(708)301-1594 
Open 11 am-4 pm Tuesday through Saturday Closed Sunday and Monday webmistress                   |
Bertha Fund helps TLC Animal Shelter go the extra mile for injured, sick animals
Reprinted from The Homer Horizon November 24, 2006
Staff Writer
The two-year-old mixed breed spends his days greeting a steady stream of visitors to TLC Animal Shelter in Homer Glen, as he wiggles his way from behind the front desk into the common area. He's a well-known pup. Regular visitors coo and stoop down to stroke his black and brown scruffy head. He occasionally reaches his paw out for some extra attention.
But when Sully came into the shelter during the summer of 2005, his future wasn't looking as bright. His right eye was severely infected and veterinarians suggested removing it.
That's where the Bertha Fund came in.
The Bertha Fund is a pool of money donated by shelter supporters, staff members and friends. The money goes towards helping animals with more extreme physical ailments, said shelter director Janine Carter. The ailments range from heartworm to amputations, or in Sully's case, eye removal.
"Without the help of the Bertha Fund," said Carter, "it would really stretch our budget to the limit. It gives animals a second chance."
The fund paid for Sully's operation and provides for special care for 75 animals per year, Carter said.
The fund's namesake was a pitbull named Bertha who came to the shelter ready to have pups. Her belly hung low with a large litter - or so shelter employees thought. They brought Bertha to the vet, who told them that Bertha was in fact, not pregnant.
Her large belly was a result of a severe case of heartworm, Carter said. The heartworm had caused her body to fill with fluid. Bertha was in very poor shape, Carter said, so the staff made the decision to euthanize her.
"Nobody ever came looking for her," Carter said. "Nobody ever asked."
The staff was attached to Bertha, despite her short stay, so they set up the Bertha fund.
"People contribute money to help us provide more extensive care for more serious problems," Carter said.
The largest contribution Carter can remember was $1,000.
"Every dollar means a lot," Carter said. "It's usually the tens, the twenties...it all adds up."
Heartworm treatment costs about $300 to $400, and the shelter has treated 43 this year.
The cost of treatment is the first obstacle for animals like Armando, a retriever mix treated the first week in November. Employees have to see past the ailments to the animals' futures. Some worry that it will be harder to find a new owner for a dog or kitten with an abnormality.
"Usually there's somebody with a soft heart out there that understands," Carter said. "We, personally, have to look beyond what we consider a problem, something they (the animal) may have already compensated for."
Arlene and Dan Melzin met the one-eyed kitten, now named Tink, and fell in love. But first they had to think about how the new addition would fit into their household, which already houses two dogs.
"We were, at first, kind of hesitant," Arlene Melzin said. "But we kind of found a place in our hearts for her."
Tink has adjusted seamlessly to her new home and the dogs are friendly toward her.
"She's become a frisky kitten," Melzin said. "I think they (the dogs) know she's small and she's ill."
Carter hopes more animals like Tink can find good homes.
Sully was adopted out after his procedure, but his new owners found him despondent, so Carter accepted him back into the shelter family. He hangs out behind the main desk, and is currently in training to become a V.I.P. dog. Once he's through the training, he'll visit nursing homes and invalids.
If people can't adopt one of the 3,000 animals taken into the shelter each year, Carter encourages them to give a little to the Bertha Fund, or donate to the general shelter fund. The shelter also sponsors several events throughout the holiday season, including Jewel Shop and Share Days for TLC in November and December. Donations to the Bertha Fund, or the shelter are helpful and appreciated.
"I think that's one of the best gifts people can give these animals," Carter said, "besides a loving home."
TLC Animal Shelter is located at 13016 W. 151st St., Homer Glen. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information call (708) 301-1594.