Sara's Tale a Guest Post By Linda Zwick

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY: Today we are pleased to present to you a guest post by a dear friend of mine (we have known each other since High School) who is like the rest of us, insanely in love with cats! She is deeply involved with helping ferals. This is a post she wrote, about some friends of hers in Ohio who are dedicated (as MANY of you are) to helping ferals. 

Sara's Tale

For some, winning the lottery or landing that dream job is the pinnacle of success. But for a select group of furry friends, it’s making the acquaintance of Stephen & Sara Schneider, the canine/feline benefactors of Canyon Lakes.

This sweetie is available for adoption!!

Although Steve & Sara are involved in challenging careers, their mutual love of animals always holds a special place in their hearts and home. For Sara, this started with her first rescue, a handsome cool cat named Champ. They shared 12 wonderful years together. Losing Champ was very difficult, although it made Sara & Steve realize how important animals are in their lives. Fortunately, Canyon Lakes provided the perfect opportunity to indulge in this interest. Apparently, their yard is a way station for kitties, and word soon spread that this oasis had vacancies! In the short time they’ve lived here, they’ve helped out at over a half dozen feline residents! In addition to two heated outdoor cat homes, food water, and medical care await these lucky visitors. Sara also has a Havahart trap at the ready for her work with the TNR program. More about that later.

Representing the canine brigade are Pearl and Dash, 2 gorgeous Portuguese Water Dogs. Pearl can proudly boast of parentage invited to Westminster, and she’ll gladly show you the wall of fame displaying her varied accomplishments! While she’s a certified therapy dog, she also has the unique ability to detect cancer through her amazing sense of smell. Sara hopes to do further research on this.

Dash lucked into his forever home with the Schneiders through a special rescue club for his breed. While there are lengthy waiting lists for adoption, Dash’s dire circumstances required a special heroine to come along, and obviously Sara fit the bill! Dash was given a warm welcome by all, and hasn’t looked back since.

While Clevelanders may be familiar with Geauga Humane Society, the TNR program may not be as well known. “Trap, Neuter & Release” provides an effective approach to reduce our burgeoning feral cat population. Steve & Sara have many success stories, “Jon Snow”, “Amy” & “Montego” to name a few. Some of their charges made the transition indoors, some just stop by for an occasional visit. There are currently 4 lodgers, but that number could change anytime! As amazing as their efforts are, the Schneiders have even bigger plans down the road. Someday they hope to start a foundation named after their beloved kitty “Champ”.

In the meantime, Sara has a few helpful tips for any neighbors wishing to help. If you see a kitty wandering by, look for the universal sign of an already neutered feral, the “tipped”, or slightly cut left ear. If this isn’t evident, try not to scare her/him off by chasing or reaching out too aggressively. Leaving food out (but not at night) can lure the animal in and set up a future possibility for TNR intervention. Also as adorable as tiny kittens are, try to resist the temptation to whisk them away, chances are mom and fellow litter mates are in need of rescuing as well!