If it had not been for Jackie Koerner and a timely phone call from Adel Petterson, St. Louis Pet Rescue (STLPR) might never have been created.

In March 2009, Jackie heard that Dr. Laura Ivan, of Ivan Animal Hospital, had suggested that there was a significant need for a new rescue group in the Jefferson County-Fenton area, and Dr. Ivan offered to be the group’s veterinarian. It was just days before the first planning meeting had been scheduled, and Jackie, already a volunteer in an existing rescue group that was having what she referred to as “drama and gossip” problems, asked to be included. She and her husband ,Chris, went to the first planning meeting. “Eight people attended, and duties were assigned,” Jackie said, “but, come May, no one followed through, and all noted they would be too busy to run a rescue.” But Jackie decided that the need was so great that she would just go it alone. “I filed the paperwork and started fundraising to fill our vetting account at Ivan’s,” Jackie added. But just as the group became incorporated, Jackie discovered that someone had already spent the money in the account at Ivan’s. ”We hadn’t rescued anyone yet,” Jackie commented. Dashed by this,” as well as negativity coming from a fellow rescuer, “I gave up,” Jackie said. “I said I was going to allow the business filing to lapse.”

But that’s where Adel Petterson came in. Adel, then volunteer adoption coordinator for Jefferson County Animal Control (JCAC), a high-kill shelter, called Jackie in October 2009. Adel said that no other animal rescue group was rescuing animals from JCAC due to funding or space issues within their rescue groups. She urged Jackie to reconsider and emailed her photos of the shelter animals that had little hope of survival at the kill shelter. “I looked at the pictures and decided I would [continue with the rescue],” Jackie said. “I went down and pulled two dogs and a cat. Choosing was so hard, seeing so many faces I couldn’t save, so I started advertising for fosters, and word spread.”

One of the first to respond was Barb Vanderbeek, who had already been a volunteer animal rescuer for more than 7 years and who had previously worked with 3 other local animal rescue groups. Barb was drawn to the new group “because of their strong effort to save animals from JCAC,” she said. Barb serves as a cat foster and fosters mostly adults who would otherwise be euthanized. “I have saved a lot of kitties from certain death because of St. Louis Pet Rescue,” she emphasized.

“Barb is a leader in the rescue group and is just about a full-time volunteer for the group,” said Carol Schmidt, a volunteer cat foster who joined the group in April 2011. “Barb taught me almost everything I know about cat rescue, and she’s been an awesome mentor,” When Carol switched from fostering dogs to fostering cats with a previous animal rescue group back in 2007, Barb was that group’s cat coordinator and explained everything to her one step at a time, talked her through new experiences, and showed her the ropes. “I’ve followed Barb from that first group to a second and, now, to a third, St. Louis Pet Rescue. Barb is, without a doubt, the most fabulous cat rescuer in the area. She knows her stuff, and she is devoted to the animals,” Carol said.

Barb urges more animal-lovers to help homeless animals: “If everyone reading this would foster just one, we could save a lot more.”

Another person to contact Jackie was Nickie Johnson. Nickie has been both a dog and cat foster for STLPR as well as a transporter, and she also answers and returns STLPR phone calls. In October 2009, Nickie said she answered Jackie’s Craiglist ad to be a foster. “I agreed to foster one kitten, but my first ‘one’ ended up being two kittens. . . . Then I took in an owner surrender Pit Bull, and, well, the rest is history,” Nickie explained. Prior to joining St. Louis Pet Rescue, Nickie had volunteered for Open Door Animal Sanctuary in House Springs and even now tries to help out another group “as much as I can.”

“Sometimes it’s a struggle seeing all the animals that you can’t save, but every time I see someone walk away with the perfect furry companion in their arms, it’s all worth it,” Nickie said. Animal rescue means “just saving one at a time,” she added.

