Dorothy Max’s funds have run low.
She spends six hours a day driving through neighborhoods where colonies of cats live in alleys, abandoned buildings and overgrown yards. It costs her about $75 a day just to feed them, plus the veterinary bills. More Animals in the News: Picking puppies, spaying strays… Spaying strays: The city of Cleveland’s offer to pay $30 toward the $40 cost to neuter a stray cat at the is being gobbled up. Residents have caught more than 640 homeless city cats that were neutered, vaccinated and returned to their neighborhoods to “hold down the fort,” keeping other not-neutered cats from moving in and breeding. The city earmarked $40,000 to neuter 1,333 cats this year. To participate by catching, transporting or feeding strays, contact the APL at 216-377-1624 or . More than 400 stray cats from the suburbs have also been trapped and neutered at the APL since Jan 1. Still, it will take many more years of trapping and neutering before Dorothy Max and other cat rescuers can rest. Picking puppies: You’ll soon be able to check out the breeders who supply pet stores quickly and easily at a . See what federal inspectors have to say about dog breeders’ facilities and the health of their dogs. Reputable pet stores will tell you which breeder supplied their pups, but getting the reports by mail took weeks or months. You can also use the Web site to report exhibitors and wholesale breeders who are operating without a license or keeping dogs in substandard facilities. WAGS4Kids: Think your pet is the next Animal Idol Find out June 28 at the Middleburg Heights Summer in the City Festival, which will include the fundraising competition to benefit the nonprofit Middleburg Heights Animal Foundation and WAGS4Kids, which trains dogs to assist children with disabilities. Pets will be judged on looks and talents from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the Southland Shopping Center at Pearl and Smith roads.
Every pet will receive an award, but only one will be crowned the Big Creek Pet Hospital Animal Idol of 2009, decided by spectator donations. Registration is $10 by June 20 440-234-5831 or bigcreekpetsbcglobal.net. The winner and another entrant chosen by a panel of judges will be eligible to audition for the David Letterman Show to perform “stupid pet tricks.”