INSIDE THIS ISSUE Classifieds.........................................................A13 Community Calendar................................A13-14 Dining & Entertainment....................................A8 Youth..................................................................A12 Sports ..................................................................A6 Serving Northeast Fort Wayne & Allen County
Inside: Find out what’s new at the zoo on page A15.
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May 11, 2012
A temporary home ASPCA takes animals in, but seeks help to make it home By VALERIE CAVIGLIA pr@timespubs.com
Adelaide, a fragile but sweet feline at the Allen County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), has been lovingly cared for by staff and volunteers since her owner was forced to surrender her in December. The shelter has tried to make the cat’s temporary home a comfortable, happy place. “Adel’s” tiny, 1-year-old heart has a condition that will likely end her life by the age of 3. Cardiomyopathy makes her heart beat rapidly when she feels stress, which can make it difficult for Adel to breathe. Although medication is available, there is no cure for her condition. But, the ASPCA feels strongly there is a perfect home for Adel in Fort Wayne — and staff members are doing all they can to find just the right place for her. This is what they do. Special needs animals or those facing euthanasia are evaluated by the ASPCA to ensure they are a good fit for the program. Then the ASPCA takes them in, working diligently to find the animal its forever home while keeping the facility clean, organized and most of all, a safe haven for animals who may otherwise be put down. The care they provide isn’t only for animals. Special considerations have been made for owners forced to give up their beloved pets. Sofia Rodriguez, executive director of the ASPCA, said when she first started in 2010, a woman visited the shelter, distraught she had to give up her dog. Her family’s economic and living situations had changed, and a new landlord had rescinded permission to keep pets at their home.
Photo by Valerie Caviglia
Meet Adelaide, seen here in the arms of Allen County SPCA Executive Director Sofia Rodriguez. The feline’s heart condition means she will need just the right family in her forever home. Also pictured at left is ASPCA Medical Team Captain Tanya Gallo. “I will never forget her,” Rodriguez said. “Her landlord originally said that she could have (a dog) and then two weeks later told her she couldn’t. She was just at her wits end. I thought, ‘If someone is trying to do the right thing, I
Bridge project opens route to, from New Haven By VALERIE CAVIGLIA
See ASPCA, page A7
Budget Tight? Are you pregnant? Breastfeeding? Have a child under 5?
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WIC might be able to help.
Photo by Valerie Caviglia
A crew plots lane restriction cones along Maplecrest Road at the Lake Avenue intersection. the potential for economic development. Planners estimate as many as 8,000 vehicles will be attracted daily to the new roadway, which includes a total of four bridges. Future traffic volumes are expected to double. Planners say this also will reduce the number of vehicles using the other at-grade railroad
crossings by 28 percent, improving safety for motorists. “We’re excited about how it’s going to impact the area. It will open up a much quicker route to New Haven and from New Haven to Georgetown,” said Steve Jehl, manager of Georgetown Square See BRIDGE, page A4
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Call to see if you qualify.
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Neighborhood Health Clinics s 1725 S. Calhoun St. Fort Wayne, IN
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Construction crews recently placed traffic cones on Maplecrest Road at Lake Avenue, serving as proof that a road-extension project 30 years in the making really is underway. The 1.4-mile extension of Maplecrest Road on the east side of Fort Wayne will create a direct route from the Georgetown area to New Haven, including a new bridge over the Maumee River. Without it, driving has long been an obstacle for traffic running north and south on that side of Fort Wayne. Add several railroad tracks running parallel with the south side of the river carrying around 50 trains and the result is numerous traffic delays and hampered direct access to areas with
want them to have as much privacy as possible.’ She was the reason I went to Habitat for Humanity and bought