Katherine peers through the meshed window of her soft-sided carrier with a curiosity only a cat could possess. She’s intrigued by the sights and sounds inside South Lake Animal League’s lobby but she’s also guarded. To soothe the nervous tabby’s misgivings, Ronnie Wasilewski gives a gentle caress of Katherine’s fur before posing for their Happy Tails picture. “She is going to be my other cat Betty’s playmate. I’m sure they will get along just fine,” Ronnie says with smile. “I’m just glad she is off the streets and not having any more litters. I saw her kittens at Petco and decided to adopt her instead so she could be spayed. I really wish pet owners would learn to be more responsible.” After a quick snuggle, Katherine returns to her kennel cab, ready to begin a new life in Clermont. Ronnie says she has always adopted rescues, especially from places like SLAL. “They seem like they really care about the animals here. South Lake Animal League is really doing a great job saving them.”
TO THE RESCUE South Lake Animal League has led the charge in helping abused, abandoned, and neglected animals for nearly 26 years. The nonprofit organization started as a grassroots effort by a small group of animal lovers committed to a no-kill policy. Now, SLAL has ballooned to include nearly 200 volunteers who divide their hours between work for the adoption center, Petco in Clermont, and the thrift store on West Montrose Street in Clermont. Each year since the opening of phase one of A Haven Before A Home Adoption Center in Groveland in 2010, SLAL has placed approximately 600 pets in loving ‘fur’ever homes, a feat that has contributed to the organization’s growing notoriety beyond Lake County’s borders. At the heart of SLAL is Doreen Baker, the president and lifeblood of
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the organization. Even the most roadweary and pugnacious animals sense her caring nature and calm under her soothing touch. When Doreen speaks about SLAL, it’s with enthusiasm, and it is contagious, which translates to adoptions, community awareness, donations, and grants that allow her and her volunteers to keep giving animals a second chance at happiness.
FINDING A HOME Adoption is the end game at A Haven Before A Home Adoption Center. Between their website (slal.org) and their Facebook page, SLAL works diligently to help their rescues find stable homes. Many of their dogs and cats come from kill shelters with a high euthanasia rate, but when they arrive, each animal receives the best routine and specialized veterinary care to get them adoption ready. However, don’t think SLAL is in the business of handing over their puppies and kitties to just anyone. They are a best match facility, meaning they match the pet’s personality and needs with the needs and lifestyle of the family to increase the likelihood of a long and happy relationship. “We have 140 pets right now, but we average about 70 adoptions a month,” says Doreen. “We have a great turnover, despite how particular we are with our matching. No one stays longer than three weeks.”
However, there are always a few pets that seem to stay longer than others. One that has struggled to find her ‘fur’ever home is Rosie, a 2-year-old female Border Collie/Kelpie mix. “The obstacle with Rosie is she becomes very attached to whoever she loves and she guards them fiercely against others dogs and even spouses,” explains Doreen. “She has been here over a year and has been adopted and returned twice.” Then there are brothers Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson — not the country music singers but two Schnauzer/Jack Russell Terrier mixes that are both sight impaired and heartworm positive. To treat each pet for heartworm can range from $500 to $800; therefore, SLAL has started the Have a Heart! Heartworm Recovery Fund to help with costs. “We receive a lot of heartworm positive animals because it’s so easy for them to contract. All it takes is just one mosquito bite,” says Doreen. “So we foot the costs for medications and vaccinations to make these animals healthy before they leave here, but it does get expensive. For example, to care for one pet, it costs us $367.” Other longtime residents include Oscar Mayer, a beautiful red Daschund mix that’s the size of a basset hound, and Ronnie, a 7-month-old pup who was run over by a car and then turned over to a kill shelter because its owners