(708)301-1594 
Open 11 am-4 pm Tuesday through Saturday Closed Sunday and Monday webmistress                   |
Shelter News from Shorty the Cat's Point of View (the cat about town)
Shorty's Memories of Christmas Past
Merry Christmas
This time of the year holds an extra special meaning for me. Several years ago, unbeknownst to me, my life would change drastically. But let me start from the beginning.
My owner and I were celebrating our very first Christmas together (I was just a wee kitten at the time, a very cute one if I may add). I was in awe of all that was going on to prepare for the holidays. The decorations, the wrapping paper and ribbon, and endless curiosity over what was inside those brightly wrapped packages. But what fascinated me the most was the Christmas tree. I thought a tree in the house, how wonderful! What more could a kitten ask for? A sturdy trunk to climb, branches to hang from and dive bomb anyone who walked by, decorations to pounce on and roll across the floor, but what really caught my eye was the twinkling star at the very top of the tree. I knew I just had to get my paws on that star. The closer I got to the top the more the tree began to sway. I suppose I should have known better, but I just had to have that star. The only course of action left was to scale the tree, and the star would be mine. It was full steam ahead as I ran up the trunk, no stopping, no looking back!
Uhoh! Timber! I dug my claws in deeper, as the tree was on a collision course to the floor! I hung on for dear life, as I watched the ornaments and lights being propelled around the room. I sheepishly poked my head out from one of the branches, to survey the situation. Did I do all of that? The ornaments lay sprawled across the floor, the lights were in a jumbled mess, and right smack dab in the middle of this mess was that beautiful star. I was just about to grab it, when I heard my mistress come running into the room. She took one look at the mess and exclaimed, "Shorty, what did you do?" I poked my head out from beneath one of the branches, and batted my big baby blues at her trying to look as innocent as possible. She chuckled a little and said, "Shorty, I just can't stay mad at you." It took my mistress about and hour to untangle the lights, stand the tree up, put the ornaments back and last but not least put that beautiful star on the very top. Oh goodie I thought, I can do this again. My mistress was way ahead of me: "No way Shorty! Even though it is a week before Christmas, I'm going to put your presents under the tree, as a little reminder. If you topple the tree one more time this means no Christmas presents for you." To make a long star short, this became a standing tradition, and an inside joke around our house.
But a few years later things changed. I noticed my mistress had not put any gifts under the tree for me. I assumed with her rush to get everything done for the holidays, it was just an oversight, but then another strange thing happened. My mistress had done the weekly grocery shopping, but she had not gotten any food for me! I even crawled inside the bags just to be sure, but not one little can ... nothing. I knew something was terribly wrong. That's about when my owner blurted out that she was giving me up for adoption. I couldn't believe it! Four happy years together coming to an end, and right before Christmas. My ride to TLC was anything but a happy one, I wailed all the way to the shelter, but my owner didn't have a change of heart. As a matter of fact she never even called back to see how I was doing! So you see, I have a first hand understanding of what animals are going through when they first come to the shelter. As bad as things were at that moment, everything turned out for the best as far as I was concerned.
When I first walked into the shelter it was like I had always been there. I remember walking into the office, sitting on the desk and just making myself at home. I gave a polite meow to my new people friends, and they each offered me a bite of their sandwich. Right then and there I knew TLC was my home! The rest is history ....
I hope you can make it to the TLC's Holiday Open House, it should be a lot of fun! There will be refreshments and caroling, and all the puppies and kittens have hung their stocking with care. By the way don't forget to look for my stocking, it won't be that hard to find, it's the biggest.
"SHORTY!!"
Uh oh, gotta run!
Love,
Shorty
PS Before I take my cat nap I just want to say Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
A big round of Applause to our TLC VIP Members
Missy and Bernie inspecting Megan Belle's Halloween costume, photo courtesy of Sandi O'Brien
VIPers visit nursing homes, and an area facility whose residents are physically and mentally challenged. The VIP's bring cheer to those that are shut in and can no longer have a pet of their own. Our VIP four legged members is what this group is all about. This very special group is made up of Squirt a White Toy Poodle, Bernie and Missy both Saint Bernards, Sugar a mixed Toy Collie, Levi Jean a Shelty, Katie a Cocker Spaniel, Stasha a Golden Retriever, Megan Belle an English Cocker Spaniel, Shane an Irish Setter, "Princess" Stinky a Rat Terrier, Pal a Shitzu, Jack a Brittany Spaniel and Tiny the Shelter's resident house cat. From the biggest to the smallest, quite an array of dogs and a cat! Many dogs have tried to see if they could be part of the VIP's, but many of them for one reason or another could not make the cut. Our four legged VIP members not only have the temperament and disposition that it takes to be a VIP, but also the training.
Their VIP counterparts are very special too. Not everyone who wants to become a VIP member has what it takes. To become a VIP member you must first go through a mentoring program with one of our seasoned VIPers. Only a few people who think they want to become a VIP make it. It usually takes only a couple of mentoring sessions for the aspiring VIPer to realize they are not up to this type of volunteering, saying, that the nursing home situation is far too depressing for them. But those that do make it into the VIPs find it a wonderfully rewarding experience.
