Klinke saving animals at Wrangell’s rescue shelter

Household pets, whether they be furry, adorable cats, or dogs – man’s best friend – need love, care, consideration and, most of all, homes that want them.

When these animals find themselves unwanted or astray in Wrangell there is a safety net for them, courtesy of Delores Klinke and her St. Frances Animal Rescue operation on Graves Drive near 3.2 Mile Zimovia Highway.

Klinke’s rescue service has been in operation for four years and is the busiest during the summer months.

The motivation behind her rescue efforts is to see the animals she cares for live happy lives.

“I really feel sorry for any abandoned animals,” she said. “I want to be able to save them.”

Every cat or dog that passes through the doors of St. Frances is spayed or neutered and receives any shots or medication needed to bring them back to full health. After that, Klinke adds, the animals are adopted out to loving families.

For cats that are feral or not adoptable, Klinke also has a plan in place.

“If we can’t adopt them out, we relocate them,” Klinke added. “Though, a good thing is that nearly every dog we get is adoptable.”

Currently, Klinke has two dogs that will be adopted out in the near future, she says.

“We have a black lab and Chesapeake mix named Maggie, and a mixed shepherd named Rusty. We’re going to give them a couple of months to get ready for adoption, but we’ll also give the original owner a chance to reclaim them,” Klinke said.

Over the course of four years, Klinke said she has helped save more than 460 cats and 160 dogs in the Wrangell area. Many of those animals are brought in after being found in the community.

“We just had a young lady bring us a little kitten that was about 4-6 weeks old,” Klinke said. “She found it right next to the road. We took her to the vet and we’re going to work on nursing it back to health. We also named her ‘Moon.’”

For Wrangellites interested in adopting a pet from St. Frances, call Klinke at 874-3452.