He adopted me as a baby, and I grew up with him as my best friend. He would jump into my crib and lie next to me. Then transitioned to my bed as I grew. We went to bed together for all his remaining years. 

He loved to crawl up on my lap when I watched my TV shows. Over the years he slowly learned to trust us. Eventually he became everyone’s favorite lap cat. 

Roma had found peace and trust in our family and lived out the rest of his years knowing he was loved. I knew he loved us, too. I was with him as he passed…I was heartbroken. 

Roma has stuck with me ever since. He gave me the foundation of caring for animals that had been abused… and how they give back so much more love in return. 

When we moved to Florida, we had a big lake outside our backyard. The wild ducks that lived there would come begging at our sliding glass doors for food. I especially liked watching the baby ducks that came running over to get their share of bird seed.

A mama duck had built a nest under a bush in our front yard, which she filled with eggs. She sat on them for several weeks. They all seemed to hatch and get off the nest at the same time, then the mama led them as quickly as she could to the lake for their first experience swimming. 

Then I noticed there was still one egg left in the nest. I picked it up, and it was warm. It moved in my hand. I ran to my mom and told her that I thought there was a baby duck in it, and I wanted to help it hatch.

Chirpy hatched that night. I fell instantly in love as she emerged from her shell into this bright new world.

My mom and I had to teach her to eat.

Chirpy became my best study-buddy.

We loved to cuddle.

We would go on walks together. 

As she grew, we were best friends.

But I knew she had to become a duck, and not a pet. So we tried to encourage her to join with all the other ducks. In time, she did, but always came running to me when I was by the lake.  

This was her first time being a mom…it took her a while to learn to be a mother duck, as growing up in a bathtub was different from the wild. But she quickly adapted and thrived.

Although she was full grown, she would still let me hold her.

And when hungry, she would tap her beak on the glass doors, she would come in, and eat some of the cat’s food, much to their disappointment.

But this story doesn’t have a happy ending. 

Chirpy and her sisters had multiple sets of offspring throughout the years, and those little ones grew up and had their own baby ducks. Soon, the wild bunch would come out of the lake, 15-20 little ducklings at a time, make their way through the grass to our door, looking for food in the mornings. 

A large, loud, ride-on lawn mower came into the yard, just as I fed the babies their bird-food seeds by our tree. The man riding it, with a scruffy, bearded face, stopped the mower in front of the yellow and brown fluffy group, as they were hurriedly eating as fast as they could. 

Then, as I walked back toward the house, the lawn mower clanked into gear, as the man headed towards my babies at full speed. 

I screamed for him to stop. He didn’t. Tiny feathers, wing parts, little legs, and beaks flew in every direction. He backed up. Saw the carnage. Then went at them again. More body parts flew across the lawn. Four of them ran towards the lake, two got in, struggled to swim, and then drowned from their injuries. Two paddled away as fast as they could. Chirpy jumped in to follow them, looking back to see the horrible sight. Devastated and angry, I yelled at him to stop. The man went to jail for his horrible actions. But it didn’t bring my innocent grandbabies back.  

These were Chirpy’s grandchildren, whom I considered family members, being torn to shreds on my lawn. I’ve never forgotten how horrible this massacre was, and it has influenced me through many of my life choices since.

The massacre made national news, you can read it HERE.

“What are you doing to my ducks?” Kai wailed, his father remembers. “Why are you laughing?” he said to the lawn guy.

The couple is struggling to explain to 7-year-old Kai what he witnessed, Jentzsch told the Sun Sentinel. “He (Kai) asked me,” Jentzsch said, “‘Is everybody out there like this?’”

You don’t forget that type of thing. Nor should you. Animals are sentient beings, capable of love, as well as of fear. Why would anyone treat them differently from a toddler? (Scientists say cats and dogs are about the same intelligence level as a 2-3 year-old human toddler.)

Years later, my dad and I were in Utah for family, and I insisted on him taking me to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. Check it out HERE.

Best Friends is the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, providing a safe haven for up to 1,600 animals daily. 

I knew I had to be part of the effort to “Save them All,” as Best Friends says. 

In 8th grade, through my junior year of high school, when I found time, I would volunteer at Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue. Explore their mission and activities HERE.

I helped in any way I could, from cleaning cages, walking the dogs and puppies, and helping them close up for the day. I enjoyed my time there working with many of the amazing people who dedicated their lives to helping animals that have been abused or forgotten. 

While I liked helping the animals there as a volunteer, I wanted to do more and have a greater impact on helping mistreated and misfortunate animals. So I founded AACT. 

With a few of my closest friends, we started to work out how we could help animal shelters with more volunteers and outreach to adopt animals…how we could help stop abuse, and how we could be a champion for re-homing animals that need humane care. And to help move animals out of “kill shelters” to “no kill” shelters. 

We need your help to do that. To stop animal abuse. To be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. 

Will you join us today?

Will you… 

“Be Their Voice”?