In need: Animal rescue groups looking for volunteers
GLENDA SPARNROFT Feral cats like this one was rescued from the woods is now a house pet.
If you are a cat or dog lover, you can be of great assistance to three rescue and advocacy groups in Lehigh Acres.
With literally thousands of abandoned and feral cats throughout Lee County, there is a definite need for action to slow down the population and come up with ways to keep the homeless cats – and even dogs – from being euthanized.
Paws Crossed, Senior Paws Sanctuary and Fortunate Ferals are all non-profit organizations.
There is also an unregistered food pantry, said Denise Tartaglia, a longtime Lehigh resident who heads up Paws Crossed.
“What we need are volunteers, donations, support for our fundraisers and, especially important for Paws Crossed and Senior Paws Sanctuary, foster homes,”?she said. “These organizations do not have shelters. The animals are rescued and then placed in temporary foster homes, where all supplies and costs are funded by the rescue.
“All that the foster home provides is love and a temporary place to stay and be loved until an adopter can be found,” Tartaglia said.
“Without foster homes, more animals cannot be rescued. All animals are given vaccines, micro-chipped, treated for heartworms and any other health conditions, of which there are many, and made healthy before being adopted out to a loving home,” she said. “This is very expensive depending on the health of the animal at time of rescue.”
For more information on Paws Crossed, visit the website online at: http://www.pawscrossed.dog/ or on Facebook at “Paws Crossed.”
Tartaglia said the group’s mission is to aid in the rescue, rehabilitation and placement of abandoned, abused, neglected and homeless dogs in Southwest Florida and other areas of the state.
The group promotes the adoption of shelter dogs and strives to assist other rescues and transports as a partner. It aims to pull dogs from shelters that regularly euthanize due to issues with space.
“Dogs are rescued from Lee County Domestic Animal Services, rural shelters such as Sebring and Clewiston, Miami-Dade Animal Services and others which are high-kill shelters where animals are euthanized daily because there is not enough space for them,”?she said.
“They are also rescued from owner surrenders, abuse and neglect, and areas like the Redlands outside of Miami where hundreds of dogs are dumped to fend for themselves on an ongoing basis,” Tartaglia said. “Some of these dogs are emaciated, pregnant, ill and most are heartworm positive, which is a terrible condition that is expensive to treat.
“Some have been used as fighting or bait dogs for fighting. They are frightened, but loving,” she said.
Paws Crossed founders are Mindi and Joe Abbotoy, of Lehigh Acres. Paws Crossed works closely with Paws of Lee County, in North Fort Myers.
More information on the Senior Paws Sanctuary can be found online at: seniorpawssanctuary.com/ or on Facebook at “Senior Paws Sanctuary”
According to Tartaglia, the Senior Paws Sanctuary is a locally recognized animal rescue center in Southwest Florida focusing primarily on senor dogs. The dogs there are primarily pulled from local shelters in Southwest Florida.
“We provide loving and caring homes for those dogs that have been left behind in their older years and other dogs that wind up in local shelters with medical needs,”?she said.
It is the plan to provide a comfortable, loving and safe environment for senior dogs to live out their last years.
Senior Paws Sanctuary also educates the public on senior dogs and why they deserve to be loved and cared for.
The founders are Debbie and John Goldsberry, of Lehigh Acres.
The Paws N Claws Pet Food Pantry is registered with the state and is working toward becoming a non-profit organization.
“Many pets are surrendered to high-kill shelters or randomly re-homed because a person cannot feed their pet due to a short-term financial crisis, loss of job or a move, or even a disability but desperately want to keep their beloved pet,”?she said.
“We will be there to provide them with pet food for the short term until they can get back on their feet again.
“Under no circumstances will we provide food for any type of breeder,” she said. “We will also help people with resources needed to obtain low-cost dog and cat food, but will take small animals foods and cat litter and any other supplies that someone might like to donate.”
Founders are Denise Tartaglia, Dawn Mathisen and Karen Bryce.
