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JULY 22, 2020
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
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VOL LXI • NO 24
Cruisin’ For Cats By Dayna M. Reidenouer
“We were about nine months into our first year when everything changed,” said Tammy Loughlin, executive director of Columbia Animal Shelter, which officially opened to the public on June 1, 2019. Until the stay-at-home order was announced in March 2020, business had been booming at the private shelter that specializes in felines. “Our vision is to help manage the overpopulation of cats in Columbia,” Loughlin said, adding that only residents of the borough may surrender domesticated cats for rehoming, but anyone may adopt from the shelter. “We have a lot of adopters coming in from far away,”
Loughlin said. “We’re excited about the reach we’re starting to get. If ever the shelter is empty, we’ve done our job.” The shelter took in about 300 cats in 2019 and is on track to more than double that number in 2020, Loughlin related. And that is with a three-month shutdown. “We were completely full with a waiting list when (the pandemic) hit,” Loughlin said. The Columbia Animal Shelter is located in the old Vigilant Fire Hall, 265 S. 10th St., Columbia. The 8,000-square-foot facility has a small area for dogs and capacity for 120 cats. While the stay-at-home order was in place, staff members took care of the animals that were living in the shelter. Once in the yellow phase, intakes and adoptions were handled via appointment. The shelter reopened its low-cost spay/neuter clinic that had been offered every Monday since June 2019, and it
is in the process of restarting the trap/neuter/release (TNR) program. Loughlin noted that the TNR program had just begun when the shutdown was announced, and only two procedures had been performed. “We have a working barn cat program,” Loughlin shared. “We work with a lot of farms in the area (that take feral cats that may need to be relocated).” The late Judy McKonly donated funds to build the Columbia Animal Shelter, but donations, grants, and fundraisers will keep it operating successfully. The Cruisin’ for Cats car show was introduced last year as a signature fundraising event. It drew 50-some cars, which Loughlin described as “not a bad first start.” She is expecting a much larger turnout for the second annual Cruisin’ for Cats car show, which will be held at the shelter on Saturday, Aug. 1,
Checking In With KPETS By Dayna M. Reidenouer
CWM
“Prior to COVID-19, we couldn’t keep up with the demand for our services,” commented Karen Gerth, founder and executive adviser of Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services (KPETS). “Many of our volunteers seem to find a population or type of visit that they enjoy and that is a good fit for their pets so they may focus in that area.” Gerth reported that KPETS currently has 443 registered human volunteers and 476 registered animals, as some of the volunteers have multiple pets that work with them. The teams provide more than 10,000 hours of visitation every year in communities throughout southcentral Pennsylvania and northern Maryland. “More and more facilities, agencies, and organizations are becoming aware of the benefits of the human/animal interaction, and KPETS is a way to implement that benefit,” Gerth remarked. See KPETS pg 4
Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services (KPETS) sent collages and cards to clients, students, and staff members of local health care institutions to provide encouragement during the shutdown.
The first Cruisin’ for Cats car show to benefit the Columbia Animal Shelter drew about 50 vehicles last year. Organizers hope to surpass that number at the second annual Cruisin’ for Cats, set for Aug. 1. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. has been set as the rain date. The shelter facility has a large area for parking and a lawn with a stage, so it is ideal for hosting events like car shows and the Shelter in Place summer concert series that has been held on Saturday evenings this summer. Vehicles entered
in the car show may arrive as early as 8 a.m. and will be spaced apart to promote social distancing. There is a cost to enter the show, with a discount for those who preregister at the shelter or by finding “Cruisin’ for Cats Car Show” at www.eventbrite.com. Spectators will be admitted free of charge. Pets on leashes will be welcome to accompany See Car Show pg 4
Lancaster Chef Garners Gold With Regional Team By Ann Mead Ash
Susan Notter of Lancaster, a pastry chef, is one of eight professionals, all from the East Coast of the United States, who participated as a regional team in the Culinary Olympics held in Stuttgart, Germany, from Feb. 14 to 19. The event is an international culinary competition held every four years. The Olympics drew 1,800 chefs from nearly 70 countries. The group with which Notter participated won a gold medal for its display program and placed third overall in the regional team category, taking home a bronze medal. Notter, who has made her home in Lancaster for a decade, has been participating in culinary competitions since 1979.
Along the way, she has placed first in prestigious competitions such as the Southern Pastry Classic in Atlanta in 2003. More recently, she earned gold as a member of a U.S. team that competed in the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany, in 2016. Growing up in Cheshire, England, Notter often created sweet treats for her three younger sisters. “My parents didn’t buy boxed cookies and cakes,” recalled Notter. “ When we wanted something sweet to eat, I had to make it.” Notter soon discovered that she enjoyed baking cakes and organizing See Lancaster Chef pg 3
Susan Notter of Lancaster was one of eight professional chefs from the East Coast to compete in the Culinary Olympics in Germany in February.
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Car Show To Benefit Columbia Animal Shelter
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