NORTH CANTON They watch from the window, people confined by age or illness to a chair or a nursing home bed. But on the days Nancy Ruble of Lake Township brings her cat and three greyhounds by for a visit, they get excited, she said. Ruble, a member of the board for the Coalition for Animal Concerns, regularly goes to nursing homes, senior care centers and assisted living centers with her pets to visit people who enjoy but can no longer care for pets. She also visits schools upon request, presenting educational programs.
Even “people with the dementia and borderline illnesses, even though they don’t speak to you, they watch the animals,” Ruble said.
Others “tell me about the pets they had when they were younger or when they were home. Many ask questions (about the animals), the same questions every time we go.” Her cat, “Miss Patty,” jumps up on a lap, then moves from lap to lap, stopping only to be petted and pampered. The greyhounds — Paisley, Hamilton and Lady, all retired race dogs from Florida — are docile and enjoy the attention, too.
They may be a little big for a lap, but “the greyhound is the best dog that you could possibly take,” Ruble said. “They’re placid, calm and as long as you pay attention to them, they’ll stand there forever. They’re so tall that people in the beds and wheelchairs can reach them.” The animals seem to enjoy the attention.
“The tails are going and the cat goes from person to person,” Ruble said. Ruble said that the attention is good for both animals and people. “I think it brings back good memories from when they were young.”
Ruble, not the coalition, owns these animals. But the coalition does provide educational programs about animals and conducts a spay and neuter program for dogs and cats owned by low-income families and seniors.
The coalition can be reached at (330) 649-0759.
Reach Repository writer Lori Monsewicz at (330) 580-8309 or e-mail: lori.monsewicz@cantonrep.com
REPOSITORY SCOTT HECKEL
ATTENTION-GETTER Kathryn Webb pets Nancy Ruble’s cat, “Miss Patty,” at the Senior Independence program at Zion Lutheran Church in North Canton. Jim Pace (right) watches. Ruble, of Lake Township, is a board member for the Coalition for Animal Concerns. She takes her cat and three greyhounds to area senior centers for visits.Thursday, July 22, 2004
By LISA REICOSKY Repository Living Section writer
CANTON — Mary McManaway, president of the Coalition for Animal Concerns, says that recent revelations of animal abuse at the Stark County Dog Pound came as no surprise to her or the other members of her group.
The coalition was organized in 2001 to foster cooperation among concerned citizens, animal professionals, and rescue organizations with an emphasis on educating the public on responsible pet ownership. They have about 50 members, who meet monthly.
“I was at the pound about a year ago and I just couldn’t take it,” McManaway said. “I saw this Jack Russell terrier. I wanted to take all of them.”
The answer, McManaway said, is education.
“More people would take the dogs in if they knew they were there,” she said. “Emotionally, it drives me crazy. It’s hard to educate a community when no one wants to listen.”
She said the coalition hopes to meet with Stark County commissioners about making positive changes at the pound.
“We want to let them know we want to help. We’re willing to send volunteers to the pound to walk and feed them and clean them properly. Imagine being scared and alone in a cage and having someone point a hose at you,” she said.
Although the coalition is not a rescue group, many of its members are rescuers and they network with other rescuers to get animals adopted. Right now, their main focus is getting people to spay or neuter their pets.
They will sponsor a low-cost spay and neuter service for cats through August. (See box for information.)
Three veterinary clinics have agreed to provide the service at a discount. They are Drs. Michael Nicoletti and Luis Iturriaga and Schneider’s Pet Hospital. The coalition hopes more veterinarians will take an interest in helping to control the animal population.
“We need vets to sponsor low-cost clinics like people doctors do,” said Peg Monteleone, a coalition co-founder. “We’re having trouble (because) their business is with the pampered pets.”
Getting people to spay or neuter isn’t always a matter of money, but one of priorities, said coalition member Nancy Ruble.
“Some people will breed their chocolate lab because it’s cute,” she said, adding that others need to quit buying cigarettes and get their pets neutered instead.
The coalition reaches out to children through its animal clubs and its animal play in the hope they will grow up to be responsible pet owners.
McManaway has three clubs at local schools. Groups meet monthly to discuss animal care and listen to guest speakers. They have field trips and may visit the Humane Society and nursing homes. She hopes to get clubs started in Canton City Schools but needs a parent or teacher to moderate.
The animal play is called “Someone to Love Me,” and it is performed by the North Canton Playhouse for schools and other organizations. It teaches about animal adoption and care.
The coalition’s main moneymaker is its concession stand at the J.R. Coleman Center’s weekly Saturday bingo game. They always need volunteers to work.
They hope to continue to raise money and to sponsor clinics for dogs, as well. Eventually, they would like to see a mobile unit for spaying and neutering. They hope also to lobby legislators to change the laws regarding who can breed and make it mandatory to spay and neuter animals adopted from shelters.
In the meantime, they will continue to provide support to one another and try to educate the community.
“A pet is a lifetime commitment and that needs to be in big bold letters,” said Monteleone.
North Canton, OH 44720
(330) 649-0759
info@coalitionforanimalconcerns.org
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