"Mother's Nature" tabbed for Wal-Mart national pet project

A Houston no-kill animal rescue shelter is working with Wal-Mart to help make sure animals find homes before they are euthanized.

Mother's Nature Lost and Found is a no-kill rescue shelter run by Sunny Radebaugh, on her Houston-area property. Mother's Nature was recently chosen to participate in a national movement in Wal-Mart stores to raise awareness -- and consequently, adoption rates -- for animals left behind.

"When I got that call, it was like my prayers were answered," Radebaugh said. "We were chosen to represent from the Valley north to Fairbanks."

At Wal-Mart, in the pets department, there is a peg board with pictures of animals and a description of them. So far, Radebaugh has been impressed with the progress.

"Tim at Wal-Mart told me they are going through about 100 of our business cards a month," Radebaugh said. "People stop us constantly and ask about getting a cat. This is a fabulous opportunity dropped on this area, with all of the animal control problems we have."

The program is sponsored by Wal-Mart, Purina and the American Humane Association. The program is being called the "Very Best Pet Network."

Mother's Nature started out as a very personal project, and it still is for Radebaugh. She moved her mother, an Alzheimer's patient, to Alaska seven years ago. One day, a cat that had fallen into a river made its way to their property.

"My mother took this kitty and pet it and rubbed it and told it, 'You got lost too,'" Radebaugh said. "She put that cat on her chest and told it, 'I can help your heart, and you can help mine.'"

Radebaugh said that while her mother pet the kitten, her arthritic hands didn't hurt and her physical ailments weren't painful.

"A lot of people don't realize how alive the elderly are," Radebaugh said. "This was mental medicine for my mother."

Since then, Radebaugh's property has become a place for stray cats and cats nobody wants. That has lead to some pains as well.

Radebaugh's property is zoned for 17 cats -- and she takes care of nearly 100. Because of a recent visit by animal control and city officers, coming on the heels of complaints from community members, she is stepping up her efforts to get the cats adopted, and comply with the law.

"The humane society is coming out from Anchorage and taking a bunch of cats and kittens because they have a good chance to get them adopted, and we are putting up flyers and talking to people about cat adoption so we can get down to 17," Radebaugh said.

Her and her mother lap-train animals for the Hands to Paws programs, which involves elderly people adopting a lap cat for companionship.

She hopes that once people are more familiar with the program, the 17-cat minimum will be lifted for her.

"My mom kind of test drives the cat, to see if they are adoptable," Radebaugh said.

There are other types of programs Radebaugh is trying to see established. One that is up and running is the Never Too Young To Care, which was started by Christina Busk, a young girl whose mother is Radebaugh's nurse.

The program involves young people learning the responsibilities of raising an animal. They can adopt an animal for a temporary time period to get a basic understanding of what pet ownership involves.

While being selected for the Very Best Pet Network was a big deal, Radebaugh said she is in need of some things to further make no-kill animal rescue successful -- and to comply with zoning regulations.

She is in "desperate need" of a construction trailer or similar structure to house the cats when winter hits -- right now, the cats are just running around the land she rents.

She also relies on donations to feed, house and care for the animals.

For more information about Mother Nature's Lost and Found, interested people can contact Radebaugh at 892-2345.