Patty Bernard
One day last year, I was strolling with my 9-year-old Cocker Spaniel/Cavalier, Mason, in Bridge Park when an energetic woman stopped to pet him and said she was part of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel rescue organization. Patty Bernard and I have been friends ever since and she has become Mason’s second mom.
My life runs at warp speed and Bernard steps in regularly to give him tons of walks and snuggles when my schedule gets overloaded. I call it “Camp Patty” and Mason is an extremely fortunate canine to attend weekly.
As a passionate dog-lover, Bernard is full of ideas for raising healthy pets. This winter, she bought Mason a brightly colored puffer coat and booties to protect his paws from the cold, snow and salted roads. When coyotes were seen nearby she suggested I order a collar with flashing lights to scare them off. Bernard has a raised, protective seat in her car that Mason absolutely loves and she recently bought him a new bed that he falls asleep in. Mind you, he never sleeps in his own bed at my house. Bernard recently asked if she could change Mason’s food to a raw diet because it’s healthier and he needs to drop a few pounds. Turns out, Camp Patty is also a weight loss camp.
Bernard has had several Cavaliers throughout the years and is well informed on their habits, temperaments and health issues. She and her niece, Lauren Fanfer, are volunteer transporters for Cavalier Rescue Midwest. They are fondly called “Road Warriors,” and pick up dogs from farms and puppy mills that are no longer being used for breeding purposes.
“We drive to farms in Holmes County for example and there could be 100 dogs on the premises,” says Bernard. “The hard part is not being able to take all of them with us, but I do feel that I’m giving back to the canine community.”
Patty Bernard
The Road Warriors have their cars equipped with crates, blankets and towels for the two-hour trip to the next transport station. The process continues until the Cavaliers arrive at the Illinois rescue, nicknamed The Sanctuary.
There, the pups are bathed, groomed and checked by veterinarians and the founder of the organization, Cathy Schadel. All medical and dental situations are treated, and Schadel holds onto the dogs with the most serious conditions until they are healed.
Many of the Cavaliers have never worn a harness, walked on a leash or ridden in a car. Vetted foster homes take in many of the animals and work with them until they are ready to be adopted. Schadel prides herself on how well she can match dogs up with their forever people, making sure to take into account whether the home has other dogs, young children and a quiet versus active lifestyle.
Schadel’s approach with Cavalier Rescue Midwest is a holistic one. As a nurse and natural caretaker, she believes in massage, acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments for dogs, as well as raw dog food nutrition. This includes raw goat’s milk which is especially good for pups with heart disease, which is prevalent in Cavaliers.
Years ago, Schadel had a Cavalier named Princess Sophia who was diagnosed with a heart murmur on a 6-out-of-6 scale, and only given six months to live. She started feeding Princess Sophia the raw goat’s milk, the heart murmur dropped to a 3-out-of-6, and she lived for nearly six more years.
The idea is to replicate a canine’s ancestral diet by providing high quality protein, natural enzymes and essential nutrients. Stay away from most kibble because it includes synthetics and by-products like beaks, feet, feathers and is sprayed with flavoring. Instead, go back to naturally sourced food like fresh bone broth, and your pet will reap the benefits of increased energy, cleaner teeth, better digestion, reduced inflammation and a shinier coat.
Passionate animal lovers like Bernard, Fanfer and Schadel are a special kind of people – the ones who show up, load crates, drive miles and give their time and hearts to animals who have never known kindness.
If you’ve ever considered helping, there is always a need. Donations cover medical care and food. Foster homes give frightened dogs a safe place to land. Even volunteering to walk dogs at a local shelter can change the course of a life.
“The best gift is watching a dog recover and find someone who loves him so he can give his love to someone else,” says Schadel.
For more information, visit www.cavalierrescuemidwest.org.
Colleen D’Angelo is a Dublin Life columnist and freelance writer who has lived in Dublin for 27 years. You can find her on the pickleball court, in the yoga studio or on an airplane to international destinations. Contact her at colleendangelo1@gmail.com.
