Home Care In Neapolis, OH

Christine "Elle" Cox, the executive director and founder of the nonprofit, said the organization's purpose is to improve the lives of all animals.

NEAPOLIS, Ohio — There are exactly 78 animals at The Good Shepherd Animal Sanctuary in Neapolis, Ohio.

Christine "Elle" Cox, the executive director and founder of the nonprofit, said the organization's purpose is to improve the lives of all animals.

Cox said the sanctuary has a goal to expand the six-acre farm into 20 acres or more because she wants space for all animals in need.

"We believe that when it really counts, even though there are some small differences, that (all animals) are all the same," Cox said. "We have horses, we have cows, we have rabbits, we have cats, we have dogs, we have chickens, we have turkeys and pigs."

The sanctuary was founded in 2018 with the sole purpose of saving all animals in distress.

Now, the issue they are currently facing is a lack of space.

"For years since we have begun, we're turning down about 80 to 150 animals, depending on the year," Cox said.

While she wants to take in every single animal, she turns them away to avoid overcrowding. But, Cox said she typically finds them other safe spaces to live. These animals aren't likely to be adopted, meaning no new space will become available until after an animal has passed.

But Cox and a group of volunteers look forward to caring for them regardless.

"Being with the animals and seeing the impact that we make, it really gives you that sense of fulfillment and you get to see right in front of you that you are changing lives, and hear it too," Volunteer Team Leader Kaitlin Wertzbaugher said.

Cox hopes the nonprofit's Betting on a Brighter Future Campaign will bring it a step or two closer to successful expansion. Her timeline said they should have enough funds within the next five years for it.

"The goal is to expand from our current six acres in Neapolis, Ohio, to 20-plus acres, so, that we no longer have to continue to turn down animals in dire need of help," Cox said.

Wertzbaugher said community support is key, no matter the amount.

"Take the money from one Starbucks latte or get involved in any small way. No amount is too small," Wertzbaugher said. "So many more lives that we could save and amazing animals that we could have room for here and in our hearts."

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In May, I cycled a ten mile section of the converted rail line Wabash Cannonball Bike Trail’s North Fork (see TCP May 20th edition) and, as promised in that article, I have now pedaled a ten mile section of the WCT’ South Fork. Here’s what I discovered.

Accessing The South Fork

The best place to access both the North and South Forks of the WCT is to park at Fallen Timbers Shopping Center off of N. Jerome Rd. in parking areas F1 and F2 (cyclists are welcome to park here). Head north for almost a mile along the designated bike route staying on N Jerome Rd until you see the sign pole to your left for the WCT North Fork Trail. Follow the North Fork for about a quarter mile where you will see the WCT South Fork sign pole to the left and head that way. The paved, flat trail runs about six miles to Whitehouse (miles 1-6) and another four miles beyond to Neapolis (miles 6.5-10.5) where the WCT continues on to end in Liberty, OH (miles 11-20 unpaved).

The trail section to Whitehouse takes you along areas of dense vegetation, the back side of rural/residential neighborhoods and a few open fields. By far the best part of the ride is the arrival in Whitehouse and the 4.5 mile stretch of trail between Whitehouse and Neapolis.

Whitehouse amenities

The city of Whitehouse accommodates cyclists with restrooms, drinking fountains, a park (picnic area/playground), benches, bike racks and General’s Ice Cream Stop. Be careful to watch for pedestrians, especially children. You can also drive and park here (intersection of Providence/Rte 64 and Toledo St) to access the trail in either direction— onward to Neapolis or back toward the North/South Trailhead.

The route between Whitehouse and Neapolis is a near perfect setting to lose yourself in the rhythms of cycling and nature, cutting through a colorful canvas of wildflowers— velvety blue leaved mullens, tall yellow cone flowers mingled among the delicate white heads of queen anne’s lace before the trail slowly melds into a deliciously shaded cathedral-like corridor of pine, poplar, locust and maple trees. Next the trail gently unfolds into breathtaking vistas of golden sun drenched farm fields where horses graze while hawks, blue herons, and crows glide across the blue sky casting their shadows. I strongly recommend you view the interactive trail map at wabashcannonballtrail.org before you go to get your bearings.

Sustenance stops

Generals Ice Cream features ten types of specialty sundaes including warm apple, twisted crunch and dirt. They also have great chocolate malts. Check out Cycle Werks Bike Shop (shopcyclewerks.com 6760 Providence St); it’s all about a passion for bikes and biking. Refuel at the Village Pizza Factory 6792 Providence St. or at the Whitehouse Inn (whitehouseinn.net 10835 Waterville Rd. at Providence St.) for their sandwiches, specialty prime rib, and Snickers pie on their pretty patio.

