Sara's friendly stray Jean Luc who was really special RIP
I have known Sara a long time. Something like 24 years. I met her just before I moved to London. She
told me she was moving to London too. I took her number but never really had
any intention of calling because the reason I was leaving New York was to be
anonymous. I didn’t want to know anyone there. I was on a journey to “find
myself” and I kind of wanted to be alone. Well that didn’t work out because
within a few month I was SO lonely that I dug up her number and called. . . and
the rest is history. I have had some of the funniest times in my life with
Sara. We had the time of our lives in London. This was when the whole “summer
of love” thing was happening 1989 (http://www.impactnottingham.com/2009/06/1989-the-summer-of-love-the-summer-of-rave/ ) Sara aka as “DJ
TKO” was playing at warehouse parties and at the same time an aerobic
instructor. I was waiting tables and mostly doing weird modeling gigs. Our main
goal everyday in London was to have a blast . . . and we did.
Our lives are in New
York now and our get togethers now start around 6:00 pm. Not 10:00 pm. Sara has
been there for some really important moments in my life. When I was in labor
with Eve and wanted to have a completely natural childbirth Sara who is a
massage therapist worked on my pressure points and Eve popped out in a few
hours. She has such compassion towards people and animals especially cats. She
is a crazy cat lady but she’s not. Her life is full with a beautiful daughter
and great husband, massage therapy and taking care of the neighborhood strays.
I find the whole cat
rescuing protocol really interesting and I don’t think most people realize that
there are people like Sara out there taking care of a situation which is so out
control and without them it would be a million times worse. I had some
questions for her. Since she lives in Brooklyn her focus on the cause is here.
How’s your summer
coming along?
Love the summer, really
love the summer when we are out of Brooklyn and near a beach…
Can you explain what
Cat rescuers in New York City do? What is Trap Neuter Release?
What we do in
feral colonies is know as TNR or Trap Neuter Release.
TNR is the method of
humanely trapping feral cats, having them spayed or neutered and vaccinated against
rabies, and then returning them to their colony to live out their lives. TNR
also involves a colony caretaker who provides food and adequate shelter and
monitors the cats' health. TNR has been shown to be the least costly, as well
as the most efficient and humane way of stabilizing feral cat populations
As a side note, we try
to determine if a cat is actually friendly and socialized, if so, we work hard
at finding good foster or adoptive homes for these cats… (ANYONE
INTERESTED IN FOSTER OR ADOPTION?) Also, anyone interested in learning how to
do TNR contact the ASPCA in your area. We need all the help we can get….
What is the worst
situation you ever scene?
One of my feral cats
escaped into Greenwood cemetery after being neutered on that ASPCA van,
heartbreaking. The gruesome stories are too hard to hash over.
I think most people
either ignore stray cats or simply don’t know what they should do when they see
one. I think they assume somehow the cats are getting what they need since they
are still alive. How can you tell the difference from a cat that really needs
help from one that is being looked after by someone?
A Stray cat that is
being looked after by a rescuer who has done TNR on them, will always
have a left ear tip. This means the tip of the left hear has been cut off
to indicate to other rescuers that the cat has been TNR'd. If you see a
cat who looks like they are in distress or hurt, try to catch them and take
them to the humane society, or animal medical center, ASPCA or a local vet. If
you see a cat who is critical call Animal Care and Control. They will
send someone to take care of the situation
Are there any truly
good feel good stories you have?
Everytime we find these
lovely creatures a good home.. Turning cats from scared feral cats to loving
domestic cats is an amazing thing. They are so grateful and often become the
cat that will not leave your lap….
If we can’t donate the
time to this cause where can we donate the money/food etc?
Always….. Money, food,
foster, adopt….. All are helpful, especially money as each cat takes a
tremendous amount of time, food, vet care, transport, etc. to take care of…...you can donate to this website http://infinitehopeonline.org/
In case you missed it
Sara is TRULY an amazing massage therapist here in Brooklyn. She really knows
her stuff. . . you come off her table floating. Her hands our like
miracle hands. Where/how can we book a massage?
Thank you, Wini. Yes, my real job is indeed
massage therapy. I specialize in a combination of deep tissue,
therapeutic and relaxation in my massage… sara@wmclark.com
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