One little cat has made a big difference in the lives of others.
The legacy of Lulu, a cat who brought comfort to her young owner at a “very, very difficult time” in his life, has been numerous homeless animals have found forever homes and —perhaps in the case of many — avoided an early death. because of Lulu’s Locker Rescue.
Dawn Isenhart-Copp of Frankfort, cofounder of Lulu’s, said the agency’s story begins in 2002, when her son Andy was being bullied at school. The issue was not being dealt with and Andy was having a hard time, she said.
Isenhart-Copp told her son they could adopt a pet, hoping it would be some comfort to him.
The adoption proved to be the right choice for everyone.
“I really saw the bond between my son and Lulu. … We always think about how we help animals. Well, she helped him,” Isenhart-Copp said.
As a result of the experience and her own interest in animal welfare, Isenhart-Copp began fostering homeless animals and holding fundraisers to support her animal care activities. She especially wanted to protect black dogs and black cats that are euthanized in greater numbers than animals of other colors, cats with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and senior animals that are often given up or abandoned by owners and can’t find homes because of their age.
Isenhart-Copp said she “felt that (Andy) was being overlooked, and I wanted to transition into overlooked animals.”
In September 2011, Isenhart-Copp, her husband Mike Copp and Erin Lamparter founded Lulu’s Locker Rescue, a foster-based rescue program with a focus on “overlooked animals” that has grown over the years to help numerous homeless dogs and cats.
This spring, the cofounders took another step forward in helping animals when they opened their first cat adoption center in unincorporated Frankfort. The center is a home where the animals can live as they would with an individual or a family. Seven to nine cats at a time are chosen from among the many cats in Lulu’s foster care that have been rescued and fully vetted with vaccinations, microchipping and medical care, Isenhart-Copp said.
Volunteers work in shifts at the house, spending time socializing with the cats and doing the necessary feeding, watering and cleaning associated with owning a pet.
After visiting the website at www.luluslockerrescue.org to fill out an application for cat adoption, a potential cat owner will have a phone conversation with a staff member. If approved, potential cat owners are invited to the adoption center to visit the cat they think they would like to bring into their home.
Isenhart-Copp said cat ownership is discussed in detail with potential owners so they are fully aware of their responsibilities to the animal.
“One of the things we talk about is a long-term commitment,” she said. “Cats can live up to 20 years, so this is a long-term commitment,” Isenhart-Copp said.
She said issues such as acquainting the cat with children and other pets in the home and regular veterinary care are among the items discussed.
“What we ask them initially, we ask them to set up a spare (room) for the cat to decompress, get used to the noises of the house. It can be a very slow integration if there is another animal in the house…,” she said.
New owners sign a contract that requires them to agree not to declaw the cat which is an amputation at the first knuckle which often leads to health issues, she said. New owners are also asked to keep their cat indoors and provide proper medical care.
“We talk about being respectful and how to handle the animal,” Isenhart-Copp said.
The new cat owner must also agree to return the cat to the rescue if the adoption does not work out for them for any reason.
The Lulu’s Locker Rescue board does “walk the walk” when it comes to animal care.
Isenhart-Copp, who serves as president, and Copp, who is the organization’s treasurer, have two dogs and five cats of their own and provide foster and hospice care for numerous cats and dogs.
Lamparter, vice-president, owns two cats.
Jamie Crawley, coordinator of the adoption center, owns two cats and a dog and Lucy Pigati, media coordinator, owns one dog and is currently fostering another.
Isenhart-Copp said fundraisers are held on a regular basis because donations make their work possible, but equally important, she said, are people who will help them accomplish the mission of Lulu’s Locker Rescue.
“We are always looking for volunteers,” she said.
More information, on donating, volunteering or adopting is at www.luluslockerrescue.org.
Ginger Brashinger is a freelance columnist.