“I’m asked all the time, ‘How do you do it? How can you go to the shelters and see the animals and know you can’t save them all?’” My answer is, ‘How can you NOT do it? How can you know about all the animals and do nothing to help them?’ Nickie said. “Sometimes all you can do is spend some time holding them, feeding them extra treats, petting their heads, and giving them soft blankets. But it’s something . . . and it’s important, no matter how small, to make an animal feel loved. It’s hard and tiring at times, and all of us need to take a break now and then, but in the end, I can’t imagine NOT being part of a rescue family. And this is what STLPR is – a family!”

And don’t forget Adel. Adel, too, in addition to her volunteer work at JCAC, started helping the new group by Felv-Fiv-testing its prospective fosters at JCAC, transporting, and helping with adoption events. She then also became a foster mom. And in her dual-volunteer roles, Adel has become a leader for STLPR and was named Shelter Volunteer of the Year for 2011 for the State of Missouri for her invaluable contributions at JCAC. Referring to her ever-increasing involvement with STLPR, Adel explained, “I like the people in the group, and I like that they’re helping the animals at JCAC.”

A nurse by trade, “Adel is incredibly knowledgeable about and absolutely excellent concerning the medical aspects of cats and dogs,” Carol explained. “She’s our go-to person for all things medical.” But her expertise does not stop there. “Adel is involved in every aspect of the group’s work, and she’s become an awesome leader in the group. She works full-time as a STLPR volunteer and leader, and she works full-time as a nurse at Mercy; she devotes time to JCAC to help out there, and I have no idea how she does it all. But ‘amazing’ is the only way I can describe Adel and all that she contributes to the group, in her career, and to animals,” Carol emphasized.

And “amazing” just might also be the word to describe how the St. Louis Pet Rescue “family” has grown since October 2009, when Barb, Nickie, and Adel were among the first to step forward to help. Soon, “many others joined to support the effort,” Jackie explained. “People really liked the idea of a drama-free rescue group, being allowed to pick their own foster pets, and joined in.” Now, there are a couple of dozen cat and/or dog fosters, Monday through Friday cage cleaners for the Cat Adoption Center the group is in charge of at Gravois Bluffs Petco in Fenton, a few volunteers who concentrate on leading the fundraising effort, and some general all-around volunteers who assist when available.

Looking back, Jackie summarized, “The past two years have been a whirlwind, and I have met so many talented, positive-thinking, smart women – and a few men, too! But look at what a bunch of smart women from various backgrounds can do!!! I mean, we have saved about a thousand pets in two years! That’s incredible – but we all did it!”

And think of all the happy pet guardians and equally happy cats, dogs, kittens and puppies who found each other during those 2 years of adoptions! Most of those then-homeless animals would have been euthanized if Jackie had not been convinced to go ahead with St. Louis Pet Rescue through that all-important phone call from Adel!

Born with a loud heart murmur, Phillip, now 7 months old, is as active as any other kitten his age. “He’s expected to live a long, healthy life, but the heart murmur will always be present,” his foster mom Lisa Mayer, said of Phillip.

Phillip, a brown tabby male, is quite a charmer. He likes to sit on Lisa’s lap, put his paws on her chest, and get kisses. “He loves other cats and has done fine around small dogs.” He follows his foster mom and loves kitty treats. He meows like crazy when Lisa gets them out. Phillip loves to be held and sleeps next to his foster mom. His favorite toy happens to be ponytail-holders. Phillip is known around Lisa’s house as “the ponytail-holder thief!”

A cardiologist performed an ECHO medical test, a 3-D ultrasound that looks at the heart in action and diagnosed Phillip’s condition as a restrictive ventricular septal defect in his heart. Lisa explained, “That means that Phillip has a hole between the two chambers of his heart, and the hole shouldn’t be there.” But Lisa added, “The cardiologist said this is one of the better [heart-related] problems Phillip could have and that it shouldn’t have too much of an impact on him” or his life expectancy. It is not a condition that requires surgery or that surgery would help, Lisa explained.

In April, Phillip is to have another ECHO, and, Lisa said, if it shows no change, everything looks great for the ponytail-holder thief.

And that’s fabulous news to Lisa. “Phillip is very special to me because at one time, we were thinking he would not live long. I decided I would try to give him the best life possible for the time he had, so I spoiled him rotten. Now he thinks he’s special and loves all the attention. He will make a great friend for someone who enjoys a Velcro kitty. He even waits outside the shower for me.”

