portion involves education:  visiting school children, explaining the “vicious” dog laws to pit bull owners, telling overwhelmed mothers who to contact to find homes for the kittens in the garage.

Deputy Kronk’s job also involves educating the public so their dog won’t become one of those he picks up by the side of the road.

“People don’t understand the importance of tags.  It takes just a matter of hours to get your dog back if the dog is wearing a tag.”

Sometimes good intentioned people take a dog from Madison County to a shelter in Franklin or Fayette or Clark Counties.  Perhaps that shelter was on their way to work.  Perhaps the Humane Society of Madison County was closed. Without a tag, it is sometimes impossible to reunite a dog with its family.

Finding a dog’s home or providing it with a new one through adoption is the best part of Deputy Kronk’s job.

That makes up for the worst part: all the times he sits with a dog, removes its collar, and acts as a surrogate family so the dog will not be alone as it passes to a place where dog wardens are not necessary.

To contact Deputy Kronk, please call the Madison County Sheriff’s Office at 740-852-1212 or leave a message on his voice mail at 740-845-1749.  You can also go to www.madisonsheriff.org Click on “Patrol” on the sidebar and the Dog Warden link is listed there. If you do not currently have dog tags, the price is $24 and Deputy Kronk is looking for you!

Deputy Sheriff and Dog Warden Gary Kronk greets a stray dog in need of his help. Kronk crisscrosses Madison County rescuing stray and abandoned dogs.

Deputy Sheriff Gary Kronk is one of the few dog wardens in the state affiliated with a sheriff's department. Because of this affiliation, he drives a sheriff's office vehicle while performing his dog warden duties throughout Madison County.