Bike Trail Intersection Crossings

-Trail access-North Jerome Rd near Monclova Rd—park at Fallen Timbers Shopping Center on North Jermone Rd. sections F1 and F2 across from JC Penney -Intersection crossing at 1.6 miles Black Rd -Intersection crossing at 2 miles Waterville-Monclova Rd -Intersection crossing at 3 miles Stitt Rd -Intersection crossing at 4 miles Bucher-Rodney Boyer Rd. (a small three spot parking lot for cyclists to access trail is here) -At 4.5 miles— Welcome to the Village of Whitehouse sign -Intersection crossing at 5 miles Finzel Rd. -Mile 6 brings you into the Whitehouse Town Center and Park at Providence and Toledo St.— lots of parking here for trail access -Intersection crossing at 7 miles Berkey Southern Rd. -Intersection crossing at 8 miles Berridge Rd. -Intersection crossing at 8.5 miles Yawberg Rd. -Intersection crossing at 9 miles Jeffers Rd. -Mile 10.5 brings you to Neapolis, OH

A property off Neapolis Waterville Road in Waterville could soon be slated for rezoning, the city of Waterville has announced.

The property, 48.56 acres located at 8275 Neapolis Waterville Rd., was bought by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority in November and they are seeking a rezoning from A-1 Agricultural to M-1 Light Industrial District.

A public hearing on the zoning matter will be held at 7:30 pm on April 10 in Waterville city council chambers.

Joe Cappel, the Port Authority’s vice president of business development, said the zoning process is a simple one because of the proximity of the property to Farnsworth Industrial Park, which sits on an adjacent plot.

“There are some existing businesses in the business park that might have an opportunity to expand in the future,” he said Monday. “This could help them to do that. There is also room for new businesses who are similar to come on site there and help increase employment opportunities in the city of Waterville.”

Mr. Cappel said Waterville reached out to the Port Authority about the prospect of having them purchase the land last fall, and the Port Authority requested to have the land rezoned to match the Farnsworth Industrial Park. The park was conceived and incorporated in 1980 on property that had originally been part of the W.G. Farnsworth Orchards.

The Port Authority would put some basic infrastructure on property like roads and utilities, Mr. Cappel said, and the organization would also offer financial services, like its bond fund, in order to help businesses that locate there.

“This is something the administration of the city of Waterville envisioned — that business park growing,” he said.

Waterville Mayor Tim Pedro said that his city had had an eye on using that property for a while.

“Way back when we were a village, there was an organization that helped develop the industrial park where there are buildings and manufacturing,” Mr. Pedro said Tuesday. “That has always been a logical area for expansion.

“There is really no other way for those companies to grow except for in that general area,” Mr. Pedro said of businesses like Surface Combustion and Kaufman Engineered Systems, located in the industrial park, which he described as good citizens and business partners.

Still, a big draw on Mr. Pedro’s mind is the jobs that the project can only create.

“A lot of times folks might not understand that when a job is created in Waterville, and you have a house that is built in Waterville, it is not apples to oranges,” he said. “We need to have a balance of businesses in our community and quite frankly we need to have businesses where our young graduates want to stay in our community to be engineers, mechanical plumbing engineers, and technicians at some of those businesses.”

The process of making a zoning request is mostly up to the applicant not the city, Mr. Pedro said.

Mr. Cappel said he does not know of any opposition to the rezoning but acknowledged there might be some.

“As we are preparing to talk to businesses about locating there and so on, we will probably continue to farm that property until the point that someone is ready to break ground,” he said, mentioning that if there is any opposition, it can be voiced at the April 10 hearing. “Farming is a good way to lease the property to someone so that they produce crops. You generate a little bit of revenue but you are also maintaining the land.

“Most people will not notice a difference because it will be same type of activity that has always taken place there,” he said.

First Published March 21, 2023, 3:07pm

Spring has finally sprung in Northwest Ohio! Flowers are blooming, luscious green leaves fill the trees, snow blowers have been traded for lawn mowers, and snow boots for flip-flops. The chirps of baby birds fill the air, squirrels are playing in the branches above our heads, and perhaps you have glimpsed a fawn on a walk through one of our beautiful Metroparks. New life is bursting throughout our region, a welcome change from the frozen landscape of winter.

Mostly, that is.

Each spring, animal shelters in our region quickly fill to capacity with cats and kittens. While efforts to curb the influx of cats exist, such as Humane Ohio’s discounted spay/neuter program for zip codes with the highest numbers of feral cats, this time of year strains many rescue shelters and their resources. Many of these shelters are no-kill shelters, meaning their animals will not be euthanized unnecessarily, which is an important factor for many when surrendering an animal.