Adel Petterson, one of the leaders of St. Louis Pet Rescue, pointed out that Phillip’s future adoptive family will need to be able to take him to see a specialist in the future should he ever need it. Phillip’s adoption fee will be the group’s normal $125 for kitties even though Phillip’s medical expenses have reached at least $500.

“I’ve grown very attached to him over the months and will truly miss him when he finds his forever family,” Lisa said. But Lisa wants very much for Phillip to find that forever family, a family who will love and cherish him and know, without a doubt, just how special a kitty he is!

Meet Rorschach!

From his foster mom, Jessica:

On October 7, 2011 a couple came to the animal boarding facility where I work carrying a sad little kitten that was obviously emaciated and possibly blind from severe eye infection and trauma. They had found the kitten wobbling about just outside of a wooded area and had brought him to us in desperation. Despite his sad state he never stopped purring for a moment.

He was rushed to an emergency vet clinic that night and since has had a slow and steady recovery. He is now a fun loving kitten with boundless energy. He LOVES to play, wrestle, and of course, cuddle. He is good with other cats and dogs (and even tries to wrestle with my German Sheperd).

Someone found a Pretty Picture in this poor little Inky Blot!  Rorschach now lives with his new mom, Jean.

From Nickie B.:

My sister and I found a poor kitty my sister’s dog had it cornered near her garage. Anyway, the poor thing had a leaf stuck to its face, so I knew something was terribly wrong with it. I tried to give it some food so I could get a better look at it, and that’s about all it took. As soon as I saw the condition it’s face was in, I immediately took it to the vet. The kitty basically has a terribly infected abcess on the side of his face — probably from a fight with another cat since he is an unaltered male. His eye is unrecognizable and he can’t eat normally (I’m guessing from the pain — he was able to lick some wet food – as you can imagine, he is VERY thin). The first thing we did was run a Feline Luke test that came back negative. At that point we named him Clem. The vet is keeping Clem over the weekend, treating with antibiotics and fluids. As long as things go well over the weekend, he will perform surgery in which Clem will likely lose his eye. Fortunately, our vet is working with us and giving us a discount, however, it’s estimating the cost to be around $250 after treatment, surgery and neuter. I even asked the vet if he needed an office kitty! Unfortunately, he doesn’t. Clem is a super sweet, nice and beautiful bow-tie kitty which is why I couldn’t resist him. He showed no aggression towards us or the vet at all. Was very patient during what I’m sure was a painful exam. Clem’s recovery and subsequent adjustment to being a one-eyed cat will take some time and patience.

Please donate via Paypal to jackie.koerner@stlpetrescue.com for Clem’s care!  Thank you!

Tori is the most sweet loving kitty who was dumped at a kill shelter.

Come to find out she has mega colon and needs to be on medication and special food for life. She is 2-3 years old and a complete love bug lap cat who needs a foster home. She gets along with other cats but needs to be separated for feedings because of her special food.

You know what looks good under the Christmas tree? An Eli!!! Eli loves to give kisses, knows sit, down, come, stay, leave it, climb (on my bed when told) and learning no bark. He is great on walks, loves kids and playing ball. He sleeps in the bedroom on his bed at night. He is crate trained and just need to be told to “Kennel up” while pointing in the direction of kennel. When he is alone during the day, he stays in the laundry room with a gate up in the door and the radio on for company.

“I would love to join your family and complete your home! I am full of love and you can see it in my eyes, I have a soft heart and love to please!”

What us cat lovers must do for a shatter-free Christmas!  Check out what Chris H. had to do.

Chris H. designed this wonderful display case at the Arnold Library a few months back!

She dislikes her litter being dirty and hates rough play. She likes to drink out of the faucet but will drink out of her bowl. She is on Urinary Food so that she will not get urinary tract infections. Her big Booda Box litter box, bowl and any remaining special food will go with her. She is 8 years old and DECLAWED. Her adoption fee if $75.00