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Jacquie Roy: A Ton of TLC

Volunteer Jacquie Roy wears a number of hats at Our Companions, but the bulk of her work is with seniors who participate in our Sterile Feral program. It all started when she tackled the task of trapping a colony of feral cats at her workplace. "I trapped, spayed and neutered seven cats. I released four of them, adopted one out, and was able to rehabilitate and socialize the other two, which I adopted myself."

When Jacquie was asked to help senior citizens in similar situations, she just couldn't refuse. "They try so hard to feed and help their 'babies,' and I can relate to that. But they need to go the extra step and get them spayed and neutered. The feral cat population is just way out of control."

Although she is reluctant to accept credit for a build-it-yourself feral cat shelter now recommended by Our Companions, Jacquie's inventive design, which improves on others she researched, is keeping a lot of animals cozy this winter. "I kept in mind everything that I thought would make a warm, quality shelter, tweaked other ideas here and there, added a ton of TLC, and came up with the design we now use. After three years of building them, you tend to learn what works well and what doesn't."

Anyone interested in building the "Jacquie Roy shelter" can get an easy-to-follow, step-by-step instruction flyer by calling the OC Helpline at 860-242-9999. Hands-on workshops, at which instructions will also be distributed, are being planned for March. Watch this space for more information.

While serious about the work she does with Our Companions, Jacquie's volunteer efforts definitely have a lighter side, as you can see by the photo that accompanies this article. She and her husband Dennis, a.k.a. Olivia the Cat and Rufus the Dog, make frequent appearances at Adopt-a-thons, Hartford Wolfpack games, and other local events. "We are very shy, but when we have our fat cat and dog suits on, anything goes. Our alter egos come out! Kids really go nuts when they see us, and even the adults get all giggly and have to get their pictures taken with us."

When asked what she personally gains from her volunteer experience with Our Companions, Jacquie draws a wonderful parallel. "Picture it this way: Everyone knows about The Grinch, whose heart grew three sizes when he gave Christmas back to the Whos in Whoville. That's what I get out of helping Our Companions. My heart grows three times its size when it comes to helping animals and others."

Considering all that she does for the people and animals who turn to us for assistance, we can believe it! Thanks for the ton of TLC, Jacquie.



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