Stray Thoughts Summer 2016
Hearty Thanks!
Tara and Hayden Renier
Scrapbooking friends of Tara and
Hayden Renier collected food
and supplies for the shelter.
The Student Council at O’Neill Middle School in Downers
Grove hosted a car wash and donated the proceeds of
$150 to the shelter.
Kennedy Scordo of Monkena
turned 1 and asked for donations
for the shelter instead of gifts for
her. She collected dog, cat and
bird food.
Ms. Sinow’s Lace School PAWS Club sponsored a pet
food and supply drive in April. They collected and donated
tons of food and supplies.
Power Yoga on Main in Downers Grove held a yoga cats
fundraiser and donated the proceeds of $420 to the
shelter.
The students at Churchville Middle School in Elmhurst
collected donations at an all school read-in. They donated
tons of food, toys and supplies.
Izzy Breautt had a birthday and asked for donations for
the shelter instead of gifts for her. She donated food,
supplies and money.
The students at Murphy School in Woodridge collected
supplies and $465 and donated it to the shelter.
The employees at HSBC in Elmhurst did a donation drive
and collected tons of food and supplies for the shelter.
The Student Council at Lester School in Downers Grove
had a fundraiser and donated tons of food and supplies to
the humane society.
Volunteer Spotlight
L
aura Lithio is such a dedicated volunteer that even on
her weekends off, she often comes to the shelter just
to hang out with the house cats. “I really enjoy building
relationships with the animals in our care and gaining their
trust,” Lithio said. “It is very rewarding when a shy, scared
animal finally lets down their guard and decides to accept
me and other volunteers as their friends.”
She’s also made some great human friends on the
Wednesday 7-9 p.m. house cat shift, which has been
working together for 6 years. The shift cleans and
socializes with the cats, and gets along “fantastically,” she
said. Her fellow volunteer, Mona Hurt, has several “loving,
sweet cats” adopted from WSHS, and Hurt enjoys “great
people doing everything they can for the animals.
Matthew Michaels joined the shift in 2013, and every
week finds a new cat to bond with. “I love those little
guys [kittens],” he said. “I have two cats at home, Iroh, my
10-year-old orange and white fluffy male and Sienna, my
14-year-old black and brown tabby. I found both of them
in my neighborhood in the fall of 2006.”
Lithio and Hurt share hobbies – reading, gardening – as
well as their love of the house cats. Michaels prefers sci-fi
and fantasy movies, comic books, coffee and craft beer.
Despite their diverse interest the shift works together
“fantastically,” they all said.
They also deal well with the unexpected. Michaels said
once prior to his shift he found two cats in carriers
abandoned on the shelter front porch. Another night, a
pregnant cat came in and Lithio was told not to worry
because the cat was going to the vet in the morning. “Her
name was Miranda,” Lithio said. “Miranda could not wait
until morning and had her three kittens during my shift!”
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