An animal lover

By John Veasey
Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT March 15, 2009 10:01 pm

— Vina Ice, who nominated Sharon Vincent for the weekly honor, couldn’t say enough nice things about her. “She takes in crippled cats ... unwanted cats,” she says.
She said two of her own cats had kittens, but the “parents” were scared away.
“I kept them for two weeks ... fed them every two hours, just like babies. I even called my pastor for help,” she says.
“Someone told me about Sharon Vincent. She took them, cared for them, got them a home,” Vina said.
“She does this for hundreds of cats, and she’s done it for years.”
Vina said Sharon “loves cats. People drop off animals at her house. She takes in all she can. Her husband has to be a very loving man.”
She says Sharon Vincent is the “truest hero I know. This woman not only saved my kittens,” she says with a laugh. “She had probably saved my marriage.”
Sharon Vincent is Marion County’s “Everyday Hero” for this week.
A great need
Sharon Vincent has basically taken care of animals all her life.
“I officially began working for the Humane Society about 15 years ago. And then branched out to animal rescue and pets that are abandoned and abused,” she said.
She said there is a great need for this.
“Due to the expense and people’s limited income, there’s an over-abundance of cats and kittens out on the streets right now. It’s not as bad with dogs and puppies.”
Sharon said she had actually had people put kittens in her mail box and through the pet door in the basement.
“They don’t want to take them to animal control. Animal control will go to a home site to pick up a dog, but not cats,” she continued. “People don’t really have a chance to claim the cat if it’s taken to animal control.”

Active with animals
Sharon works with Pet Helpers, the newest group in Fairmont, and the Marion County Humane Society.
“I used to make transports, but we haven’t had to transport pets in a long time,” she said.
“I’ve also helped with fundraisers in the past, but I just have so many here to take care of now.”
Would you believe 19?
That’s correct.
“I currently am fostering 19 with various disabilities or illnesses. But some of them are healthy. But it’s really hard to find anybody to adopt a cat.”
She said the local veterinarians and the city police know about her. “They call me sometimes when they need some help or have questions. ... People basically hear about me through word of mouth.
“There are so many wild cats in Fairmont ... even in the downtown area,” she said.
“There are several places where I go and put food out. We’ve even taken some to get spayed and neutered, and then we take them back where we got them. But they really have to be hungry to willingly go into a trap.”
She says that during the winter months, cats especially have to have food or they won’t survive. Food and shelter.
“We just wish more people would volunteer and help us out providing foster care. If there was just a way for low-cost spay and neutering.
“And with a lot of people possibly losing their jobs, they’re not going to take their pets to be spayed and neutered,” she said.
E-mail John Veasey at jcveasey@timeswv.com.

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