Archive: Around Town

The Ithaca Professional Fire Fighters Association (IPFFA) typically holds events and drives to raise money to fight cancer and muscular dystrophy in humans.  This month they are doing something different, to benefit animals.  The union is conducting a food and supplies drive for animals to help the Tompkins County SPCA take care of the influx of dogs and especially cats that the winter typically brings.  The drive is being spearheaded by Firefighter/EMT Adam Buck with assistance from Lieutenant Tom Deis.

"We two and a lot of the other members are animal people," Buck says.  "We all have animals, grew up on farms, have animals now... we decided to do something to shake it up a little bit.  Now is a good time of the year to do something for animals, because things are harder in the middle of winter.  The SPCA is seeing more animals dropped off that need to be cared for, medicated, and adopted.  So we think this is a good time of year to do this."

The firefighters are especially looking for a shopping list of supplies requested by the SPCA that includes kitten nursing bottles, hand towels, wash cloths, dry food (dog & cat), canned Food (dog & cat), jars of peanut butter, cans of easy/squeeze cheese, liquid laundry detergent, paper towel rolls, 18 gal storage totes w/ lids, small plastic litter boxes, bottle cleaning brushes, assorted ziplock bags, and small funnels.

Buck sent an email to fellow firefighters and says he got an overwhelmingly positive response to the idea.  He wanted to do more to honor a beloved Saint Bernard he lost to bone cancer about a year and a half ago.

"That's when I started getting involved with the SPCA," he says.  "In the last two years I've donated in memory of my Saint Bernard, Tanya.  That led to the idea for this food drive now."

Deis currently has four dogs, three cats, and a Green-cheeked Conure.  His wife volunteered at the SPCA before opening a business, which now donates to the organization.

"We go there and look at the cats," Deis says.  "It's hard to walk out without one. We usually make a donation when we go by the SPCA annex at the mall -- it's paying for not taking another cat!"

The Ithaca department has a history of involvement with animals.  Deis says that the mascot dog of choice was not the stereotypical Dalmatian.  Ithaca favored bulldogs.  When taking care of the horses that pulled fire equipment around the city, the dogs were popular among the firefighter companies.

"One company got a bulldog," he says. "Another company copied them and it snowballed from there.  They all had bulldogs."

Today with limited staff and frequent shift rotations it's not practical to have a dog.  Deis says it isn't healthy for a dog to not have a specific owner.  Buck notes that one union member has a Dalmatian as a personal pet.

The drive started February 7th and runs through the 21st.  Donations can be dropped off at Ithaca Central Station on West Green Street.  Buck says the best time to drop off supplies is between 9am and 4pm Monday through Friday to insure someone will be there to receive the donations.  He says other times are catch-as-catch-can.

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