Feral cats can be found in many wooded areas of Lehigh.
Glenda Sparnroft heads up Fortunate Ferals, which is a small Lehigh group. It survives entirely on donations from individuals and local fundraising.
“With almost 10 years trapping experience, our goal is to improve the lives of feral or, as they are also called, free roaming cats in neighborhoods by providing Trap, Neuter and Return services information, education and assistance to responsible caretakers of these cat colonies and also to the community as a whole,” said Sparnroft.
The group provides trapping services for the elderly and disabled caretakers who cannot carry out the Trap, Neuter and Return or TNR process and offer coaching sessions for people who are willing to TNR on their own property.
“We supply ongoing colony support through food and medical care – if required – to responsible caretakers of established TNR’d colonies. Fortunate Ferals is not a rescue but will, whenever possible, try to assist with finding homes for socialized adoptable animals,” Sparnroft said.
She noted that the group is co-hosting TNR workshops with the Gulf Coast Humane Society, where individuals can learn about TNR and the proper trapping and handling techniques of feral cats.
“Lee County Domestic Animal Servicers offers free TNR spay/neuter surgeries for feral cats, but appointments are difficult to come by and have to be booked on the 15th of each month,” she said. “Traps are available.”
“Gulf Coast Humane Society offers a TNR spay/neuter surgery for $35 per cat and have a trap bank where you can borrow traps,” she said. “Appointments are necessary.”
She added that Paws of Lee County and the Rohlk Veterinary Hospital, also in North Fort Myers, offer TNR spay/neuter surgeries for $30 per cat. Again, appointments are necessary.
Tartaglia and Sparnroft are looking for volunteers to help with the TNR services and also donations of any kind.
To volunteer for or donate to Fortunate Ferals, contact Glenda Sparnroft at 347-403-1674 or Fortunateferals@gmail.com.
For more information, visit: www.fortunateferals.org/ or on Facebook at “Fortunate Ferals.”
In need: Animal rescue groups looking for volunteers
GLENDA SPARNROFT Feral cats like this one was rescued from the woods is now a house pet.
If you are a cat or dog lover, you can be of great assistance to three rescue and advocacy groups in Lehigh Acres.
With literally thousands of abandoned and feral cats throughout Lee County, there is a definite need for action to slow down the population and come up with ways to keep the homeless cats – and even dogs – from being euthanized.
Paws Crossed, Senior Paws Sanctuary and Fortunate Ferals are all non-profit organizations.
There is also an unregistered food pantry, said Denise Tartaglia, a longtime Lehigh resident who heads up Paws Crossed.
“What we need are volunteers, donations, support for our fundraisers and, especially important for Paws Crossed and Senior Paws Sanctuary, foster homes,”?she said. “These organizations do not have shelters. The animals are rescued and then placed in temporary foster homes, where all supplies and costs are funded by the rescue.
“All that the foster home provides is love and a temporary place to stay and be loved until an adopter can be found,” Tartaglia said.
“Without foster homes, more animals cannot be rescued. All animals are given vaccines, micro-chipped, treated for heartworms and any other health conditions, of which there are many, and made healthy before being adopted out to a loving home,” she said. “This is very expensive depending on the health of the animal at time of rescue.”
For more information on Paws Crossed, visit the website online at: http://www.pawscrossed.dog/ or on Facebook at “Paws Crossed.”
Tartaglia said the group’s mission is to aid in the rescue, rehabilitation and placement of abandoned, abused, neglected and homeless dogs in Southwest Florida and other areas of the state.
The group promotes the adoption of shelter dogs and strives to assist other rescues and transports as a partner. It aims to pull dogs from shelters that regularly euthanize due to issues with space.
“Dogs are rescued from Lee County Domestic Animal Services, rural shelters such as Sebring and Clewiston, Miami-Dade Animal Services and others which are high-kill shelters where animals are euthanized daily because there is not enough space for them,”?she said.
