Shelter opens its doors to the community that has opened its hearts

Whiting has had a no-kill animal shelter for two years. In our little town newspaper, a volunteer writes a column about the animals and runs their photos. The greatest thing about this column is that she also tells a updated "tail" on which animals featured the month before have found homes. Even one cat that had almost lived out her nine lives at the age of 15 found a new owner.

One time, a call went out that the shelter needed "doggy doors" to prevent drafts and give the canines a chance to come and go out of their cages. In a matter of two hours, enough people called in to donate all the pooch portals that were needed.

Most of our family's cats have come from the alley. We have a sweet neighborhood lady whom I refer to as "the cat lady."

Somehow, she would instinctively know when we were catless. "Bob," the last cat she brought us nine years ago, was literally starving to death and was just a runty, scrawny piece of matted fur.

Today he's a gigantic, long-haired beauty of a Tom. Our other cat, "Eva," was a gift from a friend who was retiring. Since living here and making sure she gets her own share of the cat food Eva, who has tiny short legs, has gained so much weight that she looks like a furry footstool with a head.

But not all animals are lucky enough to have a nice neighborhood lady look out for their safety. That's why the Whiting Animal Shelter was created. It's amazing how many people volunteer their time to clean, feed, and play with the animals at the shelter. Because of the volunteers, many cats and kittens have been displayed at Pierogi Fest and Oktoberfest and then ended up with adopted homes.

I think it says a lot for the people here who donate their time and talents to help keep the shelter going. Marty Jakubowski, the man in charge, said that people have been donating food, cleaning products, cabinets, blankets and money to the shelter since its beginning. And to show its success, even Marty's rescued rabbit and an abandoned snake found new homes in the community.

With that in mind, Gimme Shelter, the volunteer group, will host a Christmas with the Animals Open House from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Whiting Animal Shelter, located at the Whiting City Garage complex at 1915 Front St.

Feline and canine gifts are appropriate, but remember that adopting a pet is not just something you do for a few weeks during a holiday. Actually, I've been told that buying a pet as a Christmas gift is a terrible idea. Wait until the holidays are over and things have settled down at home, because bringing a pet into the family has to be a lifetime commitment on your part.

But come and visit our animals during the Sunday afternoon open house. The bright furry faces and wagging tails might just give you a new "leash" on life!

The opinions are solely those of the writer. She can be reached at puccini99@aol.com.