Best ‘friends’

A balmy, tropical evening with SAVE—A Friend to Homeless Animals

By: Christian Kirkpatrick
   A sign pointed the way to Margaritaville and the Tiki Wine Hut. Across a stand of potted palms drifted the plaintive chords of a song by Jimmy Buffett. In a corner sat a welcoming bar with a thatched roof. Here and there, happy guests in Hawaiian shirts sipped frozen drinks and ate tangy morsels.
   Was this a bit of hedonistic heaven, home of the famous "lost shaker of salt?"
   It was even better. It was "Tails from Margaritaville," a benefit for SAVE—A Friend to Homeless Animals.
   On Saturday evening, the Princeton Airport hosted the first gala to raise funds for the new organization. Nearly 230 supporters — "parrotheads" and ordinary animal lovers — filled one of its hangars for a dinner provided by Main Street Catering, plus live and silent auctions, music by Jimmy and The Parrots, and a video about the many animals that the organization cares for.
   Co-chair Robbie Ellsworth of Princeton said the gala planning committee had searched for a theme that was fun and related to animals. "Tails from Margaritaville" sounded like a good choice, she said.
   According to co-chair Susan Blitzer of Montgomery, proceeds from the event will help fund operations at SAVE’s shelter at 900 Herrontown Road in Princeton.
   On any given day, about 130 cats and 25 to 30 dogs live at the shelter, said Harper McArthur, SAVE’s development director. The residents eat from $10 to $15 of food a day, and each has received from $150 to $200 in shots, spaying or neutering, and sometimes expensive first aid. "Some come in bad shape," she explained, "but we try to take in any animal that is potentially adoptable."
   If necessary, SAVE-A Friend to Homeless Animals also socializes and trains rescued or abandoned animals before seeking adoptive homes for them. The organization does not consider euthanasia appropriate, except in extreme cases. SAVE-A Friend to Homeless Animals currently has animal control contracts with Princeton Township, Princeton Borough and Plainsboro.
   SAVE also sponsors the "Partners in Empathy" Training Program, which teaches area children to understand canine and feline behavior and helps them to feel comfortable around cats and dogs.
   The organization gets no governmental aid and relies on the public for its funding. It is currently raising money for a new shelter to be built on Route 601 in the Skillman neighborhood in Montgomery, near the township’s new high school. This facility will provide improved living quarters and will have a large, fenced-in yard where feral cats can live in peace.
   Executive Director Fred Ball said he’d like to see the organization hold its 2007 benefit in the new shelter.
   SAVE-A Friend to Homeless Animals was formed in February, when SAVE and A Friend to Homeless Animals, which was founded by Cheryl Mills, merged. Both organizations had cared for rescued and abandoned animals in the Princeton area. "Now the whole is greater than the sum of the parts," Mr. Ball said.
   Karen Azarchi of Princeton avidly volunteers with the new organization. "At this point in my life, it’s time to give back," she declared. She has improved living conditions at the SAVE shelter by building new fences, playing classical music for the animal residents, and bringing them lots of treats. On Saturdays, she’s often at Pet Smart, enticing shoppers to adopt rescued animals that she brings there from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
   Not that one has to go out for Puppy Chow to find a SAVE-A Friend to Homeless Animals adoptee. Pictures and descriptions of the organization’s animals can be found at www.petfinder.com under the 08520 zip code or by visiting SAVE’s Web site, www.save-animals.org. And check The Packet’s News section for "Pet of the Week."
   According to Ms. Azarchi, SAVE-A Friend to Homeless Animals needs not only adoptive families but volunteers — dog walkers, foster families for animals needing special care, people to socialize cats and dogs, even dog trainers. Novices are welcome. SAVE will provide the necessary training. Volunteers are also needed for community outreach. Anyone wishing to help should call SAVE’s administrative offices at (609) 924-3802.
   Sponsors of "Tails from Margaritaville" included Merrill Lynch; Mr. and Mrs. William C. Egan III; Mr. and Mrs. M. Roch Hillenbrand; Ms. Betty Wold Johnson and Mr. Douglas F. Bushnell; Mr. and Mrs. John D. Sayer, and Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Sontag.