Saving Benji,Claraclause and Grandma

By: Linda Gross

(Reprint from GlobeMiamiTimes-Summer Edition)

The first faces to greet you as you walk into Past Times Antiques are rescue dogs – every one. Toby, Lucy and Benji were all rescued by Cheryl and Richard Brazell, just hours before they were to be put down. The story repeats itself further down, where the owners of the Drift Inn, already parents to two dogs- and adamant about not adding a third, found themselves with a little white fluff of a dog when the animal control worker placed “Claraclause” in Lisa’s arms just before Christmas last year and said, please take this one. It’s her last day.

Here in Globe-Miami, the animal shelter is located up by the Old Cemetery. It was built by the Humane Society over 30 years ago and by some accounts might be considered one of the “most challenged” facilities in the state. It is small, hardly adequate for the volume of homeless dogs which find themselves behind bars because a former owner found them inconvenient, or a good Samaritan found them wandering the streets and brought them in. the facility is tucked away from public view, making it less likely that animals are viewed by the public – and thus adopted- before having to be euthanize.

Last year the Shelter euthanized nearly 15 dogs/cats a week. This year they are averaging 12 dogs/cats a month.
The Society has been around since 1965. It began to deteriorate in the 1990’s but was revived again in June of 2000 when Shannon Coons took over as president. Although they began with a new Board and several volunteers at the time, over the last ten years the lions share of the work has been done by Shannon herself and local business owners, Laurie Manzano and Jon Stahlnecker of the Blue Mule, who volunteered their building, a lot of their own money and most of their personal time to take care of, house and show the cats.
The numbers tell the story. Since 2000, the Shelter has placed 400 dogs. A majority of the dogs that go through the Shelter are not that lucky.  Dogs which are brought in by their owners are euthanized almost immediately. Dogs which are “found” and brought in are kept for 3 days. It is simply a matter of not enough funding, staff or volunteers to do otherwise.

The outlook for cats is significantly better thanks to Laurie and Jon who not only show the cats in their art studio, but spend hundreds of hours socializing wild, Ferrel kittens, tending to wounds and diseases, and personalizing their stories in a way that invites good homes. To date, they have placed over 2100 cats. “Those are just the cats we track through the vet,” Laurie says, “but there have been hundreds of others over the years which she has fostered putting the number closer to 3000.
“The animals we take in just need time and visibility,” says Laurie. “Then we can do something with them. That is the challenge up there,” she says, indicating the dog shelter which sits up at the Old Cemetary. Out of sight. Out of mind. Most dogs don’t have a chance. Claraclause, Drifter, Benji, Toby, and Lucy have been among the most fortunate.
This year, the local Humane Society is facing several changes in the coming year, which could bode well for the dogs. Maybe. The facility where the Shelter is now standing is land which the City would like for the Cemetery. While, there are lots of moving parts to this equation, overall it might afford an opportunity to create a better shelter, with more visibility in a new location.

In addition, after ten years of managing the reins of the group, Shannon Coons will be stepping down. It’s a job with its share of burn-out and still, she and her group have had several successes to point to: the Gila Humane Society helped the community spay and neuter a few thousand dogs and cats with money from Elizabeth Williamson, and local/corporate donations.

In 2004 they began helping those in the community that really couldn’t get their animals fixed. And in 2007 they paid the Arizona humane Society to bring their van up to spay 198 animals. If it sounds like all the Humane Society does is focus on Neutering and Spaying, it might be because this is the leading cause of pet over population which creates “throw-away” lives. If they could get one point across and have it stick, it would be this: If you have an animal get it fixed. Don’t add to the cruelty.
Laurie, who has seen everything in her ten years of dealing with this problem says, “…even those who are feeding wild cats out of the kindness of their hearts don’t realize they are contributing to the cruelty and slow death of the street.” Both Blue Mule and the Society offer to loan out traps. “And a hungry cat will go in one,” says Laurie.  If you need to get a cat off the street Laurie will do what she can to help. Just remember- this is not her “job.”

She is just one woman fighting a tidal-wave of mis-guided and blantant irresponsibility when it comes to caring for these animals.

She is currently taking care of 40 cats at the moment.

There is the ten-year-old gray long-haired female which Laurie named “Grandma” who was obviously someones pet at one time (she was de-clawed). Found wondering on the street with most of her teeth gone, Dr. Eubanks of Samaritan Vet Hospital (who has worked closely with the Human Society for years) went ahead and managed to pull the rest of her bad teeth- leaving her with her canines. She eats just fine, Laurie says, and has earned the blue ribbon award for “ Super Friendly.”

Then there is the little grey striped kitten which is the only one to survive out of a litter of wild kittens. His mother was caught in a trap and left in 90 deg heat before the owners brought her in to Laurie. “She was dehydrated and I put her in the bathtub to cool her down and gave her a solution-but it all just ran out both ends. She died a few hours later. “

It was Laurie who went up to trap the remaining kitten and bring him back to the Studio. Today, you pick him up, he purrs, his belly has a nice soft round feel and he is in good hands. Soon, he’ll be in a good home.

Asked how she ended up with all these cats and the keeper of their futures, she laughs. “ I told people when I was young, I was going to end up with a Cat House. And here I am, living in an old Bordello, surrounded by cats!”
As a well known artist in the area, Laurie’s paintings reflect both a social and environmental theme. Her artwork has been used to raise funds for the Humane Society and other local causes, though she has little time for painting these days.
She put a sign up several months ago because she was overwhelmed with the number of people who would just drop off bags, baskets and boxes of kittens and cats. There has been no “dumping” since she put up the sign.
The new president of the Humane Society, Cherly Brazell says one of her key projects will be to establish an outreach program to kids to teach them responsibility toward pets, and to show the the consequences of over-population- perhaps by even letting the older kids visit the shelter. “We also want to see what could be done in stopping the practice of selling puppies in parking lots. Maybe this will slow down the backyard breeding. And ensuring that all dogs which leave the shelter are actually spayed and neutered. “

Anyone who has spent time working for or volunteering for the Humane Society know the demands of being at the front lines where a humane society meets up with inhumane treatment and attitudes. Yet, it also has its rewards. It is found in the eyes and wagging tails of cats and dogs who have homes- and lives – because folks like Shannon, Laurie, Jon, Lisa, Eileen, Cheryl, Richard and others cared enough to stand up for them.

**This Summer, The Humane Society was chosen by 5 merchants as their Charity of Choice for the 1st annual Five and Dive Tour. Riders will be asked to contribute a $1 or more at each of the five locations and all monies collected during the 12 week tour will go towards the needs of this organization.

Plus, our friends over at The Blue Mule Gallery have agreed to host a photo contest for rescue dogs. We’re calling it the, “Rescue Dog Days of Summer – a Wall of Fame for those who Cared .” The display will show case photos of all the dogs who have been adopted by our participating merchants, as well as any local resident or visitor who would like to contribute a photo of their “rescue dog!”

It’ll cost you a $1 (donation) to enter your photo into the Wall of Fame, which you know goes towards a good cause, and your photos will help drive home the point that no dog should go homeless! Please bring us your favorite photo!