At a time when billions are the new millions, $1,300 may not seem like a lot of money.
At CatNap from the Heart, a La Grange Park shelter dedicated to caring for cats and other small critters, it is a fortune that is hard to replace.
On June 20, an envelope containing $1,300 was stolen from inside the shelter following an annual garage sale held to raise funds used in the care of animals, particularly cats.
Shelter Director Bobbi Meyer of La Grange Park said the loss is even harder felt considering the big losers are helpless animals whose survival is dependent upon the funds.
“Who would think someone would come in and do that to a cat shelter? That’s terrible,” Meyer said.
La Grange Park police are investigating the theft.
The nonprofit shelter relies on about 10 fund raising events each year and donations, large and small, to care for its cats, kittens, rabbits, birds and small mammals. Meyer said $1,300 can go a long way to that end.
“It can be a couple weeks of food or litter, or it could be a month’s worth of veterinarian work,” she said.
In the short term, the shelter is appealing to the public for donations of a list of items used in the daily care of the animals.
The problem is compounded by the faltering economy, Meyer said.
“Donations are down and animal give-ups are up by at least 50 percent or more. Everyone has been hit hard and people are not donating the dollars they used to,” Meyer said.
An awning on the building at 1101 Beach St. was destroyed in a storm months ago and has yet to be replaced. A fund to replace it was established, she said, but the needs of the animals have forced her to dip into the awning fund.
Meyer, who works six days a week without pay, passes credit to those who share her passion.
“We love what we do,” she said. “Our staff and volunteers are top notch.”
Chrissy Braun of La Grange Park has been volunteering at the shelter four or five days a week for the past four years. A 2008 graduate of Riverside Brookfield High School, Braun begins her pre-veterinary studies in the fall.
For her, it is more than just getting hands-on experience. It is a labor of love.
“I love animals,” she said. “I’m there to help the animals and give them a second chance and a better life.”
Meyer and her husband, Brian, bought the building with partners in 2000 with the intent of opening a portion of it for boarding and sheltering. After Sept. 11, 2001, boarding dropped dramatically. Meyer decided then to go completely nonprofit as a shelter — at her own expense.
“One of my major drives for doing this is the fact that there are so many non-spayed or neutered cats,” she said. “I always wanted to do some low-cost spaying and neutering. This was one of my biggest reasons for going nonprofit.”
More than 1,000 of the cats taken in annually are spayed and neutered by veterinarians at the shelter’s expense. Meyer hopes for the day when she can afford a bigger building that would include an on-site spaying and neutering facility.
La Grange, IL —