Annie Coleman, one of our staunchest VIP members has been visiting nursing homes and a hospice facility long before the VIP group was ever established. I asked Annie what she says when someone asks her, how can she do this type of volunteering? To quote Annie: "This is a labor of love. You make two people happy the person you are doing it for and yourself." I think just between you and me Annie was just being modest. She has made hundreds of people happy with these visits that she had started with Baby (A white Toy Poodle that passed away a few years ago) and that she now carries on with Squirt.
It is sad but true, some of these people never get a single visitor, but when the VIPs come, they make that person feel special. At Halloween VIP members put costumes on their pets, and in walks a witch with floppy ears and a wagging tail or perhaps a devil or pumpkin just to make the residents laugh, and at Christmas they might come dressed as Santa Claus or an elf, or even a reindeer with antlers! The residents really get a big kick out of this and so does the staff. Some of our VIP members have said with a smile, "They don't remember my name but they sure remember the name of my dog!"
We wish to honor the following VIP members for their dedication and for all the joy they have brought to so many. The following VIPers earned their four year pins and we wish to honor Annie Coleman with Squirt, Claire Conrath with Missy and Bernie, Kathy Kanak with Levi Jean and Charles Kopeika with Sugar. Receiving her three year pin was Chris Pieczonka and Stasha, while Gerry Pajkos with Megan Belle were awarded a two year pin. One year pins were awarded to Connie Byloue with Jack, Judy Kunkel with TLC resident "Princess" Stinky, Kathy Pryzybyla with Pal, and Joan Wick with Shane. Now let's hear a big round of applause for all these VIPers that have donated so much of their time to bring happiness to so many! As a matter of fact let's give them a standing ovation!
Do you have what it takes to be a part of the VIP group? If so please contact us. There are many other facilities who have requested VIP visits. Call us at 708-301-1594 for more information. We would love to have you!
Left Kathy Przybyla & Pal Right Judy Kunkel & Princess Stinky, photo courtesy of Paula Bickel
The Warm & Fuzzy "NON-Food" Drive
What in the world is a Warm and Fuzzy "non-food" drive you are probably asking yourself! With a non-food drive you would not be donating any food to the shelter.
"No food!" you gasp,
Egads! Now that I have blurted it out, let me explain.....
Believe me when I tell you this plan was fully scrutinized by Shorty and Sam and you know how they like to eat! Before we went any further with this idea Shorty and Sam took it upon themselves to do a thorough count of each every bag of cat and dog food. They also counted all the canned food to make sure we would not run short, and all the animals would be well fed. Sam and Shorty gave their paw of approval to this idea, and now we'll explain it all to you.
Getting those heavy bags of pet food in and out of your car is not only a hassle but very cumbersome, and it is also hard on your back. Save the lifting; Save your back; And instead carry in a piece of paper, in the form of cash or check in the amount of what you would have spent for the food!
Now please let me explain why we are doing this. We have been very fortunate to have several area stores donate broken bags of dog and cat food to TLC, and we have had generous individuals drop off a bag or two of food or a case of canned food when they come to visit the animals, so our cupboards are well stocked, for the time being. There is also an area scout troop, that is going to hold a food drive next month, so our cat and dog food cupboards, will be in very good shape.
So then what's with holding a "non-food" drive and asking for money instead? We would use the money to pay the gas bill to heat the building. The gas bill the last couple of years has been enormous during the winter months, and you know how cold Midwest winters can be. Anyone who has been reading the newspaper or listening to the news, knows that heating bills are expected to skyrocket! Your donation in lieu of food should give you a "warm and fuzzy" feeling knowing you're helping to keep the animals safe and warm at TLC. Thanks!
Winter's icy cold not fun for pets
As the weather turns colder, you will notice how your cat or dog begins shedding hair only to have it replaced by a much thicker, denser coat, preparing it for winter. Humans on the other hand go to their closets for a nice warm coat, to go out into the cold. On especially cold and nasty days, we just add on more layers of clothing to try to keep warm. Those additional layers do help, but remember the awfully cold days when you were standing there waiting for a train or bus that was running late, or perhaps sitting in your cold car while on your way to work and thinking this car is never going to warm up, you were down right cold!
Now imagine the poor dogs and cats that live outside or are tied out in the yard for several hours. They just sit there all huddled up, staring pleadingly at the door in hopes that someone will let them come in so they could get warm. They do not have the option of putting on extra layers of clothes to keep themselves warm. Their paws are not protected with warm socks and boots, as they spend hour after hour in the ice and snow, with the snow sticking to the hair between the pads of their feet, often ending up frost bitten.
When the owner of an outside dog or cat quips "they have thick coats what's the big deal?" The big deal is, that animals feel the cold too. Perhaps you should tell them to trade places with their pet for a day and see how they like being left out in the cold hour after hour, with just one coat, and they could not have socks, no boots, no gloves and no scarf! I'm sure they would wimp out pretty fast. So then why in the world would they subject their pets to that? To me that sounds like a no brainer. And anyone that would do that to their pets is surely a no brainer!
You are Cordially Invited
TLC Animal Shelter's Annual Holiday Open House for the Animals
When: Saturday December 10, 2005
Time: 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Where: at the TLC Animal Shelter located at
13016 West 151 st. Street, Homer Glen, Illinois
Their stockings will be hung on on their cages with care,
In hopes that Santa's will leave Treats and Toys there...
The TLC Best Buddies will be singing Christmas Carols to entertain you and all the animals.
Complimentary Refreshments will be served
There will also be some great raffle prizes too!
It will be an enjoyable afternoon, so bring a friend!