(708)301-1594 
Open 11 am-4 pm Tuesday through Saturday Closed Sunday and Monday webmistress                   |
By Carmen Manly, Staff Writer
An upcoming weekend garage sale in Lemont will help pay for humane treatment of abandoned and stray animals at a local animal shelter.
The Tender Loving Care Animal Shelter in Lockport has been serving the Lemont area since 1974. A group of animal lovers, concerned about the welfare of strays and abandoned dogs, rented a small establishment near the area where Lemont, Lockport and Homer Glen touch borders.
Today, with care from many animal lovers in the area, the not-for-profit shelter operates from a modern facility at 13016 W. 151st Street.
The garage sale to benefit the shelter is set for 8 am to 2 pm Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8, at 414 Hillview Court, Lemont.
Organizers of the sale report they have a garage bulging with donated items: clothing, toys, kitchen items, Christmas goods, household necessities and more. The community is invited to browse and buy.
Janine Carter, TLC Coordinator and one of the group's founders, said such fundraisers are the backbone of TLC.
The animal shelter was established 28 years ago by Janine and her husband Dennis Carter, along with a group of animal advocates.
"It was terrible back then," Janine said. "There were so many strays. There were places out here where people would just drive up, dump their garbage and along with their garbage, they'd dump their animals, too."
Janine tells a story of a particular little dog the shelter rescued many years ago, who was abandoned by its owner at a dump site.
"Not only did they throw the dog away, but they threw him away with his little pillow. All that dog knew was that pillow and he wouldn't let anyone near it. It took us a long time to get to him - because he guarded that pillow."
The dog's story did have a happy ending. Janine said once the animal was rescued with his pillow, he was cared for by TLC and was eventually adopted. The cost to run the shelter is about $250,000 per year and is funded solely by contributions. There are no state, county or local municipality funds supporting it.
All proceeds from the garage sale will help to feed, shelter and get veterinary care for the thousands of animals that go through TLC yearly. Other fund-raisers are held throughout the year.
The establishment is family-run with husband Dennis Carter and son Dennis Carter Jr. pitching in.
TLC opened April 1, 1974, after the Carters saw a need for an animal shelter in the rural Homer area.
Janine said the area was overrun with strays and abandoned animals roaming the fields and dump sites. Many of the animals were abandoned by their owners. The solution of catching animals and destroying them was not acceptable to the Carters.
"We feed them, give them warmth and medical care and keep them as long as is necessary," Janine Carter said.
Euthanasia is considered a last resort and only in irreversible health or behavior cases, she said.
Most of the animals are brought in by owners who for some reason can no longer keep the animals. The reasons are varied, such as divorces, allergies to the animals, moves, the animal's behavior, or even old age, she said.
An appointment must be made with the staff before bringing an animal to the shelter. They have taken dogs, cats, birds, turtles, snakes, guinea pigs, and even lizards. TLC will collect information on the animal before taking it in because of adoption requirements.
The animals are available for adoption. They can be viewed at TLC and at the TLC web site at www.tlcanimalshelter.org.
The extensive web site includes facts about each animal available for adoption - such as Delila, the spayed, 1 1/2-year-old female cat who is litter-trained and good with children.
"As long as they're in good health and have good disposition, they're adopted. But we take those that are very old, those that have health or disposition problems. Before they're brought in, we will tell owners whether the chances of placement are good."
The adoption fee is $35 to $50 for cats and $55 to $75 for dogs. The price depends on whether the animal needs neutering or spaying. The fee also covers shots. Proceeds support the shelter.
TLC is open from 11 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Saturday. For more information about TLC, call 708-301-1594. For information about the garage sale, call Annie Coleman at 630-257-6255.