“They are also rescued from owner surrenders, abuse and neglect, and areas like the Redlands outside of Miami where hundreds of dogs are dumped to fend for themselves on an ongoing basis,” Tartaglia said. “Some of these dogs are emaciated, pregnant, ill and most are heartworm positive, which is a terrible condition that is expensive to treat.
“Some have been used as fighting or bait dogs for fighting. They are frightened, but loving,” she said.
Paws Crossed founders are Mindi and Joe Abbotoy, of Lehigh Acres. Paws Crossed works closely with Paws of Lee County, in North Fort Myers.
More information on the Senior Paws Sanctuary can be found online at: seniorpawssanctuary.com/ or on Facebook at “Senior Paws Sanctuary”
According to Tartaglia, the Senior Paws Sanctuary is a locally recognized animal rescue center in Southwest Florida focusing primarily on senor dogs. The dogs there are primarily pulled from local shelters in Southwest Florida.
“We provide loving and caring homes for those dogs that have been left behind in their older years and other dogs that wind up in local shelters with medical needs,”?she said.
It is the plan to provide a comfortable, loving and safe environment for senior dogs to live out their last years.
Senior Paws Sanctuary also educates the public on senior dogs and why they deserve to be loved and cared for.
The founders are Debbie and John Goldsberry, of Lehigh Acres.
The Paws N Claws Pet Food Pantry is registered with the state and is working toward becoming a non-profit organization.
“Many pets are surrendered to high-kill shelters or randomly re-homed because a person cannot feed their pet due to a short-term financial crisis, loss of job or a move, or even a disability but desperately want to keep their beloved pet,”?she said.
“We will be there to provide them with pet food for the short term until they can get back on their feet again.
“Under no circumstances will we provide food for any type of breeder,” she said. “We will also help people with resources needed to obtain low-cost dog and cat food, but will take small animals foods and cat litter and any other supplies that someone might like to donate.”
Founders are Denise Tartaglia, Dawn Mathisen and Karen Bryce.
Feral cats can be found in many wooded areas of Lehigh.
Glenda Sparnroft heads up Fortunate Ferals, which is a small Lehigh group. It survives entirely on donations from individuals and local fundraising.
“With almost 10 years trapping experience, our goal is to improve the lives of feral or, as they are also called, free roaming cats in neighborhoods by providing Trap, Neuter and Return services information, education and assistance to responsible caretakers of these cat colonies and also to the community as a whole,” said Sparnroft.
The group provides trapping services for the elderly and disabled caretakers who cannot carry out the Trap, Neuter and Return or TNR process and offer coaching sessions for people who are willing to TNR on their own property.
“We supply ongoing colony support through food and medical care – if required – to responsible caretakers of established TNR’d colonies. Fortunate Ferals is not a rescue but will, whenever possible, try to assist with finding homes for socialized adoptable animals,” Sparnroft said.
She noted that the group is co-hosting TNR workshops with the Gulf Coast Humane Society, where individuals can learn about TNR and the proper trapping and handling techniques of feral cats.
“Lee County Domestic Animal Servicers offers free TNR spay/neuter surgeries for feral cats, but appointments are difficult to come by and have to be booked on the 15th of each month,” she said. “Traps are available.”
“Gulf Coast Humane Society offers a TNR spay/neuter surgery for $35 per cat and have a trap bank where you can borrow traps,” she said. “Appointments are necessary.”
She added that Paws of Lee County and the Rohlk Veterinary Hospital, also in North Fort Myers, offer TNR spay/neuter surgeries for $30 per cat. Again, appointments are necessary.
Tartaglia and Sparnroft are looking for volunteers to help with the TNR services and also donations of any kind.
To volunteer for or donate to Fortunate Ferals, contact Glenda Sparnroft at 347-403-1674 or Fortunateferals@gmail.com.
For more information, visit: www.fortunateferals.org/ or on Facebook at “Fortunate Ferals.”
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