Many years ago, after my cat had surprised us with a litter of kittens, I found myself needing to find a rescue shelter for the final kitten of the litter. This kitten, whom I had dubbed “Lil Guy,” was born with two clubbed front legs, and though I desperately wanted to keep him, circumstances prevented me from doing so. Lil Guy ended up with Paws and Whiskers, a no-kill shelter on Hillwyck Drive in Toledo. Despite his handicap, Lil Guy was just as active as his siblings had been, and I wanted to make sure he was given the chance to live out his days with someone who could see how special he was, as I did. While I have no idea what happened to Lil Guy after we dropped him off, I like to think he found the perfect environment for him.

No-kill shelters are wonderful but come with some challenges. Due to their nature, some animals can be with the shelter a long time, and in times of high or full capacity, resources can be stretched thin. Shelters, as with most nonprofit organizations, rely heavily on donations. However, not all donations needed are financial in nature. Certain items, such as food, paper towels, toys, bedding, and cleaning supplies are always in demand. Some have created a Wishlist on Amazon or Chewy, similar to a baby or wedding shower registry.

For Fur Rescue Animal Shelter, however, “our biggest obstacle is not having enough fosters for the number of animals we are asked to take in,” said Brooke Dutridge, founder of the nonprofit. “Because of this we, sadly, have to turn animals away.”

Dutridge was 26 when she founded Fur Angels in the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. “My long-term goal is to become a brick and mortar rescue so we can help more lives,” she said, using her six years in the animal rescue industry as the foundation for her mission. “Kittens are coming into our program nonstop; spring and fall are our busiest times for kitten intake.” She encourages the public to get involved by volunteering to be foster families, which are in high demand across all area shelters and rescues.

If you are ready to add a furry loved one to your family, or if you are interested in fostering or donating, no worries! We’ve done the hard work for you! We compiled a list of every cat shelter in the area, from Monroe to Findlay and Defiance to Oak Harbor. We even included links to all area Humane Societies, too. All shelters accept monetary donations on their websites. Direct links to specific Amazon, Chewy, or other wishlists are provided if available.

Fur Angels Rescue Shelter (419) 250-3914 Amazon Wishlist Chewy Wishlist Kuranda Shelter Beds

Paws and Whiskers (419) 536-1914 32 Hillwyck Dr, Toledo, OH 43615

Amazon Wishlist

Maumee Valley Save-a-Pet (419) 537-9663 5250 Hill Ave, Toledo, OH 43615

Toledo Animal Shelter Association (419) 382-1130 640 Wyman St, Toledo, OH 43609

Wishlist Humane Ohio (419) 266-5607 3948 W Alexis Rd, Toledo, OH 43623 Wishlist

Cat Tales – the Cat Clinic (419) 868-5287 7341 Airport Hwy #1, Holland, OH 43528 Free medical exams for kittens adopted from the Humane Society

419 Orphan Kitten Club (239) 299-4588 2105 Green Valley Dr, Toledo, OH 43614 Planned Pethood (419) 826-3499

Toledo

P.O. Box 350908, Toledo, OH 43635

Swanton

4299 County Road 1 2, Swanton, OH 43558

Perrysburg

29098 Hufford Rd, Perrysburg, OH 43551

Holland

1421 Holloway Rd, Holland, OH 43528

Tabby Tails Cat Rescue 419-430-0005 22550 Mermill Rd, Custar, OH 43511 By Appointment Only

Amazon Wishlist

Chewy Wishlist

The Good Shepard Animal Sanctuary

P.O. Box 563, Neapolis, OH 43547

[email protected] – by appointment only

Includes farm animals, dogs, and cats

Animal House Rescue (419) 374-0310 254 Vine St, Wauseon, OH 43567 Shop to Donate

Friends of Felines Rescue Center (419) 393-2400 14597 Power Dam Rd, Defiance, OH 43512 Needed Donations

Jazz Cat Animal Sanctuary, LLC

(419) 705-0770

10693 Salem-Carroll Rd, Oak Harbor, OH 43449

A working farm, also rescues farm animals in addition to cats

Facebook

Another Chance Sanctuary

(419) 307-1559

3320 Co Rd 175, Clyde, OH 43410

Donation Items Needed

DeeDee’s Felines

419-707-1046

419-707-2121

4107 Napoleon Rd, Fremont, OH 43420

Donations Needed

The Cat House

(419)734-4979

3751 W Oak Harbor SE Road (aka Route 17), Port Clinton, OH 43452

Currently not accepting cats or kittens for rescue; works with area shelters to place rescue felines. Currently offers flea/worm treatment and ear cleanings.

Teddy’s Rescue Mission

(419) 429-8888

12409 County Rd 99, Findlay, OH 45840

Amazon Wishlist

Needed Donations

Friends of Companion Animals

(734) 224-0700

2532 N Dixie Hwy, Monroe, MI 48162

Monroe County’s only all-cat Rescue and Adoption Center, Thrift Store

Amazon Wishlist

Chewy Wishlist

Needed Items

Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue

(734) 461-9458

51299 Arkona Rd., Belleville, MI 48111

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