(708)301-1594 
Open 11 am-4 pm Tuesday through Saturday Closed Sunday and Monday webmistress                   |
By Denise Baran, special to the Herald News (photos by John Patsch/Staff Photographer)
LOCKPORT -- Janine Carter, the coordinator for the Tender Loving Care Animal Shelter in Lockport, remembers April 1, 1974. "There they were on April Fool's Day and no money," said Carter with a laugh about the early days of the shelter.Twenty-five years later, the TLC Shelter can hold about 18-20 dogs and 35 cats, but will try to accommodate an emergency. "We'll try to make room somewhere or contact another shelter if necessary," said Carter. "Especially in instances where a child is hospitalized with asthma and the doctor won't release him back to the same environment. Or maybe an animal is in danger of being abused."
An animal is accepted at TLC only after an interview has occurred, in order to glean information about the animal's history and health status. Even with stray animals, an attempt is made to find out the dog's story. "You don't want to try to adopt an animal without finding out something about it," said Carter.
She did admit that it can be frustrating for her when owners are not completely honest about the information they impart about their pet. Like a certain 6-year-old beagle. "This party had called us about their beagle and I talked to them over the phone," said Carter. "It seemed like a nice dog and it was spayed. What they didn't tell us is that it had a tumor on its head. "Not a small tumor -- one the size of a tennis ball." When the owners were questioned about the dog's tumor, Carter said that they became irate and called them all kinds of uncomplimentary names. "They didn't tell us. Nobody's going to want to adopt that dog," said Carter. "Sure, you can perform surgery, but the cancer usually erupts again and the cancer recurs."
Because TLC does not receive tax dollars, the shelter is free to set any standards, including the length of time that an animal is kept. This is not usually the case with animal-control agencies, which, because they are funded with taxpayer money, have strict guidelines on how long they may keep an animal before putting it to sleep. "Every case is weighed on an individual basis," said Carter. "No two cases are alike. We don't like to play God, we don't like to make that decision. We're only put into that position by owners who don't take care of them. We discuss it with the vet and take into consideration the animal's age, overall health, whether or not it is a biter, or if it chews through walls." Another problem the shelter runs into with cats is the wildness they exhibit when they have not had recent contact with people. "The term for that is a 'feral' - they revert back to a wild state, like a raccoon or a skunk," said Carter.
"You wouldn't handle a squirrel. I've been bit right through the hand by them (untamed cats)." Carter said that problem begins when a cat wanders off somewhere and gives birth to a litter of kittens. "Maybe the cat has been in an abusive situation and she transmits this fear to her kittens," said Carter. 'This cat will keep her cats hidden away, so that people become unknown to the kittens. When that litter has its young, it becomes even more of a problem." She said that the dilemma is compounded even more by the fact that there are some real nice, cute and cuddly spayed kittens also available at the shelter.
"Now honestly, what would you take: a cat that you couldn't touch or a nice, docile one?" Foster homes for such animals do exist, but they are few and far between. One woman had to stop when she developed cat scratch fever. Another woman's husband put his foot down after his wife had been bitten several times.Even though situations do exist that are beyond an owner's control, such as the death of an owner, many times Carter has found that the fault lies within the irresponsibility of the owner, even if it is not intended to be that way. "People should be responsible to the end, but it's not a perfect world," she said. "But the reality is that there is a surplus of animals and not enough homes for them. With people being so mobile, with both the husband and wife working out of necessity and their kids involved in so many activities, a child cannot be the sole caretaker of an animal." With all of the above pressures, sometimes animals just don't receive the necessary care they require, especially in the case of puppies and kittens. A puppy needs to be house-broken and it needs frequent feedings. If it doesn't receive them, it may be malnourished with improper growth. And, psychologically, if a puppy doesn't receive the attention it requires, it may become wild and unruly. "When you have a 65 pound Lab or German shepherd that is unruly, people don't want to deal with it," said Carter. "And when it is 6 months to 1 year and it's not housebroken, well, it's a problem with most people." The Tender Loving Care Animal Shelter has a number of fund-raising activities planned for the next few weeks. These include:
June 5: Annual raffle. Drawing will be held at 4 p.m. at the TLC Shelter. Thirteen prizes will be awarded, including five for the top ticket sellers.
June 12: Tag day in Lemont.
June 25-26: Garage sale. Details to be announced.
The TLC Shelter is at 13016 W. 151st St. in Lockport. For more information on any of the above events, contact the shelter at (708) 301-1594.
A Web site for the Tender Loving Care Animal Shelter (TLC) was developed by volunteer Sandi O'Brien. She is continually updating the information, so that prospective owners may get a better idea of what type of animal interests them. The address is: www.geocities.com/Heartland/9902/tlc.html.
