Me & Uncle Charles.

I grew up with cats and we usually had a family dog. My dad always brought home dogs he found in the woods coming home from Ft. Belvoir and we would keep them.

Our first cat was Mitzi, my paw-paw had her while we were in Germany but, when we came home to get her she had died. We kept a feral cat that we also named Mitzi and she probably lived to be 20 and had a lot of kittens. The idea of spay/neutering hadn't caught on in the 60's & 70's and that's one reason we have such a large population of homeless cats today.

My happiest childhood times were spent with the cats. While the other kids played with each other, I played with the cats.

My entire family has learned to be more 'responsible' companion animal guardians since then. Usually with me, Dolores-the-mouth, urging them on! I learned my lessons from Patches after I was on my own and married to Skip. I continue to educated myself on how to best care for my furbabies.

Me, Donny & Chris

March for the Animals 1996!

March for the Animals 1990!

In 1990 I started really becoming aware of all the animal issues; vivisection, ferals, dog fights, leather and animal use in clothes, cosmetics, circuses, etc. It made me sick. I made a drastic life style change almost overnight and never looked back. I picketed, protested, marched and became very vocal about what I had discovered. Some people call me 'the crazy cat lady' or consider me radical. I don't care, I wear the name proudly.