By Suzanne Schmidt
Staff Writer
The Wildcats of Wesley Chapel Elementary School are helping wild or feral cats in the Labor of Love Animal Rescue.
The Safety Patrol and students from the school are donating dog and cat food, cat litter and money for the rescue. The big event is the yard sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 3 in the school’s bus loop. All the money raised will go to helping the many cats and few dogs the rescue takes care of.
“Our main goal is to help Labor of Love,” said Chris Gorman. “It is an all volunteer animal rescue. They do such wonderful work and I don’t think many people know about them.”
Gorman said it seemed like a good fit since the school’s mascot is a Wildcat and the students are helping the “wild” or feral cats. Gorman learned about the rescue when he was shopping at PetSmart with his fiancé Ryan Hunter.
“We both love all types of animals,” Gorman said. “We have turtles, fish and four cats at home.”
The school is renting out space for the sale and selling donated items.
“We have had parents donating items and we are selling space at the sale for $20,” Gorman said. “If people want to bring stuff to sell on Saturday, there will still be space available for rent.”
Some of the items Gorman collected for the yard sale are children and adult clothing, electronics, toys, furniture and household items. Gorman has been going to yard sales every weekend getting donations for the yard sale.
Sabrina Schmitt, 11, is in the Safety Patrol. She said she is really happy to be helping the animals.
“I brought in 10 cans of cat food,” Schmitt said. “Some animals don’t have enough food and they need a home. It makes me sad.”
The Labor of Love Animal Rescue is a volunteer run animal rescue made up of about 10 volunteers who live throughout the Tampa area. The volunteers take care of animals in their homes and backyards and also take care of feral cat colonies. All the money raised for the rescue goes to food and medical needs.
“We are so grateful that Wesley Chapel Elementary chose us to help,” VanLew said. “I am looking forward to going out and meeting some of the kids.”
The rescue takes care of about 500 cats and a few dogs. It has adoptions at PetSmart in Wesley Chapel and PETCO in New Tampa on Saturdays and Sundays. Labor of Love is a no-kill animal rescue. The volunteers will keep a cat until it is adopted regardless of age or medical status.
“We try to adopt out as many animals as we can, because we can only take care of so many at a time,” VanLew said. “It is really important to adopt the adult cats and not just kittens. People think kittens always stay the same but they change. When you adopt an adult you know what they are like. We have so many that need to be adopted and they are sweet as can be.”
The rescue is also trying to spread the word about trapping and releasing feral cats. Volunteers at the rescue will trap feral cats, spay or neuter them and then release them.
“We believe trap and release is the only way to stop the killing of so many cats,” VanLew said. “People don’t realize how hard these animals lives are. It is better just to have the animal fixed when they start spraying or going in heat. Every female cat I have taken in over the last month has been pregnant.”
Little Ray is a blind cat VanLew brings with her to schools when she gives talks about the rescue. Little Ray will be at the yard sale.
“I got him from animal services,” VanLew said. “They were going to put him down because he was blind. He is just amazing.”
The animal rescue needs donations of 40-inch crates, cat and dog food, litter, bedding and toys. To see the animals available for adoption, visit www.petfinder.com/shelters/FL853.html. For more information, call VanLew at (813) 238-6741 or e-mail her at .
