Article published December 12, 2008
TV channel says woman purr-fect 'Cat Hero of Year'
Defiance resident runs feline rescue center, clinic
For felines who have been abused, abandoned, and just plain unwanted, Jacci Moss, in her center's playroom, always has been their hero.
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THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT
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By JAMES JOYCE III
BLADE STAFF WRITER
DEFIANCE - A hero lives here, and her name is Jacci Moss.
She was named Animal Planet's Cat Hero of the Year, an award presented by the makers of Fresh Step Litter. In its third year, the award recognizes people who have demonstrated "extraordinary service in time, effort, and results" for the improved welfare of cats.
That has been a passion for Mrs. Moss since childhood. In 1999, Mrs. Moss, 55, opened the Friends of Felines Rescue Center on her Defiance property. The no-kill, no-cage facility takes in cats from Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana - usually ones that have been abused or abandoned or no longer are wanted by their owners.
The center started with one room and 11 cats. Within weeks, the number of cats grew to 20. It now houses 80 to 100 felines each day.
"When I look back, it's just amazing to me what we've grown into," she said.
Under Mrs. Moss' direction, once the felines are taken in, they are quarantined, vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and then given free rein in the center, which is outfitted with 250 feet of cat walks, feline furniture, beds, and toys.She then tries to find homes for each cat, but admits, "We can never, ever adopt our way out of this overpopulation problem."
That led to her opening Earth Angels, a low-cost spay-and-neuter clinic, which is in its fourth year.
Since the clinic, which also is on her property, opened, more than 7,100 surgeries have been performed.
Mrs. Moss said it costs $60 to spay female cats and $35 to neuter males, however, the clinic is performing surgeries each day.
Mrs. Moss said she will get a cancellation call, usually because people can't afford the surgery, given the tough economic times.
"It shouldn't be an option to not neuter your pet," she said.
The clinic also performs on dogs, but those costs vary depending on the gender and size of the canine.
Between the rescue center and the clinic, about 30 volunteers keep both running.
In September, Mrs. Moss learned that she was one of 10 finalists for the Cat Hero of the Year award, a recognition that carries a $5,000 donation to the animal-welfare organization of her choice.
The voting for the winner was opened to the public through the Animal Planet Web site and ended Oct. 13.
An Animal Planet spokesman confirmed Mrs. Moss received 24 percent of the more than 17,000 votes cast for the 10 finalists.
"I've known for quite a while, but I haven't been able to tell anybody," Mrs. Moss said.
The winner was announced last night on the Web site, www.animalplanet.com.
About the same time, the cable channel's Hero of the Year winner, Eileen McCaughern of Bethany, Conn., was announced on the air in conjunction with Animal Planet's "Heroes Week."
That award, which recognizes people who have demonstrated extraordinary service in time, effort, and results for a cause that contributes to the welfare of animals, carries with it a $10,000 donation to a charity and a trip for two to her choice destination that supports an animal-welfare cause.
Mrs. Moss plans to use her prize money to promote and perform more surgeries to help control the feline population.
The rescue center, clinic, and the Defiance Humane Society are putting up a billboard on the east side of Defiance promoting the message: "We're working together to try get more cats spayed and neutered."
"A litter does make a difference," Mrs. Moss said.
She also plans to use some of the money to provide vouchers for spay and neuter surgeries and wants to help distribute dog and cat-care books to help children become more aware of the issue.
Recognizing the prize money is only a start to solving the problem, she hopes other donors will take up the cause.
And knowing her work and that of the many volunteers who help out are being recognized nationally, it's both exciting and overwhelming, she said.
But she is happy to finally be able to talk about it.
Her volunteers have been asking if she had heard of anything for weeks.
"I've been telling them fibs and I'm not a fibber," she said. "I've said, 'I don't know.'•"
Hoping they forgive her, there is a celebration from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at the rescue center, 14597 Power Dam Rd. There will be free giveaways, things that their suppliers have given them.
"I never thought this would grow into something like this," Mrs. Moss said.
Contact James Joyce III at:
jjoyce@theblade.com
or 419-724-6076.
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