Rebecca Quimby

Chicago Organizations Help Elderly Care for their Pets

by Rebecca Quimby (Subscribe to Rebecca Quimby's posts): Mar 15th 2010 @ 1:00PM Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Pet Adoption

Pets bring joy to people of all ages but also daunting responsibility. cielokatie, Flickr

It's always a difficult moment when a senior citizen has to enter a hospital or nursing home, especially if it means a pet is going to be left without care - even temporarily. Enter Sister Marijon Binder and her two organizations, Touched by an Animal and Cats-Are-Purrsons-Too. Binder's Chicago-based organizations help the elderly take care of their pets.

Depending on the situation, that can mean sending volunteers into people's homes to help provide pet food, walk dogs, or clean litter boxes, which often makes the difference between a senior being able to keep a pet or having to give it up. Binder also boards cats for people who have to go to a hospital or nursing home, and takes the cats to visit their owners.

Binder came to her current vocation after moving to Chicago from her California convent in 1976 and soon realized that she could make a difference helping people in need with their pets.

At one point, the convent called her back to service and she considering returning, but ultimately she had to say no. "I wanted to go back [to the convent] but too many elderly people were relying on me," Binder told the Chicago Sun Times. "I simply felt in my heart that God wanted me to continue taking care of these people and animals." She went on to say, "These pets are their family. They're desperate to find someone who will love and care for their pet after they are gone. So what we do is provide them with peace of mind."

Her passion for caring for this community does add a particular challenge to her life -- Binder cares for about 70 cats in her Chicago home, which has a screened-in backyard so the kitties can play outside. If the cat won't be returning to its owner for some reason, sometimes the cats are put up for adoption and Binder helps facilitate the process.

So just what is it like to live with 70 cats? Binder told Paw Nation, "Living with cats is a full-time job. As the saying goes, 'dogs have masters; cats have servants.' That's us."

The organizations are kept going by donations and volunteers. Says Binder, "Every day, I pray for volunteers and donations. Sometimes we're really low on money, but I trust in God and people to pull us out."

To participate in any way -- including adopting a cat -- call (773) 728-6336 or visit www.touchedbyananimal.org.

Charlie's Journey: More on the Dog Who Traveled 1,200 Miles and Found Its Owner

by Rebecca Quimby (Subscribe to Rebecca Quimby's posts): Mar 1st 2010 @ 5:00PM Filed Under: Dogs, Pets News

Stephan Soleas (on the unicycle), his wife Gemma (holding the accordion) and daughter Namané Amorea (on the horse) are thrilled to have their dog, Charlie, home with the family. Photo: Stephan Soleas

Those stories about dogs traveling hundreds of miles to be reunited with their owners are always pretty unbelievable, but this one takes the cake. Just a few days after 26-year-old musician Stephan Soleas hitched a ride from his home in Taos, N.M. to New Orleans, his 6-year-old Lab mix went missing. On Feb. 5, Soleas heard that his dog, Charlie, had reappeared about 50 blocks from where Soleas was staying, over 1,200 miles from their home. Turns out Charlie really, really, really didn't want to miss Mardi Gras.

Charlie's journey "home" began when a New Orleans couple vacationing in Taos spotted him running down the street. He wasn't wearing a collar, so they assumed he was a stray. The couple fell in love with the white dog, who jumped into their car as soon as they opened the door. As Soleas told Paw Nation, "It is very common for Charlie to run off because he is very cute and he understands his affect on people. He is the most free willed dog I have ever met." And if this doesn't blow your mind, nothing will: By coincidence, the couple even named the dog Charlie.

After spending a few days trying to locate Charlie's owner, the vacationers decided to keep him, driving with him for three days to their home in New Orleans. But when a vet at Magazine Street Clinic scanned Charlie's chip, they discovered that not only did the dog have an owner, but that owner was staying nearby. Soleas told Paw Nation, "It blew my mind when he showed up. I thought I was dreaming. People didn't even believe me because the story is so crazy!"

He went on to say, "Charlie is the same as ever. The craziest part of all this to me really was that I was having a hard time in NOLA. Ever since I rolled into town, things just were not right, and the moment I picked up Charlie, things got increasingly better. That's how I know Charlie came down there for me."

Working With the Cat That Senses Death

by Rebecca Quimby (Subscribe to Rebecca Quimby's posts): Mar 1st 2010 @ 1:00PM Filed Under: Cats, Pets News

Stew Milne, AP

Oscar, a pet cat who lives at a nursing home in Providence, R.I., gained national attention several years ago for his apparent ability to predict which of the facility's patients was about to die. David Dosa, M.D., a geriatrician and assistant professor at Brown University who works with the facility, recently published Making Rounds with Oscar, a book about life with the amazing animal. Paw Nation spoke with Dr. Dosa to learn more about his experiences with Oscar.

Why was Oscar brought to live in the nursing home in the first place?
Oscar was adopted by the nursing home in the summer of 2005 as a replacement for a companion animal that died. Oscar was found in a shelter and came to reside at Steere House with a fellow cat by the name of Maya.

How did his abilities come to your attention?
As one death after another occurred with Oscar holding his vigils, they became harder to ignore. Family members and hospice staff started talking about his visits and soon we all started asking the question when someone died, "Was Oscar there?" Invariably the answer was yes, so it became easier to believe. I suppose the episode that brought it home for me was an occasion where there were two patients dying on the unit. We all thought that one patient was going to die first but Oscar was nowhere to be found. An aid went looking for Oscar and found him curled up next to another patient on the other side of the unit. We knew that patient was sick but did not suspect that they were close to death. The aid picked Oscar up and brought him down the hall so he could be with our patient. Oscar took one look around and then raced out of the room right back to where he was sitting. The patient Oscar was with died that evening. Our "sicker" patient rebounded somewhat and lived for a few more days. Hours before that patient died, Oscar was back.

Rabbit Fever -- A Behind the Scenes Look at a Bunny Competition

by Rebecca Quimby (Subscribe to Rebecca Quimby's posts): Feb 26th 2010 @ 5:00PM Filed Under: Small Pets

We probably don't need to tell you that 2010 marks the 100-year anniversary of the American Rabbit Breeders Association. And what better way to celebrate than by watching the brand-spanking-new, hot-off-the-presses official trailer for "Rabbit Fever." This fascinating, educational, and often hilarious documentary follows some of the competitors at the National American Rabbit Convention, which is sort of like the Westminster Dog Show, but of course, for rabbits. (Check out our interview with "Rabbit Fever" filmmaker Amy Do to learn more about this "hare-raising" documentary.)

3-Legged Shelter Dog Wins Talent Competition

by Rebecca Quimby (Subscribe to Rebecca Quimby's posts): Feb 23rd 2010 @ 3:00PM Filed Under: Dogs, Pets News

Westminster-winning Sadie's got nothing on Prince. The three-legged pit-bull mix won "Best in Show" at a shelter dog talent competition at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The two-year-old wowed the crowd at the New York City event by catching three baseballs thrown by his handler/pitcher.

Prince's major league talent won over the judges, who included singer-songwriter Roberta Flack, actress Bernadette Peters, ballroom dance champion and So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Melanie LaPatin, and Assistant Director of ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Joseph Pentangelo.

Prince lost his leg after being hit by a car, but Gail Buchwald, Senior Vice President of the ASPCA Adoption Center, said Prince's disability doesn't hold him back. "The talent show demonstrates the resilience of these wonderful dogs," Buchwald also said, "but the real prize will be finding their two-legged soul mates and homes to call their own." Yes, Prince and the other competition contestants are up for adoption. Visit ASPCA.org to learn more about adding him to your team!

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