Caring for animals has always been one of my life passions! As a little girl, I was always on the lookout for stray or injured animals. It was instinctive to me to try and help them heal and to comfort them. At a very young age I felt compelled to speak for ‘those with no words.’ Our family was allowed to have one small black lab mix named Cinders. Unfortunately, with an unfenced back yard and unsympathetic neighbors, Cinders was sent to the farm. I’ll never forget the day and I swear I had pain in my heart.
As an adult mom and grandma, my home is never without multiple pets. When the kids were young we always had a menagerie of cats, dogs, a horse and rabbits. I taught my children compassion for all life and they eagerly engaged in animal rescue; orphaned mice and ducks, a turtle trapped in a window well, a raccoon stuck in a tree, a feral cat that had been kicked by a horse……. As a family, we volunteered at the Humane Society and often fostered pregnant cats and dogs.
To pursue my dream of truly helping animals, I started Veterinary Medical School at the University of Minnesota in 1995. As much as I loved being able to follow this dream, the cost to my young family was too taxing. After one semester, I took a leave of absence, not to return.
The longing in my heart to truly make a difference for all animal life led me to purchase a hobby farm in North Branch in 2003. The 14-acre farm had pasture and woods and a lovely home. My intent was to eventually establish an animal sanctuary. The farm was a second home for our family and over a 5-year period, we realized the cost of maintaining 2 properties was overwhelming.
The next season of my life was to embark on an entrepreneurial venture that would allow me to continue my real estate career and serve the senior community. This expansion of my career included developing a senior move company, Sort Toss Pack, a real estate brokerage and a consignment store, Odds & Ends Again. This multi-faceted business model continues to grow at a rapid rate and is meeting the need of the growing population of seniors. As the store gained in popularity, I saw an opportunity to capitalize on the consignment aspect to partner with a yet to be established non-profit benefiting animals.
Thus, in 2015 I began the process of creating Caring for Critters. The original charter is stated as, “to provide funds and/or resources for those of limited means to meet the primary care costs of their companion animal.” As we explore how to grow and evolve this service, we are now looking at emphasizing spay/neuter for the best use of funds. In addition, to correlate with our senior market, we are considering adding volunteer services to assist home bound seniors with pet care.
Our fledgling organization has neutered one dog and one rabbit! We are currently working to establish a board of directors. We are also raising funds through the donation of furniture and home goods to Odds & Ends Again. So, we would gratefully accept any items that could be sold on behalf of the animals!
Although we are small, we expect great things! I am excited to be a part of bettering the world of our beloved pets!
Thanks for your support.
Jodi
“Bless the beasts and the children. For in this world they have no voice, they have no choice.” – The Carpenters