After pets’, owner channels grief into organizing fundraiser for animals | News
VOLANT — Now living in Volant, Bridget Fry has always been an animal lover — a passion which brought her to the Shenango Valley Animal Shelter, where she adopted a cat and later a dog.
That connection is why the Shenango Valley Animal Shelter, along with the Humane Society of Lawrence County, will be the beneficiaries of an upcoming fundraiser that Fry is organizing.
The fundraiser, “RESCUE ME! Spring PAW-looza,” will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at Volant Mills, 550 Main St., Volant.
“The ultimate goal for this is to find a sheltered animal a home, and get them as much exposure as possible,” Fry said.
For Fry, the desire to give back to these animal organizations started about a year ago, when her cat Merl passed away — leaving her dog Sid without “his best friend.” Since Sid seemed depressed after Merl’s death, Fry set about finding a new cat to adopt.
However, she wanted to make sure Sid would be as close with this new cat as Merl, so Sid needed to be present for the adoption process. That narrowed down Fry’s options until she contacted the Shenango Valley Animal Shelter and its manager, Angelia Sherman.
“I told her a little about Sid’s story and my concern for him, and when I asked if it was possible for Sid to come in, there was no hesitation,” Fry said. “That right there meant the world to me.”
Normally, pet owners don’t bring their animals with them to the animal shelter for safety reasons. However, it turned out the shelter just so happened to have a kitten that fit Fry’s unique situation, Sherman said.
Since most cats are either born in the shelter’s care or arrive as kittens, many of them have never seen a dog before.
But one cat at the animal shelter, Bagheera, was brought in after being abandoned at a local hotel with a dog. That abandoned dog lived out her days as an office dog at the shelter, but now Bagheera — just like Sid — was left without a sibling, Sherman said.
Normally when a cat meets a dog for the first time, they may puff up their hair, raise their tail, or even hiss and swat at the dog.
None of that happened when Sid finally had a chance to meet Bagheera. Both Fry and Sherman said it was clear the two were meant for each other.
“Bagheera jumped down and started smelling Sid and rubbing up against him. You could tell he made a friend,” Sherman said.
Fry adopted Bagheera and the cat quickly acclimated himself to his new home, even going on outdoor walks with Fry and Sid, just like Merl used to.
“It was just something small in life that I always enjoyed, and here we are going on these walks together,” Fry said.
In September, Fry had to put down Sid, a nearly 17-year-old Labrador-shepherd-mix. She returned to the Shenango Valley Animal Shelter around last October, where she adopted the German Shepherd puppy Robby — making her family whole once again.
However, Fry said Sid’s passing left her with a feeling in her heart that she had to do something, which is where the idea to organize a fundraiser for the Shenango Valley Animal Shelter and the Humane Society of Lawrence County took shape.
The event will feature activities for pet owners’ animals, such as “Paint with your Pup,” nail trimming and pet portraits, and a “Doggie Egg Hunt.” Many of these events, such as the “Paint with your Pup,” require participants to call ahead of time, with the proceeds going toward the two animal organizations.
To make an appointment, call Fry at 724-901-1920.
There will also be activities for humans as well, whether pet owners or not, such as donated hotdogs from Coney Island, a Chinese auction and “Yappy Hour” by Derailed Distillery and Knockin Noggin Cidery and Winery.
Both animal organizations will be present at the event, with information on animals that are available for adoption — hopefully finding the animals some forever homes, Fry said.
Since this is Fry’s first fundraiser, she received some help from friend and fellow animal lover Cheryl Geidner, owner of Volant Mills and three French bulldogs.
Due to the space available at Volant Mills, Geidner said the property would have enough space for different vendors and activities, and she was open to hosting the event in the future depending on the reception from this inaugural event.
“Hopefully we have great weather, and whatever we can do to help save an animal’s life is absolutely on the front burner,” Geidner said.
Sherman likewise said she hoped this “Spring PAW-looza” was successfully, and thanked Fry for wanting to support the shelter and Humane Society of Lawrence County.
“For her to take this on is just incredible, and we’re happy to welcome her into our shelter family,” Sherman said.
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